Bees ballpark to host Major League Baseball legends in Home Run Derby X

SOUTH JORDAN, Utah (ABC4) — The new Ballpark at America First Square has only been open and welcoming baseball fans for a few months, and already it is set to welcome some of the biggest names in Major League Baseball.

The league announced the new South Jordan ballpark will host the two-day finals of the Home Run Derby X, a new 3-on-3 9-inning game that the league calls “fast, exciting, and lots of fun to watch and play.”

“We are thrilled to host the finals for MLB’s Home Run Derby X at our brand new ballpark,” said Michelle Smith, president of Miller Sports + Entertainment. “The Ballpark at America First Square is a world-class venue and we can’t wait to welcome baseball fans of all ages from across the state to watch these incredible athletes in action.”

Launched in 2022, the Home Run Derby X is designed to be played co-ed in 30-minute games, focusing on power hitting and athletic catching. Each player gets one at-bat of two minutes and 30 seconds. During an at-bat, the opposing team makes catches in the outfield. Offensive points are earned for home runs and defensive points are earned for catches. The team with the most points at the end of the game wins.

Throughout the game, teams have opportunities to earn bonus points such as hitting a home run through a centerfield target, calling for a “hot streak” of five swings, or tagging in a teammate to “finish with a flourish.”

Utah will be the last stop on this year’s six-city tour. Winning teams from each event will be competing for a $200,000 prize.

MLB legends such as Manny Ramirez, Ben Zobrist, Alex Gordon, Ryan Howard, and Ian Desmond, among others, are expected to visit the Beehive State for the Home Run Derby X. All together, the list of MLB legends share a combined 47 All-Star Game appearances, 26 Gold Glove Awards, and 12 World Series championships.

“After hearing what a great time Andruw (Jones) and Manny (Ramirez) had in last year’s Home Run Derby X, I’m very excited to put the uniform back on and take some swings for the fans,” Zobrist said. “I’m looking forward to going back to some of the great ballparks and cities I played in on my way to the Major Leagues.”

As in past events, they will be joined by current and former stars of collegiate softball and women’s baseball, including Alex Hugo, Sydney Romero, Amanda Lorenz, Elizabeth Mason, and Jessica Oakland, among others.

Tickets for the September event are scheduled to go on sale on May 22 at 9 a.m. through slbees.com. Fans can also join “The Hive” mailing list for presale access.