Dale Murphy Welcomes MLB Home Run Derby X To SLC
May 9, 2025, 5:38 PM | Updated: 5:40 pm
The Ballpark at America First Square will play host to a fall exhibition between the Utah Utes and Vanderbilt Commodores on Friday, October 10, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Brian Preece)
(Photo courtesy of Brian Preece)
DAYBREAK, Utah- The MLB announced that the finals of the MLB Home Run Derby X will be held at Utah’s newest sports complex, The Ballpark at America First Square, the home of the Salt Lake Bees.
The event will feature MLB legends as well as stars throughout women’s baseball and softball. The tour will start on July 12 and tour through six cities before the two-day final in the Beehive state.
6 opportunities across the U.S. One champion crowned in Salt Lake City.👑
Who you got taking it all?🧐🏆#HomeRunDerbyX pic.twitter.com/teu8wLUKsB
— MLB’s Home Run Derby X (@homerunderbyx) May 9, 2025
Dale Murphy On MLB Home Run Derby X In Salt Lake
Murphy is one of 13 former MLB players in support of the Big League Utah Coalition. But, he’s likely the most notable.
Playing 15 of his 18 professional years with the Atlanta Braves, Murphy was a 7-time All-Star, 5-time Golden Glove winner, and 2-time NL MVP.
Murphy has stayed around the game of baseball since retiring over 30 years ago. He hopes to bring the MLB to the Wasatch Front as a part of Big League Utah.
Murphy joined Hans and Scotty G on the KSL Sports Zone to talk about the exciting prospect of the competition coming to Utah.
About the setting where the competition will take place, Murphy said, “… the ballpark out there at America First Square is incredible. People go out there. It’s incredible what Miller Sports and Entertainment is doing out there. The whole area is going to be just a great place to go to visit before the game and to eat dinner, and then during the game. It’s a tremendous venue.”
The Salt Lake Bees are playing their first season at America First Square after 30 years at Smith’s Ballpark just south of Downtown Salt Lake City. The new facilities and district around the new ballpark are state of the art, and it is already attracting big guest event like the Home Run Derby X.
About the event itself, Murphy excitedly previewed fans on what they can expect. “The Home Run Derby X, it’s something MLB has come up with… It’s just great and entertaining, it’s just not a home run derby. That’s the other thing, you’re going to have Ex-Major League players there and great softball players as well. So it’s a co-ed competition, and they’re going to have innings where you know, have an opportunity to hit some home runs, but you also get rewarded for great defensive plays. And of course, people out in the stands are going to get a lot of home run balls,” Dale said. “ It’s a lot of music, a lot of flash… I think it’s really exciting that we’re getting the finals here in Salt Lake on September 19 and 20.”
MLB Legends To Participate In MLB Home Run Derby X
Some of the participants for the seven stop tour have already been announced, including former MLB players like Rick Ankiel, Jake Arrieta, Lorenzo Cain, Michael Cuddyer, Ian Desmond, Jonny Gomes, Alex Gordon, Adrian Gonzalez, Ryan Howard, Andruw Jones, Daniel Murphy, Manny Ramirez, Nick Swisher, Adam Wainwright, Ryan Zimmerman and Ben Zobrist, as well as women’s athletes Jocelyn Alo, Reese Atwood, Jocelyn Erickson, Hannah Flippen, Kinzie Hansen, Alex Hugo, Tiare Jennings, Ashton Lansdell, Amanda Lorenz, Elizabeth Mason, Ali Newland, Jessica Oakland, Ella Parker, Kasidi Pickering, Sydney Romero, Taylor Schumacher and Katie Stewart, with opportunity for the field to expand before the first event.
What Is MLB Home Run Derby X?
MLB Home Run Derby X is an exciting competition not only focused on power hitting, but also rewards points for hustle, defensive plays.
There will be four co-ed teams of three that will battle it out throughout the tour in each city. Each member of the team gets an at-bat that lasts two minutes and 30 seconds, with games lasting about 30 minutes. While players are trying to hit home runs, their competition is in the outfield, trying to make catches for points.
