Major League Baseball has announced a new global event which kicks off in London on July 9.
Home Run Derby X will pit legends of the game against each other in a new twist on the format, with the help of celebrities and rookies.
MLB staged two sell-out regular season games at London Stadium in 2019, between Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, which turned into surprisingly high-scoring affairs.
The Chicago Cubs and St Louis Cardinals were due to play the London Series a year later, until the Covid pandemic led to its cancellation.
This summer, MLB hopes the HRDX tour will encourage fans from outside the United States to take a greater interest in baseball. The tour will also visit Seoul in September and Mexico City the following month.
Crystal Palace Park in south London is set to host the UK event.
Four teams, representing Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees, will take part in the switched-up version of the traditional MLB Home Run Derby.
A smaller version of a typical baseball field will feature Home Plate on a stage and an elevated Pitcher’s Mound, with points scored for home runs or catches by two opposition fielders.
Scheduled to take part are 2013 World Series champion Jonny Gomes plus fellow former players Adrian Gonzalez, Geo Soto, and Nick Swisher; plus influencers such as Hashtag United’s Spencer Owen and football freestyler Liv Cooke.
