Netflix dropped its first-ever Home Run Derby telecast on July 13 from Citizens Bank Park in Philly, and man, there was a ton of hype leading into this thing. We had big names like Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber alongside fresh faces Junior Caminero and Munetaka Murakami. Everyone was geared up for the streaming giant to nail the details, but judging by the early chatter, they whiffed hard. Like, embarrassingly hard.
The Camera Cut Catastrophe
Okay, so you’d think with all the tech and money Netflix has, they’d figure out how to film baseball. Nope. Online critics absolutely tore into their "maximalist" camera cuts. Seriously, it felt like they were legally bound to switch angles every two seconds. Two! You barely registered a shot before they were on to the next. What's even worse? A ton of viewers pointed out that the director seemed to actively ignore the absolute best part of a Home Run Derby: the bat hitting the ball! Jason Foster from MLB.com summed it up perfectly on social media, saying, "If a camera angle doesn’t show me the bat coming off the ball, I don’t want to see that angle." Pirates beat writer Alex Stumpf even joked, "Netflix knows the worst part of the Derby is watching that moment of impact where the bat meets the ball. The people yearn for close ups of faces and then cuts to balls mid-flight." It’s obvious fans wanted to see the dingers, not a blurry montage.The Format Flubs and Comedy Cringe
The camera mess wasn't the only issue that had fans scratching their heads. This Derby marked the first time in 11 years they ditched the countdown timer, which was a huge change. And if you like to know what's happening, you were out of luck. Viewers also blasted the lack of numbers on the screen. Seriously, all we got were a player’s remaining swings and the home run distance. Commentators were left to try and paint the picture, but it was just confusing. Then there was the "comedic commentary" from entertainment personalities Jimmy Tatro, Will Ferrell, and Luke Wilson who "warmed up" the broadcast. "Warmed up" is generous. Longtime Atlanta Braves beat writer David O’Brien didn't hold back on social media, calling them "the least funny people to be given such a national stage, without question." He went on, "They. Are. Brutal. Who wrote these godawful lines for them? Embarrassing, Netflix. Utterly embarrassing.” When veteran writers are calling it "utterly embarrassing," you know it’s bad. This was supposed to be a groundbreaking debut for Netflix, especially with so many fans probably subscribing just to catch this one event. Instead, it was an underwhelming show that left a lot of people wondering what they just watched. Hopefully, for the sake of future baseball broadcasts, they go back to basics and actually show the game!This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.