As Bobby Witt Jr. prepares for Home Run Derby, he’ll face new rules. What changed?

Salvador Perez and Bobby Witt Jr. are set to have another thing in common this season.

After the latter Kansas City Royals star agreed to participate in the 2024 MLB Home Run Derby — becoming the fifth Royal to do so, and first since Perez participated in 2021 — he’ll be stepping up to the batter’s box next week looking to send some pitches over the wall.

But there will be a new set of rules that awaits him.

In 2015, the MLB announced that its most-popular installment of the annual All-Star break would be switching drastically from a 10-out system (an out being anything not ruled a home run) to a timer system for each round. This time, the change isn’t nearly as drastic, but it will shake things up nonetheless.

So, what did change?

For starters, the timer will remain in place: three minutes for the first two rounds and two minutes for the championship round. Each batter will step up to the plate with this timer set, but this season, if he reaches 40 pitches before that, the round is over.

Whichever comes first — time or pitch count — concludes that round. After that comes bonus time.

Last season, each player got 30 seconds of bonus time to hit additional home runs to add to their total. Two home runs of 440 feet or more during this time also added an additional 30 seconds. This time around, the bonus period will remain, but instead of being timed, it will shift to an out system.

Each batter will get three outs — as defined above — beyond their regulation period, but can add as many home runs as they can before then. If they hit one of 425 feet or more during this period, they’ll get an additional bonus out, ensuring they can overcome any deficit before the bonus period.

The same rules apply in the final round, though the regulation period is just two minutes and the maximum number of pitches is 27.

Beyond that, the format of advancing is the other major change.

Last year, each round was a head-to-head matchup. In the first round, eight contestants meant four matchups and four winners. This year, all eight will tally as many home runs as they can, and the top four overall — not head to head — will advance to Round 2, with tiebreakers being determined by home run distance.

From Round 2 onward, head-to-head matchups will ensue, bracket-style, until a winner is named.

One 45-second timeout is granted to every contestant in every round, but not in bonus time.

The new format was announced by MLB at the end of June as a way to address complaints from past participants, who felt exhausted attempting a huge number of swings in each round. All eight contestants last season averaged more than 40 swings, so the hard cap already changes that.

Witt would certainly love to be the winner. On the season, he’s hit 15 home runs and will be playing close to home (he’s from Colleyville, Texas), but he’s not necessarily focused on winning it all, though his father seems to think he’ll make a run at it with the new rules in place.

“I think the rules really benefit him now,” Bobby Witt Sr. told The Star. “I think it benefits all the guys because you are going out there and — obviously trying to hit as many as you can, but you are not trying to kill yourself going through that first round.”

As for Witt Jr., he’s just looking to “have fun.”

Maybe that’s because of the updated format, or maybe it’s just him.

Either way, Royals fans can tune into the 2024 MLB Home Run Derby on Monday, July 15, to watch him swing. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. Central.