Overview
- The 2026 MLB Home Run Derby will take place Monday at 8 p.m. ET at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia with pre-show coverage beginning at 7 p.m., and it will stream live only on Netflix.
- MLB replaced the 2015 timed format with a swing-based system that gives hitters 20 swings in Round 1 and 15 swings in Rounds 2 and the final, and a batter who homers on his last allotted swing keeps hitting until he fails to homer.
- All eight competitors hit in a single pool in Round 1 and the four players with the highest home-run totals advance to a seeded, head-to-head semifinal bracket; first-round ties are broken by longest home run and later ties by three-swing swing-offs.
- Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber is the betting favorite and has drawn the most wagers and dollars at major sportsbooks, while fellow Phillie Bryce Harper and a mix of young and veteran sluggers complete the eight-player field.
- The move to Netflix and the rule change have drawn early criticism from commentators who say removing the clock could slow the show, and the shift signals MLB’s broader strategy of putting marquee events on streaming platforms which may change viewership and commercial dynamics.