MLB Run Derby 2026 uses swing-limit format, streams Netflix

The 2026 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby will feature a new format and a new broadcast partner when eight of the game's top sluggers compete at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Monday night. The event, a centerpiece of the All-Star festivities, will be streamed exclusively on Netflix and will replace its timed rounds with a swing-based system, where each hitter gets a set number of swings to advance.

The field includes MLB home run leader Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies, who enters as the betting favorite. He is joined by last year's runner-up, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Chicago White Sox rookie Munetaka Murakami, Kansas City Royals' Jac Caglianone, St. Louis Cardinals' Jordan Walker, Phillies teammate Bryce Harper, New York Yankees' Ben Rice, and Willson Contreras of the Boston Red Sox. Under the new rules, each batter will have 20 swings in the first round, with the four highest home run totals advancing. The second round and final will each allow 15 swings. Ties in later rounds will be broken by a three-swing swing-off.

A unique aspect of this year's contest is the personal connections between hitters and their chosen pitchers. Several...