Los Angeles won’t be the only city hosting a home run derby in 2022.
On Wednesday, Major League Baseball announced the start of MLB Home Run Derby X, a global baseball tour with stops in London, Seoul and Mexico City and featuring former stars Adrian Gonzalez, Jonny Gomes, Geovany Soto and Nick Swisher.
Gonzalez will represent the Los Angeles Dodgers, Gomes the Boston Red Sox, Soto the Chicago Cubs and Swisher the New York Yankees. The teams, representing four of MLB’s oldest franchises, will compete in London at Crystal Palace Park on July 9th, Seoul on September 17th and Mexico City on October 15th at locations to be announced later.
The competition takes place on a “reduced version of a baseball field” with a stage-mounted home plate and pitcher’s mound on a podium, with the field designed to fit in a range of settings from festival grounds to stadiums .
“Inspired by the success and simplicity of the Home Run Derby the day before the MLB All-Star Game, Home Run Derby X was built with the goal of bringing baseball to new audiences and delivering high-energy live event experiences and digital storytelling opportunities.” , MLB said in a statement.
Hitters can swing on 25 pitches and take up to 10 of them, with the opportunity to earn points by hitting targets placed 50 yards from home plate and two beyond outfield fences, similar to the mini-games in the iconic video game MVP Baseball 2005. The opposition will have players in the outfield and can score points by catching baseballs that don’t make it over the fence.
Teams earn a point for every home run, target hit, or catch, while players can request a hot stage that allows teams to double their points in the next five squares.
Each event has a winner and the tour culminates in a knockout tournament to determine the Home Run Derby X Tour Champions at the final event.
Each team will consist of players from four categories, including MLB legends, superstars from the world of softball and women’s baseball, a rookie from the men’s baseball development system, and wildcards who are “influential content creators.”
The Dodgers have Gonzalez, Ashton Lansdell as the Superstar, and Yoongy Kwak as the Wild. The Red Sox will feature Gomes, Paige Halstead as their superstar and Liv Cooke as the wild card. The Cubs will have Soto, Alex Hugo as their Superstar and Spencer Owen as their wild card, while the Yankees will have Swisher, Erika Piancastelli as their Superstar, Stefania Aradillas as their Mexico-only Superstar and Daniel Corral as their wild card.
The group of rookies will be announced at a later date.
Soto, who last played in 2017, said he was excited to show his kids his gaming skills.
“The Chicago Cubs signed me when I was 18, so it’s an honor and a privilege to get another opportunity to put that jersey back on and be a part of Home Run Derby X,” he said. “I can’t wait for my kids to see me swing the bat and hit home runs.”