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.

The batter also does not have to conform to the usual league uniform standards, and as all pitches are tossed in the strike zone without any threat of beanballs, may choose to wear a regular baseball cap instead of a batting helmet.

As the event traditionally takes place at sunset where the sun is of no factor to the batter, they can choose to wear their hat casually and backwards.

The televised event included baseball legends Hank Aaron, Mickey Mantle, and Willie Mays.

Prior to 1991, the Home Run Derby was structured as a two-inning event with each player receiving five outs per inning, allowing for the possibility of ties.

The change was believed to be in promotion of the inaugural World Baseball Classic, played in March 2006.

[citation needed] For the first time in Derby history, Shohei Ohtani became both the first pitcher and the first Japanese player to participate in 2021.

The previous overall record was set in 2016 by Giancarlo Stanton, who finished with a total of 61 home runs, defeating Todd Frazier in the final round.

Only three participants, Yoenis Céspedes, Stanton, and Pete Alonso, have won the Home Run Derby without being selected to the All-Star Game.

In the early years of the Home Run Derby, 4–10 players from both the AL and NL were selected to participate.

From 1991 to 2006, 8–10 players were selected and hit as many home runs as possible before reaching 10 outs in each round.

In honor of the World Baseball Classic, the 2005 contest featured eight players from different countries.

The Home Run Derby format was changed significantly in 2014, as MLB sought to speed up the contest and increase the drama.

Players who hit at least two home runs measuring at least 420 feet (128.0 m) are given an extra minute of bonus time.

An additional 30 seconds of bonus time is granted if at least one home run measures over 475 feet (144.8 m).

[10] The four-minute round length was made permanent in 2016, while the minute of bonus time was reduced to 30 seconds and required two home runs of at least 440 feet (134.1 m).

In 2021, the time limit was changed to three minutes plus a bonus of thirty seconds, with an additional thirty seconds of bonus time (for a total of one minute) added if a player hit a home run over 475 feet during regulation.

In 2022, the additional bonus time requirements reverted back to two home runs of at least 440 feet.

It would not be timed, and each manager would pick three players to make three swings each to hit as many home runs as possible.

If the tie persisted, extra players would have had triple-swing rounds until one team outslugged the other, with the winner getting a run and hit credited.

During this period, if a competitor hits a home run that travels over 425 feet (129.5 m), they earn an additional out to work with.

In both 2005 and 2006, $294,000 was raised for the charities, equaling fourteen golden ball home runs per year.

Larry King hosted the broadcast with Craig Sager and Pete Van Wieren handling interviews.

The broadcast's big draw would have been the Home Run Derby, which TBS intended on taping during the afternoon, and later airing it in prime time during the Gala coverage.

The derby was first nationally televised by ESPN in 1993 on a same-day delayed basis,[17] with the first live telecast in 1998.

After a discussion with ESPN's Joe Morgan and another with Hall of Famer Frank Robinson, Griffey changed his mind, and then won the Derby at Coors Field.