The Home Run Derby is one of the hallmark events of All-Star week each summer, and for good reason — it’s one helluva show. That’s especially the case when you look back at the older MLB Home Run Derby winners and how little it used to take to win.
Want to see some homers in person this season? Of course you do. Grab MLB tickets from our friends at Vivid Seats. And before you get to the stadium, make sure you’re decked out in the right gear. Get your favorite team’s official merch from the MLB Shop or a ‘Big Dinger Energy’ shirt from our apparel store.
As we can see, the Home Run Derby has been taking place since 1985 and hasn’t happened in just two different instances. The most recent occurrence was in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic and the shortened MLB season that resulted from it. The other happened in 1988 because it was washed out due to rain.
Below, you’ll see the winner of each derby, the location of it, what the general format of the competition was, and who hit how many home runs. If the format didn’t change from the previous year, we won’t address it again. Don’t forget to also check out some of the craziest single-round performances in Derby history, as well.
Location: Metrodome in Minneapolis, MN
Format: While there was a singular winner crowned, this was a contest between both leagues, with an equal number of hitters representing the National League and American League. Hitters received two turns in the batter’s box, getting five outs each (any batted ball that didn’t result in a dinger was considered an out).
Results:
Location: Astrodome in Houston, TX
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Location: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, CA
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Can you imagine the Home Run Derby getting rained out with no plan to be rescheduled in today’s game? Yea, me neither.
Location: Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, CA
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Location: Wrigley Field in Chicago, IL
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Location: SkyDome in Toronto, Canada
Format: Hitters were given three rounds of 10 outs to try and hit as many homers as possible. After Round 1, the top four players would move on. After Round 2, the top two would battle it out for the title.
Results:
Location: Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, CA
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Location: Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, MD
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Location: Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA
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Location: The Ballpark in Arlington in Arlington, TX
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Location: Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, PA
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Location: Jacobs Field in Cleveland, OH
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Location: Coors Field in Denver, CO
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Location: Fenway Park in Boston, MA
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Location: Turner Field in Atlanta, GA
Format: Hitters were given 10 outs per round, but after the first round was completed, the four players who advanced were then put into a seeded bracket, with the winners of each matchup facing off in the finals.
Results:
Location: Safeco Field in Seattle, WA
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Location: Miller Park in Milwaukee, WI
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Location: U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, IL
Results:
Location: Minute Maid Park in Houston, TX
Format: Hitters were given 10 outs per round, with the top four advancing to the second round. The top two from the second round faced off in the finals.
Results:
Location: Comerica Park in Detroit, MI
Format: Hitters were given 10 outs per round, with the top four advancing to the second round. The top two from the second round faced off in the finals. To honor the inaugural World Baseball Classic coming in 2006, Players represented seven different nations (Venezuela, Panama, Dominican Republic, South Korea, Netherlands, United States, Canada) and Puerto Rico.
Results:
Location: PNC Park in Pittsburgh, PA
Format: Round-by-round totals were no more, and total home runs were used in its place. So, the top four hitters from the first round advanced to the semifinals, but their homer total from that first round came with them. From there, the two players with the most total home runs faced off in the finals, which is when the totals were wiped clean and the player who slugged the most dingers was crowned champion.
Results:
Location: AT&T Park in San Francisco, CA
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Location: Yankee Stadium in New York, NY
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Location: Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MO
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Location: Angel Stadium of Anaheim in Anaheim, CA
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Location: Chase Field in Phoenix, AZ
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Location: Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, MO
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Location: Citi Field in New York, NY
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Location: Target Field in Minneapolis, MN
Format: A bracket format was used for this MLB home run derby, which gave extra incentive to the top home-run hitter in each league during the first round. Whoever came out on top for the AL and NL All-Stars (it was Jose Bautista and Giancarlo Stanton, in this case), were given a second-round bye and an entry directly into the semifinals.
Results:
Location: Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, OH
Format: The eight participants (four from each league) were put into a bracket to go head-to-head against someone from the opposite league. Instead of getting 10 outs per round, a five-minute clock was used. Homers stopped the clock, non-homers restarted the clock, and hitters were awarded with bonus time for extra-long dingers.
Results:
Location: Petco Park in San Diego, CA
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Location: Marlins Park in Miami, FL
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Location: Nationals Park in Washington, D.C.
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Location: Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH
Format: The eight participants were put into a bracket for a head-to-head matchup. Instead of getting 10 outs per round, a five-minute clock was used. Homers stopped the clock, non-homers restarted the clock, and hitters were awarded with bonus time for extra-long dingers. MLB also added a $1 million prize for the winner.
Results:
Location: Coors Field in Denver, CO
Format: The eight participants were put into a bracket for a head-to-head matchup, and seeding was determined by how many homers they had hit so far during the regular season. The time limit was changed to three minutes with a bonus of 30 seconds. Another 30-second bonus was added (giving a player one total minute extra) if they hit a home run 475-plus feet during their first three minutes. There is one additional minute added if there is a tie, and if the tie remains after that, each hitter gets three swings.
Results:
Location: Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, CA
Format: Eight participants were put into a bracket for a head-to-head matchup. Seeding was determined by how many first-half homers they hit. Hitters received three-minute timed at-bats in the first two rounds (two-minute at-bats in the finals). Each slugger was allowed to use one 45-second timeout. If they slugged at least two homers 440-plus feet, they earned 30 seconds of bonus time in addition to the 30 seconds everyone gets at the end of each round. Two tiebreakers are in place. The first is a one-minute at-bat to hit as many homers as possible. If both players are still tied, they have a Swing-Off, where they get three swings a piece to see if the tie can be broken.
Results:
Location: T-Mobile Park in Seattle, WA
Format: Eight participants were put into a bracket for a head-to-head matchup. Seeding was determined by how many first-half homers they hit. Hitters received three-minute timed at-bats in the first two rounds (two-minute at-bats in the finals). Each slugger was allowed to use one 45-second timeout. If they slugged at least two homers 440-plus feet, they earned 30 seconds of bonus time in addition to the 30 seconds everyone gets at the end of each round.
Results:
Want to see some homers in person this season? Of course you do. Grab MLB tickets from our friends at Vivid Seats. And before you get to the stadium, make sure you’re decked out in the right gear. Get your favorite team’s official merch from the MLB Shop or a ‘Big Dinger Energy’ shirt from our apparel store.
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