Jeff Passan Thinks MLB’s New Home Run Derby Format Will ‘Stink’ and He’s Not Alone

ESPN’s Jeff Passan doesn’t hold back when he doesn’t like something. And he really doesn’t like the new Home Run Derby format MLB is rolling out for 2026.

Speaking on the Awful Announcing podcast, Passan called the league’s latest experiment a potential disaster before a single swing even takes place. “I think it’s going to stink,” he said. “Genuinely, I’m worried about that.”

Here’s what changed. Instead of the timed rounds fans have gotten used to, batters will now get a fixed number of swings. Twenty in the first round, 15 each in the semifinals and finals. No clock. No countdown. Just a straight count of pitches.

Passan’s concern is that the whole thing will slow to a crawl once the tension of a ticking clock disappears. “The whole reason the timer came in is because it felt really slow,” he said. “The timer brought urgency, a countdown. We’re going to see tonight, time between pitches is going to grind.”

He’s not wrong to worry. The timed format that debuted a few years ago turned the Derby into a frantic, high-stakes sprint. Guys were swinging fast, balls were flying, and the crowd was on its feet every second. Take away the clock and you’re basically asking hitters to pace themselves. Nobody paid $200 to watch someone take a deep breath between swings.

To be fair, Passan acknowledged the obvious upside: regardless of format, we’re still going to watch superhumans like Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper and Junior Caminero launch baseballs into the Philadelphia night. That part is hard to screw up.

But MLB has been tinkering with this event for a while now. Remember the 10-outs era? Gone. The bracket format? Still around. The timer? On the chopping block apparently. The league seems determined to keep fiddling until they get it right. Or until somebody convinces them to stop.

The real test comes tonight from Citizens Bank Park. If the new swing-count system feels faster and cleaner than the old timer format, this might stick. If it drags, if there’s dead air between pitches, if the broadcast starts filling time with awkward interviews? MLB will be back to the drawing board before the next All-Star break.

For now, Passan will be watching like the rest of us. He’s just hoping the 2026 Derby doesn’t turn into a slog. Because when the biggest stars in the sport are swinging for the fences, the last thing you want is the audience checking their phones between swings.