2018 MLB Home Run Derby: Preview, Time, Format, Rules, and How to Watch

Rhys Hoskins made some Phillies history in June when he became the franchise's fastest player to reach 30 career home runs, doing so in 119 games to outpace Chuck Klein (132) and Ryan Howard (134).

Hoskins will try to make more club history when he slugs away in Monday night's 2018 Home Run Derby. The leftfielder can become the first Phillie to win the event since Howard did so in 2006, the year directly after Bobby Abreu hoisted the trophy.

What do you need to know for this year's edition? Let's break it all down:

Essentials

When: 8 p.m. ET
Where: Nationals Park (Washington, D.C.)
Network: ESPN
Live stream: Watch ESPN
Social media: @NBCSPhilly 

The bracket

Philadelphia Phillies

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The rules

Each hitter is up against the clock with four minutes per round.

The clock can expand and stop a few ways. Players can earn bonus time by hitting at least two dingers of 440 or more feet, while each hitter is allowed a 45-second timeout, with the championship round permitting two timeouts - a 45-second stoppage and 30-second stoppage.

If the higher seed, which hits second, surpasses the total of the lower seed, the round ends without the clocking having to run out.

For more on the format, click here to read MLB.com's detailed outline, which includes tiebreakers and past examples.

The favorite

Bryce Harper has a Derby background - unlike the rest - and is hitting in his home park. 

The 2010 first overall pick also owns the second-most home runs among the field this season at 23, behind only the Brewers' Jesus Aguilar, who has 24.

Harper, with 118 dingers since 2015, also has the motivation factor - he'll want to put on a show.

The sleeper

Kyle Schwarber is only 25 years old and a big boy at 6-foot, 235 pounds.

He has 18 homers in 2018 and blasted 30 last season in just 129 games.

The Cubs' outfielder also has the benefit of being on the opposite side of the bracket from Harper.

The underdog

Philly loves the underdog and of course it's Hoskins.

Perfect, right?

Hoskins will go in with no pressure as the eighth and final seed. He loves his pitcher, Chris Truby, the Phillies' minor-league infield coordinator.

"He throws money BP," Hoskins said (see story).

And the 25-year-old shouldn't be taken lightly. He has 32 homers over his first 136 big-league games and hit 67 in 250 games between Double A and Triple A from 2016 to 2017.

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