The Phillies will have a representative at the Home Run Derby.
Alec Bohm will participate in the Home Run Derby at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, MLB announced Friday. Bohm and Baltimore’s Gunnar Henderson are the first two announced participants for this year’s edition of the popular event.
Bohm, 27, has 11 home runs this season. He was named the National League’s All-Star starter at third base earlier this week.
This year’s Home Run Derby will look a lot different. In an attempt to combat the frantic pace of the timed Derby format, players will either get 40 pitches to hit or spend three minutes at the plate in the first round and semifinals — whichever comes first. The final round is two minutes or 27 pitches and the bonus rounds consist of three outs. The league is also doing away with bracket-style matchups in the first round. The top four hitters among the eight participants will advance to the semifinals, which consists of a 1 vs. 4 and 2 vs. 3 matchup based off the number of home runs a player hits in the first round.
Bohm will try to become the first Phillies player since Ryan Howard in 2006 to win the Home Run Derby. Kyle Schwarber was the last Phillies player to participate in the event in 2022. He faced off against Albert Pujols and bombed, no pun intended.