CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Guardians will be well represented at MLB's All-Star Week, and the Home Run Derby will be no exception.
"Home run pitch" will have a whole new meaning as All-Star starter José Ramírez announced on his X (formerly Twitter) account that he will be competing in the contest for the second time in his career.
Ramírez is currently tied for fourth place in the majors with 23 home runs, highlighting what has so far been an MVP-worthy season for the 31-year-old as the Guardians sit in first place.
Ramírez previously competed in the 2022 Home Run Derby where he lost in the first round to then Washington National outfielder and current New York Yankee Juan Soto.
2024 Home Run Derby rules
The rules of the 2024 contest will differ slightly compared to previous years.
Once again eight players will compete. The "knockout style" we've seen over the past few years will not take place until the semifinals.
There will be no predetermined seeds in the first round of this year's event. Each batter in the quarterfinals and semifinals will take their turn until one of the following comes first:
- 3 minutes elapsed
- 40 pitches thrown to competitor
The four players who hit the most home runs in the first round will advance to the semifinals. The semifinals will then be held in a "knockout" style where two competitors will matchup head-to-head with the one who hits the most home runs in the time given advancing.
In the finals, the constraints will be changed to the following:
- 2 minutes elapsed
- 27 pitches thrown to competitor
Ties in the semifinals and finals will be broken by a 60 second "swing-off." If a tie remains after the swing-off, batters will compete in three-swing "swing-offs" until a winner is determined.
Each batter is allowed a single 45-second timeout in each round.
Bonus Pitches
This year, each competitor will be given bonus pitches in each round. Instead of 30 seconds of bonus time like previous years, each player will swing during the bonus pitch period until they record three outs. A player can earn additional bonus pitches if they hit a home run of at least 425 feet within the bonus pitch period. In this case, the round will continue until the fourth out is recorded.
More Headlines on WKYC.com:
- Cleveland Guardians 3B José Ramírez, LF Steven Kwan voted as starters to MLB All-Star Game
- Cleveland Guardians manage just 3 hits, Brayan Rocchio makes key error in 1-0 loss to Detroit Tigers
- A selection that could alter team's future: Cleveland Guardians own No. 1 pick in upcoming MLB draft
- Cleveland Guardians' Josh Naylor, David Fry, Emmanuel Clase named to 2024 AL All Star team