New Home Run Derby rules make each swing count

This year’s Home Run Derby features a new format for the first time in over a decade. Instead of participants trying to hit as many home runs as possible within a timed limit, they’ll now be given a set number of swings.

The Derby, which is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. Monday at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia and stream on Netflix, will give the eight contestants 20 swings in round 1, 15 in round 2 and 15 in the final round.

Instead of trying to get in as many swings as possible within an allotted period, as the format from 2015-25 encouraged, players can now be more selective in which pitches they swing at.

Each swing will count against the participant’s swing allotment, regardless of whether it’s a home run. If a player homers on their final swing, they keep swinging until they fail to hit one out of the park.

Among the eight participants — which include the Yankees’ Ben Rice, whose father will pitch to him — the players with the top four home run totals from the first round will advance to the semifinals. The semifinalists will be seeded based on their round 1 total and will face off head-to-head (No. 1 vs. No. 4 and No. 2 vs. No. 3) to determine the two finalists.

In the event of a tie, round 1’s tiebreaker is home run distance, with the player who hit the longest homer among the tied participants advancing. In the semifinals and finals, ties will be broken by three-swing swing-offs until a winner is determined.

While not the same, the new format is similar to the “outs” format the Home Run Derby previously used. Pre-2015, participants tried to hit as many home runs as possible before making 10 outs — which was any swing that wasn’t a home run.

Whoever wins this year’s Home Run Derby will be awarded $1 million, while the runner-up will receive $500,000. The remaining six players will all net $150,000, and there’s another $100,000 up for grabs for whoever hits the longest home run.

The field is comprised of Rice, Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Junior Caminero, Jordan Walker, Jac Caglianone, Willson Contreras and Munetaka Murakami.