BALTIMORE — The rules for the 2024 Home Run Derby have been altered significantly, with some of the changes designed to reduce the frantic pace that has concerned past participants.

Within each player’s timed round, the hitter will see a maximum of 40 pitches — similar to how there is a maximum number of basketballs shot in the NBA 3-point contest. This will place a greater premium on efficiency between the batting practice pitchers and the hitters.

Since the Derby moved to a timed format in 2015, the rounds of swings have often shifted into a race of the hitter and pitcher trying to get through as many swings as possible. In last year’s Derby, all of the participants averaged more than 43 swings per round.

Some past participants have spoken about how exhausting the event has become, and have privately fretted about what they perceive to be a heightened risk for injury because of the accelerated pace, which is not typical for hitters taking batting practice.

The hitters will have three minutes in each of the first two rounds, and two minutes in the championship round.

Also, the bonus time for each hitter will no longer be clocked. Instead, the hitter will continue until he’s made three outs — a swing that generates a result other than a home run. A fourth out can be earned with a 425-foot home run in the bonus time. This change will allow for an unlimited number of home runs in the bonus period, meaning that a hitter who is behind will always have a chance to make up a deficit.

Additionally, the first round will no longer be a head-to-head bracket. Instead, the top four first-round scores from the eight hitters will advance to the semifinal bracket, with ties broken by the longest home run in the first round.

Toronto‘s Vladimir Guerrero Jr. won the 2023 Home Run Derby in Seattle. He and his father are the first father-son duo to win the Derby, which is typically among the highest-rated MLB events every year.

Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson became the first player to publicly commit to participating in the 2024 Home Run Derby at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, on July 15, making the announcement himself during Sunday Night Baseball. Henderson is among the MLB home run leaders with 26.

The 2024 NHL draft was a spectacle in every sense of the word. Count me among those who wouldn’t mind seeing the event held at Sphere going forward. I understand wanting to spread league events around, but when you hit a grand slam like the NHL did here, don’t mess with what works.

In terms of the selection process itself, some teams had fantastic drafts, extracting value with each selection, while other teams left value on the table with the talent available.

When considering a grade for each team, the totality of their work was considered: quality of players drafted, selection value and value derived from trades. Here’s our grade for every front office, with insights on particular high-value picks and trades (as well as questionable ones).

Jump to a team:
ANA | BOS | BUF | CGY
CAR | CHI | COL | CBJ
DAL | DET | EDM | FLA
LA | MIN | MTL | NSH
NJ | NYI | NYR | OTT
PHI | PIT | SJ | SEA
STL | TB | TOR | UTA
VAN | VGK | WSH | WPG

ATLANTIC DIVISION

When you have only four draft selections and three are in the 100s, it is difficult to come away with much.

Dean Letourneau was a quintessential Boston pick, even if it was a bit of a reach. The potential for Tage Thompson 2.0 has to be enticing for a franchise that needs help down the middle. He’s going to take a few years, but there is a real chance Letourneau is a unicorn, and Boston took that swing.

Elliott Groenewold, Jonathan Morello and Loke Johansson don’t have NHL projections, but you don’t expect that from midround picks. It’s a long shot for those three to make it, but they are fine bets.

ATLANTA — Oneil Cruz and Rowdy Tellez each hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning, and the Pittsburgh Pirates took advantage of Bailey Falter‘s strong start to beat the Atlanta Braves 4-2 on Sunday to avoid a three-game sweep.

Bryan Reynolds’ 25-game hitting streak ended with two strikeouts and two groundouts in his four at-bats. It was the longest streak in the majors this season and the Pirates’ longest since Kenny Lofton’s 26-game streak in 2003.

The Pirates’ four-run fifth began with a successful challenge resulting in Jack Suwinski being hit by a pitch from Spencer Schwellenbach (1-4). With two outs, Cruz lined a homer that traveled 452 feet to the right-field seats and had an exit velocity of 117.3 mph. It was his 12th homer of the season.

Schwellenbach walked Edward Olivares before Tellez hit his fourth homer off the right-field foul pole.

The Pirates (40-43) capped a 14-12 June.

“I think we had a solid month,” Tellez said. “It was a good way to end it.”

Tellez ended an 0-for-8 drought with his homer.

Falter (4-6) issued four walks in five innings, but the left-hander was charged with just one run and two hits. Falter struck out the side in the second and had five strikeouts overall before being affected by temperatures in the low 90s.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody that red on the mound,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said of Falter.

Falter acknowledged the Georgia heat was overbearing.

“After the fourth I literally felt like I was standing under a magnifying glass,” Falter said.

Falter ended a streak of four consecutive losses since his last win, also against the Braves, on May 24 in Pittsburgh.

Marcell Ozuna walked to open the fourth and scored the Braves’ only run off Falter on Austin Riley‘s double-play grounder.

Aroldis Chapman earned his third save despite giving up a run in the ninth. Following Adam Duvall‘s single and a double by Sean Murphy, Michael A. Taylor made a diving catch of Orlando Arcia‘s sinking liner for a sacrifice fly. Chapman ended the game on Zack Short‘s groundout.

On Saturday, Chapman passed Billy Wagner’s record for most career strikeouts by a left-handed reliever.

The Atlanta Hawks‘ No. 1 overall pick in Wednesday’s NBA draft, Zaccharie Risacher of France, wore a No. 10 Braves jersey when he threw out a ceremonial first pitch. Risacher, who will wear No. 10 as a swing player with the Hawks, was close to the plate with his toss.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Pirates: DH Andrew McCutchen left the game after three at-bats due to what Shelton described as “just a little illness. … He’s fine.”

Braves: RHP Ian Anderson threw three scoreless innings, giving up one hit with one walk, for Class A Augusta on Sunday as he continued his comeback from Tommy John surgery. … OF Ramon Laureano (lower back) missed his fourth straight game.

UP NEXT

Pirates: RHP Mitch Keller (9-4, 3.20 ERA) will start Tuesday night when the Pirates open a home series against RHP Kyle Gibson (5-3, 3.70 ERA) and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Braves: RHP Reynaldo Lopez (6-2, 1.70 ERA) is scheduled to face RHP Hayden Birdsong (0-0, 5.79 ERA) on Tuesday night in the opener of a home series against San Francisco.