The Home Run Derby is an annual home run hitting competition in Major League Baseball (MLB) customarily held the day before the MLB All-Star Game, which places the contest on a Monday in July. In the context of the competition a "home run" consists of hitting a baseball in fair territory out of the playing field on the fly. It differs from a home run hit during legal gameplay in that the batter is not competing against a pitcher and a defensive team attempting to make an out. In the Home Run Derby, all pitches are purposefully thrown slowly and at a closer range than the official 60 feet 6 inches (18.44 m) distance, usually by a coach behind a pitching screen. In addition, like batting practice, the batter remains in the batter's box after each swing and does not run, nor circle the bases to score a run. In 2023, Julio Rodríguez set the single-round home run record with 41 homers, topping Vladimir Guerrero’s 40 home runs in 2019.
The 2009 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby was a home run hitting contest in Major League Baseball (MLB) between four batters each from the National League and American League. The derby was held on July 13, 2009, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, the host location of the 2009 MLB All-Star Game. ESPN, Rogers Sportsnet (Canada), and ESPN America (Europe) telecast the event, while ESPN Radio broadcast on radio.
The 2010 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby was a home run hitting contest in Major League Baseball (MLB) between four batters each from the American League and National League. The derby was held on July 12, 2010, at the site of the 2010 MLB All-Star Game, Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim, California. The event was broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN 3D, and ESPN Deportes. It was also broadcast internationally on Rogers SportsNet in Canada, and ESPN America in Europe. David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox won the event.
The 2011 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby was a home run hitting contest in Major League Baseball (MLB) between four batters each from the National League and American League. The derby was held on July 11, 2011, at the site of the 2011 MLB All-Star Game, Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.
The 2012 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby was a home run hitting contest in Major League Baseball (MLB) between four batters each from the American League and National League. The derby was held on July 9, 2012, at the site of the 2012 MLB All-Star Game, Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.
Kyle Joseph Schwarber is an American professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter for the Philadelphia Phillies of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Chicago Cubs, Washington Nationals, and Boston Red Sox.
The 2014 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby was a home run hitting contest in Major League Baseball (MLB) between five batters each from the American League and National League. The derby was held on July 14, 2014, at the site of the 2014 MLB All-Star Game, Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Yoenis Céspedes was the winner, repeating his winning performance in 2013 to join Ken Griffey Jr. and Pete Alonso as the only players to win consecutive Home Run Derbies.
The 2015 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby was a home run hitting contest between eight batters from Major League Baseball (MLB). The derby was held on July 13, 2015, at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, Ohio, the site of the 2015 MLB All-Star Game.
Rhys Dean Hoskins is an American professional baseball first baseman for the Milwaukee Brewers of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Philadelphia Phillies. Hoskins played college baseball for the Sacramento State Hornets, and was selected by the Phillies in the fifth round of the 2014 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut in 2017, and was the Phillies starting first baseman for parts of six seasons. He was an integral part of the Phillies reaching the World Series in 2022, before he suffered a torn ACL, missing the entire 2023 season. Hoskins signed with the Milwaukee Brewers following his injury in 2024.
The 2016 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby was a home run hitting contest between eight batters from Major League Baseball (MLB). The derby was held on July 11, 2016, at Petco Park in San Diego, California, the site of the 2016 MLB All-Star Game. On July 8, the participants that will be eligible to participate in the Home Run Derby were announced. Giancarlo Stanton won the Home Run Derby by defeating defending champion Todd Frazier 20–13.
The 2017 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby was a home run hitting contest between eight batters from Major League Baseball (MLB). The derby was held on July 10, 2017, at Marlins Park in Miami, Florida, the site of the 2017 MLB All-Star Game. On July 5, the participants were announced. Aaron Judge won, becoming the first rookie to win the event outright.
Juan José Soto Pacheco is a Dominican professional baseball outfielder for the New York Yankees of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Washington Nationals and San Diego Padres. Soto signed with the Nationals as an international free agent in 2015. He made his MLB debut in 2018 and was the runner-up for the NL Rookie of the Year Award. In 2019, he played a key part in the Nationals' first World Series championship, earning him the Babe Ruth Award. In 2020, he won the National League batting title with a .351 average. Soto has won the Silver Slugger Award four times and is a four-time All-Star.
The 2019 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby was a home run hitting contest between eight batters from Major League Baseball (MLB). The derby was held on July 8, 2019, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH, the site of the 2019 MLB All-Star Game. In an effort to lure more big name players to the Derby compared to previous seasons, MLB increased the winner's prize to $1 million with the total pool money being increased to $2.5 million, up from $525,000 in 2018.
The 2022 Philadelphia Phillies season was the 140th season in the history of the franchise, and the 19th season for the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies went 87–75 during the regular season. They went on to win the National League pennant for the first time since 2009.
The 2021 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby was a home run hitting contest between eight batters from Major League Baseball (MLB). The derby was held on July 12, 2021, at Coors Field in Denver, CO, the site of the 2021 MLB All-Star Game.
The 2022 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 2022 season. The 118th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion Houston Astros and the National League (NL) champion Philadelphia Phillies. The Astros defeated the Phillies in six games to earn their second championship. The series was broadcast in the United States on Fox television and ESPN Radio.
The 2022 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby was a home run hitting contest between eight batters from Major League Baseball (MLB). The derby was held on July 18, 2022, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA, the site of the 2022 MLB All-Star Game.
The 2022 National League Championship Series was the best-of-seven playoff between the San Diego Padres and the Philadelphia Phillies for the National League (NL) pennant and the right to play in the 2022 World Series.
The 2023 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby was a home run hitting contest between eight batters from Major League Baseball (MLB). The derby was held on July 10, 2023, at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, the site of the 2023 MLB All-Star Game.
The 2024 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby was a home run hitting contest between eight batters from Major League Baseball (MLB). The derby was held on July 15, 2024, at Globe Life Field in Arlington, the site of the 2024 MLB All-Star Game. The event was won by Teoscar Hernández of the Los Angeles Dodgers. The opening of the derby was quickly buzzed on social media networks and news sites for its off-key performance of the national anthem by country artist Ingrid Andress, who later admitted to being drunk and stated that she would be entering rehab.
