Jose Ramirez to participate in 2024 Home Run Derby

The sixth member of the Home Run Derby field has unveiled, and it is none other than Cleveland Guardians All-Star third baseman Jose Ramirez. The news of Ramirez's participation came on Tuesday afternoon prior to Cleveland's second game with the Detroit Tigers.

This will be the second time that Ramirez has competed in the Home Run Derby in his career, last appearing in 2022's festivities. It was a valiant effort for Ramirez in his first-ever Homer Run Derby, posting 17 home runs in the first round. Unfortunately, that was not enough, as he ended up losing to eventual champion Juan Soto 18-17. Clearly, Ramirez wants another shot at proving he is one of the best power hitters in the game.

Changes in format since Ramirez's last appearance

The Home Run Derby format has changed slightly yet again. In Ramirez's last appearance, it was the straight-timer rule, having three minutes to hit as many home runs as possible in the first round. While the same time limit is present, there is now a cap on pitches that can be seen during that round, as each player can have up to 40 pitches thrown. There is a bonus round as each player can attempt to hit as many home runs before making three outs that are untimed. A 425+ home run hit during the bonus period will earn the contestant an extra out to work with.

The same time and pitch limit format continues into the second round, but any ties during this round will be broken via swing-off featuring three swings until there is a winner.

There is a slight alteration for the final round, as time is now cut down to two minutes while pitches are capped at 27. The same tiebreaker rules from the semi-finals apply, with the most home runs hit by a contestant being crowned the Home Run Derby Champion.