Jeff Passan and the haters couldn’t have been more wrong about the Home Run Derby format

Even as an admitted cynic, I at least try to give new things a chance. Sometimes, it’s mixing in a new spice with my pasta. On Monday night, it was watching Kyle Schwarber and Jordan Walker dominate the radically overhauled Home Run Derby.

I can’t speak for how Passan makes his penne, but I do know that ESPN’s MLB insider was extremely down on the derby’s new format. Appearing on “First Take” on Monday morning, Passan criticized the league for removing the timer in favor of a swing count.

Jeff Passan and the Home Run Derby’s early critics couldn’t have been more wrong

“I think it’s gonna stink,” Passan said.

“The timer brought urgency, and the timer brought a countdown and an end,” Passan explained. “And we’re just gonna see tonight, time between pitches, it’s gonna grind a little bit.”

It is worth noting that ESPN did not air the Home Run Derby this year. Netflix officially obtained the rights ahead of the 2026 season. Passan also made his comments on arguably the network’s most popular and recognizable show. 

Passan later owned up to his remarks, quipping that he was a “moron” in an X/Twitter post.

Watching the Home Run Derby and proclaiming during or after the fact that you preferred the old format is one thing. Personally, I was never a big fan of the timer, so I loved the idea of a swing count and the subsequent pressure.

But it was a bad look for one of MLB’s most prominent reporters to be so negative about the new system before we even saw it in action. Major League Baseball has a long history of stubbornness and reluctance to change, as we’ve seen with the “unwritten rules” and how we went nearly 50 years without a universal DH. 

What made the 2026 Home Run Derby so special

Granted, Passan’s opinions came on “First Take,” a program known for disingenuous commentary. Over a decade ago, it was “First Take” that ushered in the “embrace debate” era by capitalizing on the power of social media. Who else remembers Skip Bayless’ Tim Tebow obsession?

Frankly, the idea that the swing count would not have brought urgency is absurd. Just because there’s no timer doesn’t mean the players didn’t have a countdown working against them. There was also the threat of a swing-off in the later rounds.

The biggest issues with the Home Run Derby involved Netflix’s coverage, which tried to do too much by having far too many people involved. Matt Vasgersian, Anthony Rizzo, and Hunter Pence were phenomenal in the booth. Those three, along with reporter CC Sabathia, should have been the only ones speaking during the actual event. Instead, we suffered through a studio crew that looked uncomfortable and disjointed while calling the home runs in real time.

Passan was seemingly among those rooting for the Home Run Derby itself to fail from the jump. Expressing skepticism would have been one thing, and it’d have been valid. But to predict that the event would “stink” because of the rule changes? 

That’s what “First Take” is built on, though. Panelists and guests make outrageous comments, and we as listeners or aggregators react. ESPN would have won whether or not the Home Run Derby lost, and it’s why shows like “First Take” will always have a home on the Worldwide Leader.

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