MLB is expected to revert to a swing-based format for the Home Run Derby, abandoning the timer

Major League Baseball is reportedly preparing a notable tweak to the Home Run Derby, the signature power event that has grown into a postseason-style showcase on the All-Star stage. The Athletic’s Evan Drellich and Johnny Flores Jr. reported that MLB is set to abandon the timer format in favor of a swing-based approach, returning to a structure that uses a set number of swings rather than a set amount of time. MLB has not made an official announcement, so the change should be treated as pending until confirmed.

The report indicates the new approach will allocate 20 swings for each hitter. That would mark a return to a fundamentally different rhythm from the timed format MLB has used in recent years, where contestants race against the clock and manage both swing selection and pacing in real time. In a swings model, a hitter’s total opportunities are capped, which can influence strategy such as how aggressively they try to start fast versus conserving swings for later rounds.

This swing-based format would also represent a broader shift in how the event has been staged. The Athletic’s report characterizes the move as the first return to a swings structure in more than a decade, implying that MLB had used the timer for a significant span and that the governing framework of the derby has been altered during that period. Even when the goal remains the same, the timer and the swing limit can change what fans see on the screen: longer deliberation with a fixed allotment versus rapid acceleration designed to maximize time efficiency.

The Derby has always walked a line between pure home-run batting and competitive entertainment, and the format is a central part of that balance. A timer format tends to reward hitters who can produce early and sustain output, while a swing-count format places more emphasis on extracting results from each ball. If the planned structure includes 20 swings per hitter, it also creates a clear ceiling for volume and makes the distribution of power more central to who advances.

MLB’s decision-making here matters beyond Derby night because the event functions as a recruiting and brand moment for stars and rising hitters. A swing-based system can also affect how participants prepare mentally and physically, since the event becomes less about surviving short time windows and more about treating the derby like a controlled at-bat environment with defined opportunities. That distinction matters for both marquee players and newcomers who might approach the event differently depending on its rules.

At the same time, with MLB not yet confirming the format, there is no guarantee that all reported details will hold. The timing of the decision also matters, because the Home Run Derby is a logistics-heavy production involving broadcast pacing, lineup order, and on-field operational planning. If MLB follows through, fans can expect a rules update from the league closer to the All-Star break, along with further explanations of how swings are counted and how tiebreakers or progression would work under the revised structure.

For now, the only firm starting point is the reported direction: a move back to a swings-based Home Run Derby and away from the timer, using 20 swings as the baseline allocation per hitter. Until MLB publishes an official release, the league’s final regulations and any additional wrinkles, such as how many hitters participate per round and how advancement is determined, remain the key items to watch.