FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – Major League Baseball has announced that Home Run Derby X, a new baseball format built around power hitting and defensive hustle, will be on display at Parkview Field on Saturday, Aug. 10. The event will take place while the Fort Wayne TinCaps (Minor League Baseball’s High-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres) are away.
The team released the following:
MLB legends Jake Arrieta and Nick Swisher will be joined by stars from softball and women’s baseball, including Jocelyn Alo and Alex Hugo. The full roster of players participating, featuring two more MLB legends and two more softball/women’s baseball stars, will be announced at a later date.
HRDX is a Home Run Derby with defense. A single game takes about 30 minutes. Each player gets one at bat of two minutes thirty seconds. During an at bat the opposing team is in the outfield to make catches. Teams earn offensive points for home runs and defensive points for catches. At the end of the game, the team with the most points wins.
Bonus points are earned by hitting home runs through a centerfield target. During each at bat, batters can call for a hot streak of 5 swings where everything counts double. In the final minute of an at bat, batters can tag in a teammate to finish with a flourish.
“Major League Baseball recognizes Fort Wayne as an amazing market,” said Charlie Hill, MLB’s Vice President of International Strategy. “With Northeast Indiana being nearly equidistant to Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, and Detroit, we know the area has tremendous fans who will love this event. The TinCaps and Parkview Field have established a reputation as a fantastic baseball organization, so they were attractive to select as one of our four Minor League Baseball markets for Home Run Derby X in 2024.”
“The TinCaps are incredibly honored to host Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby X at Parkview Field,” said TinCaps President Mike Nutter. “We don’t take it lightly that we’re the only Minor League Baseball club outside of the Triple-A level to have this opportunity in 2024, and are determined to make this one of the best, most fan-friendly events in our ballpark’s now 15-year history of awesome promotions.”
Alo is the NCAA all-time leader in home runs (122) and slugging percentage (.987) following a decorated career at the University of Oklahoma, where she was the 2022 Big 12 Conference Female Athlete of the Year, the Most Outstanding Player of the 2022 Women’s College World Series and a two-time National Player of the Year. She was a member of the 2022 USA Softball Women’s National Team and won a 2022 ESPY for Best College Athlete, Women’s Sports.
Hugo, who currently serves as a roving instructor in the Oakland Athletics organization, returns to the HRDX circuit after participating last year. She is a four-time member of the USA Women’s Baseball National Team and became the first two-time winner of the USA Baseball Sportswoman of the Year Award.
Arrieta, who returns to HRDX, pitched for 12 years in the big leagues, winning the 2015 National League Cy Young Award, a Silver Slugger Award and was a 2016 National League All-Star as he helped the Chicago Cubs to the 2016 World Series championship. Arrieta also threw two no-hitters for the Cubs.
Swisher, a 12-year MLB veteran, also returns to HRDX 2024 after participating in the 2023 U.S. tour. He was a 2010 American League All-Star for the New York Yankees after helping them to the 2009 World Series championship.
Fort Wayne is the first stop on this year’s Home Run Derby X schedule. The event will also visit Albuquerque (Aug. 23), Nashville (Aug. 31), and Durham (Sept. 7).
Comments