Major League Baseball is introducing an electrifying new baseball format with the launch of MLB Home Run Derby X – a global tour kicking off in London on July 9 2022 at Crystal Palace Park, with tickets going live on April 7 at 10am BST via Ticketmaster.
Prior to this, there will be a 24-hour pre-sale going live at 10am BST on April 6 offering baseball fans exclusive early access to tickets. To be eligible for the pre-sale fans need to be signed up to MLB Europe’s newsletter. Once pre-sale closes, general ticket sales will go live on April 7 at 10am BST, via Ticketmaster with both general admission and VIP packages available.
All ticket buyers will be able to:
- Watch four Home Run Derby X games across the day
- Enjoy live headline music on the main stage
- Feast on ballpark food and drink
- Take a swing in the batting cages
Inspired by the success and simplicity of the Home Run Derby the day before the MLB All-Star Game, Home Run Derby X has been developed with the goal of attracting a new audience to baseball.
While Home Runs and epic catches steal the show, Home Run Derby X offers more than just big hits to event attendees. The London event will feature a live performance from a British music sensation (to be announced soon), interactive baseball-inspired activities, delicious ballpark food, fashion and more to push it to the next level and offer an unforgettable experience for all.
The teams competing in Home Run Derby X represent four of Major League Baseball’s most historic Clubs; Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees and consist of MLB Legends, Superstars, Rookies and Wild Cards. Legends are MLB icons who bring big hitting talent to the roster. Superstars are the world’s best talent from softball & women’s baseball. Rookies are from the men’s baseball development system and will be announced as part of the build up to each event. Wild Cards are influential content creators, fired up for a huge challenge, as they embark on an intensive training program taking them from baseball beginner to big hitter. UK-based Wild Cards Liv Cooke (football freestyling sensation), and Spencer Owen (founder of Hashtag United) will be taking part in the global tour this year.
How the game works: In each game, points are available for both offense and defense. Each batter has one at-bat of 25 pitches. They’ll be swinging for the fences, while two of their opponents patrol the outfield. A Home Run scores one point for the offense and a catch is one point for the defense. In Home Run Derby X there are also additional ways to score, inspired by video games, Target Hits in the infield, and beyond the fence, can earn extra points for the batters. Each batter also has a Hot Streak – five consecutive pitches where Home Runs and Target Hits count double but a catch in the Hot Streak is also double points for the defense.
Following the event in London, Home Run Derby X will travel to Seoul on September 17 before concluding in Mexico City on October 15.
To find out more, check out mlb.com/HomeRunDerbyX. You can follow the full Home Run Derby X Tour at @mlb and @MLBEurope. MLB will be documenting the progress of the teams, the Wild Card’s training journey, and all the live and behind-the-scenes action from each event.
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