Todd Frazier Wins Derby in New Format

Cincinnati Reds third baseman Todd Frazier gave the hometown crowd something to smile about on Monday night, capturing the 2015 Home Run Derby after beating Joc Pederson of the Dodgers.

After tying at 14 homers apiece in the final round, Frazier used his first swing of the "bonus time" to win the event.

It was the first year that Major League Baseball used a format that included time, not outs. It was a rousing success. Players were also seeded bracket style in order to create competition.

The player with the most home runs in the regular season, Albert Pujols, was seeded first, while Kris Bryant of the Cubs was eighth and so-on and so-forth. Frazier was the No. 2 seed.

First, each player got four minutes guaranteed to hit as many home runs as possible. This helped players swing the bat, and eliminated much of the pitch taking from recent years. It also drastically reduced the time of the event, making it more engaging for the fans.

Next, players got one timeout of 45 seconds. This was key, because as players were swinging the bat, they did deserve some time to catch their breath.

Lastly, if players hit two home runs over 435 feet, they were rewarded with 30 extra seconds, which Frazier used to win the event.

The time component not only helped with players swinging the bat, it also helped create drama, as several rounds came down to the wire.