Category: Baseball

Halfway across the world in Japan, and in half of Chicagoland homes, all eyes were on White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami and his performance in the 2026 Home Run Derby

Mune, fresh off of the injured list and with only five total games under his belt before setting up in the Derby batters’ box, made a valiant run in the first round. Clubbing nine home runs with White Sox coach Luis Sierra throwing to him (Sierra had prepped for the assignment on Saturday by pitching to the White Sox legends in the Sox Park Home Run Derby won by Leury García), Murakami settled into third place, with enough longballs to make the cut. Ben Rice didn’t come close to Mune, but he was still alive, in fourth, even after Junior Caminero crushed 12 into the seats. With two batters remaining, Schwarber then stepped up and deflated the hopes of fans in Japan and Chicago by lofting 10 balls over the wall.

Mune’s longest missile traveled an awe-inspiring 466 feet, with seven shots landing in right field and two in right-center.

Here’s every one of Mune’s moon shots, at least one of which soared over the Citizen’s Bank Ballpark stands:

Walker bests Schwarber in thrilling HR Derby finish
While there were criticisms of the broadcast/platform and fewer homers clubbed than in past seasons, Jordan Walker’s “walk-off” home run to upset Kyle Schwarber to win the 2026 Home Run Derby redeemed the evening and then some.

Hometown favorite Schwarber led off the title round with 11 homers, his best effort of the evening (10 in the opening round to edge out Chicago’s Munetaka Murakami, nine in the semis to sneak past Boston’s Willson Contreras). With essentially the whole of the ballpark rooting against him and trailing, 11-8, while down to his last swing, Walker dug deep and clubbed four straight to win it.

For Philadelphia fans who lustily booed all six non-Phillie participants in the Derby, consider it a sign of maturity that they were merely stunned into silence by the blast:

Even though he was eliminated in the first round, Yankees slugger Ben Rice had an unforgettable time in his first experience of the Home Run Derby on Monday night.

With his dad as his pitcher, like they used to do in their backyard when Rice was younger, the lefty swinger totaled seven home runs in his first go-around which wasn’t enough to send him to the semi-finals. 

Still, the experience alone was enough for Rice, who was smiling from ear to ear when talking to reporters after the event, to have a great time.

“That was sick,” he said. “Just getting to be out there with my dad, hearing all the boos and everything I was just trying to take it all in, it was so fun.”

With the derby being held at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, the heavily-skewed Phillies crowd let Rice hear it, not only when he was taking his hacks, but during the introductions too -- likely because of his connection to New York and the fact that the Yankees beat the Phillies in the 2009 World Series.

People don’t forget.

“The boos were crazy, especially in the opening ceremony,” Rice said. “It was so cool. I always like the saying ‘they don’t boo nobodies’ so it was really cool to just hear them rain down on me and even in the round too. It was fun.”

Obviously Rice didn’t let the hostile atmosphere take away from the magical experience he got to celebrate with his dad and said his adrenaline was “on another level” during the event. In fact, before taking the field, the 27-year-old thought he felt great and it wasn’t until his first swing that he realized just how fast he was going.

“I’ll tell you what, I didn’t realize how out front my first swings were gonna be,” he said. “I was in the cage and I was like ‘I’m gonna hit 20 home runs, I’m on fire right now’ and then I took my first swing and I was like ‘oh my god I am going so fast right now’ so I just had to figure out a way to slow down, but like I said it was a blast.”

On top of that, Rice is sure his swing must’ve looked different than his usual swing as he was trying to get the ball in the air as opposed to hitting line drives all over the field like in the regular season.

Nevertheless, the first baseman/designated hitter “embraced every bit” of the competition and “had a blast” while leaving things up in the air on whether or not he would do it again in the future.

“We’ll see, we’ll see. We’ll think about it,” Rice said. “If I ever got the chance I’d definitely consider it, but we’ll see.”

But if that was the one and only time for Rice, it’s something he’ll never forget.

“Even just when I stepped foot out there, just looked at my dad and we just smiled at each other and we were like ‘let’s go, let’s take some swings’ so it was super cool,” he said.

While there were criticisms of the broadcast/platform and fewer homers clubbed than in past seasons, Jordan Walker’s “walk-off” home run to upset Kyle Schwarber to win the 2026 Home Run Derby redeemed the evening and then some.

Hometown favorite Schwarber led off the title round with 11 homers, his best effort of the evening (10 in the opening round to edge out Chicago’s Munetaka Murakami, nine in the semis to sneak past Boston’s Willson Contreras). With essentially the whole of the ballpark rooting against him and trailing, 11-8, while down to his last swing, Walker dug deep and clubbed four straight to win it.

For Philadelphia fans who lustily booed all six non-Phillie participants in the Derby, consider it a sign of maturity that they were merely stunned into silence by the blast:

Halfway across the world and in half of Chicagoland homes, however, all eyes were on White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami.

Mune, fresh off of the injured list and with only five total games under his belt before setting up in the Derby batters’ box, made a valiant run in the first round. Clubbing nine home runs with White Sox coach Luis Sierra throwing to him (Sierra had prepped for the assignment on Saturday by pitching to the White Sox legends in the Sox Park Home Run Derby won by Leury García), Murakami settled into third place, with enough longballs to make the cut. Ben Rice didn’t come close to Mune, but he was still alive, in fourth, even after Junior Caminero crushed 12 into the seats. With two batters remaining, Schwarber then stepped up and deflated the hopes of fans in Japan and Chicago by lofting 10 balls over the wall.

Mune’s longest missile traveled an awe-inspiring 466 feet, with seven shots landing in right field and two in right-center.

Here’s every one of Mune’s moon shots, at least one of which soared over the Citizen’s Bank Ballpark stands:

Bryce Harper is the greatest showman, as they say. Kyle Schwarber, then, might be the greatest craftsman, with a body of work so explosive that it could only be rivaled by Alfred Nobel. As the festivities got underway, Schwarber and Harper joked that the winner of the duel between the two would have to pay some sort of price to the winner. Perhaps a gold medal, and a certificate from the Schwarbel Committee to recognize outstanding contributions in the field of Dingerology.

Wilson Contreras got the festivities started, with a solid 13 homers on his 20 swings. He took a few pitches before his last swing, wanting to make sure he got the most of the magenta ball (with which you get to swing until you stop hitting dingers). He eventually took a hack at it, but didn’t quite clear the fences; no bonus bombs for him. Jordan Walker was the first to send one into the greenery of the batter’s eye; he started off strong, faded down the stretch, then bounced back to match Contreras’ 13. The triskaidekaphobes were shuddering, but everyone else at the Bank was having a grand old time. Jac Caglianone tried to jac a few taters, but couldn’t quite find his swing, with only two homers in his first 10 swings. He then proceeded to eat his spinach, flinging a few moonshots into the upper decks in right, and one over the batter’s eye and into Ashburn Alley. His total of eight wouldn’t be enough to send him ahead, but he acquitted himself well with some of the finest gopher balls the first round had to offer. Munetaka Murakami, of the Junior Circuit’s Chicago club, surpassed Caglianone by one.

Ben Rice went fifth, and fell short with a total of seven shots. Junior Caminero went after and put up a dozen.

And then it was time for the hometown heroes. Hat backwards, Schwarber strode up to the plate to a standing ovation. His first swing lined the ball to left-center, his second was a shallow fly. His third was a grounder, and his fourth was a foul. His sixth, however, sailed into the familiar territory of the right field seats in CBP. He soon found his groove, with six homers through twelve swings. With four swings left, he had eight homers, and two more needed to beat out Murakami and put himself in line to advance. His next swing tied Murakami. Two swings later, he surpassed him with a shot into the second deck, an area littered with more Schwarbomb landing sites than the moon has craters. He didn’t send the bonus ball into the seats, and so ended his first round with an even ten.

Bryce Harper had the encore, with Schwarber’s ten as his number to beat. The dream of a Harper-Schwarber final came to a premature end; instead, we were treated to the high yet heartbreaking drama of Bryce and Kyle reaching out for the same ring. Harper’s first swing went foul, his second went into the glove of a waiting fielder. His third went out to center, and did not have the distance. But his fourth went into the right field seats. Nine more to go. His seventh swing produced a towering shot that entered Ashburn Alley. Soon after, his bat launched a 482 foot monster. But time (or swings, rather), began to run short. With eight swings left, he needed six more homers. But he had a late surge, with eight homers as he entered the magenta ball swings. Unfortunately, he fouled off the bonus ball, and his night ended. The duel between our beloved duo ended with the Showman bowing out, and Schwarber was left to carry the torch for the hosts.

Schwarber was matched with Contreras in the second semifinal, with Junior Caminero taking on Jordan Walker in the first. Caminero was substantially cooler in the semis, producing five homers on his 15 swings, though one was a lovely shot into the batter’s eye. Walker calmly and smoothly handled his foe, tying him with his seventh swing and eliminating him with the eighth.

Contreras, as the first round’s leader, got the benefit of going second. Schwarber’s first swing produced a ball that just barely missed the mark, and his next two didn’t get the job done either. But his fourth went flying, his fifth said hello to the second deck, and his sixth and seventh did too. His eighth was a misfire that took out a camera, a bit of comic relief sandwiched between rainbow drops. Once in his groove, the well-oiled Schwarb-chine could be delayed but not stopped. He had nine by the time the magenta ball came out, and finished there (nobody had hit a homer with the magenta ball all night).

Contreras was greeted by a host of contrary Philadelphia fans, cheering jubilantly for every ball that found grass instead of seats and booing when he took pitches. They quieted down as he rattled off homers and rattled the foul pole with a dinger, then, after that brief respite for the Bosox’ representative, found their boos again as the battle reached its apex. With two swings remaining, Contreras was one short of Schwarber. He missed on the first, then had the challenge of the magenta ball that had befuddled every previous batter. A wild pitch made him jump out of the way; a bit of levity amidst the tension. He fouled off the magenta ball, and Schwarber was on to the finals. Had Contreras been rattled by the boos of his Derby detractors? Philadelphia lore will surely see it that way.

Schwarber vs. Walker for the title, with Schwarber going first. He took a few pitches to start out the finals, then sent one into the second deck with his first swing. His second swing went over the fence too. His third and fourth homers weren’t no-doubters, but they found their proper home after anxiety-inducing arcs. His fifth shot was a smooth, easy second deck shot, as was his sixth, as were his seventh and his ninth and his tenth. The magenta ball was next, and Schwarber was the first to send it into the seats. His bonus swing sent a liner towards right, where it barely missed. The fan who caught it, arm stretched over the wall, seemed more bereft by the end of Schwarber’s round than enthused by his grab. An exceptional round, and a high bar for Walker to clear.

Walker was greeted by boos. Cheers greeted his misses, his home runs were met with deafening silence. He entered the magenta ball swings with eight homers. He got four more, and even the sourest Philadelphia fan (admittedly, I among them) had to admit it was a mighty show and a well-deserved victory. A classic Derby leading the way into the Midsummer Classic.

PHILADELPHIA — Jordan Walker needed a few extra dents of his own in the Liberty Bell to win the 2026 MLB Home Run Derby. Four, to be exact.

In what was a highly entertaining final matchup against a hometown star – Philadelphia Phillies' designated hitter Kyle Schwarber – the St. Louis Cardinals outfielder mashed a flurry of home runs at Citizens Bank Park on Monday, July 13 to overcome Schwarber in the final. Walker hit three do-or-die home runs off the final magenta ball to tie Schwarber's 11 home runs before hitting a fourth to win the event.

And he made some history, becoming the first Cardinals player to win the MLB Home Run Derby.

Home Run Derby: Highlights from MLB All-Star Week Event

JORDAN WALKER WALKS IT OFF IN THE @TMOBILE#HRDERBY FINALS! pic.twitter.com/tTbJvWwW78

— MLB (@MLB) July 14, 2026

Schwarber and Phillies teammate Bryce Harper were the headliners in this year’s derby at their home ballpark. Harper, who was a "legacy pick" for the All-Star Game by MLB commissioner Rob Manfred, did not make it out of the first round.

Next up in Philadelphia will be the 96th edition of the Major League Baseball Midsummer Classic at 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

Jordan Walker’s breakout season may have hit a new high in the Home Run Derby on Monday. 

Despite entering with the third-longest odds to win it, Walker epically took the Derby, beating the Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber 12-11 in the final round at Citizens Bank Ballpark.

Walker became the first Cardinal to win the event while silencing Phillies fans who thought Schwarber would run away with the title.

They were cheering every time a Walker ball did not leave the park.

They booed everyone except Schwarber and Bryce Harper.

“I was once told you don’t boo nobodies,” Walker said. “So it feels pretty good.”

The Cardinals star needed to hit six home runs in a row, with just one swing left, and did just that.

He hit three home runs in the bonus round to clinch the victory.

Hitters can keep swinging until they make an out on their final attempt.

“He earned it,” Schwarber said.

Walker tied Willson Contreras for the lead with 13 home runs in the first round before hitting six home runs on eight swings in the semifinals, advancing while still leaving seven swings on the board.

The Cardinals star used an Iron Man-themed bat for the Derby, and he’s enjoying a career-best season after struggling to begin his career.

The 24-year-old is hitting .294 with 22 home runs and 74 RBI, and he has helped guide the Cardinals to a surprising 50-45 start despite low expectations. 

Walker’s breakout campaign comes just a season after he hit a woeful .215.

“That was impressive,” Schwarber said. “That was impressive what he did.”

Editor's note: Follow along for live updates from the 2026 MLB Home Run Derby.

Nobody could touch the magenta ball, until the end of the night.

Through the first two rounds of the Home Run Derby on Netflix on Monday night, not one of the 12 hitters homered on the T-Mobile Magenta Ball, according to the broadcast. The magenta ball is the new bonus ball that hands a player extra swings if he goes deep on the last cut of his round.

That ball was like a Paul Skenes' splinker all night, confounding hitters, until Kyle Schwarber hammered the last one he saw during the finals. It was a 435-foot homer as he was down to his final swing.

Jordan Walker hit the magenta ball out four times to, not only stay alive, but beat Schwarber with 12 home runs. Walker homered on his last six swings.

While it started out as a dud, it set up an exciting walk-off at the Home Run Derby.

Pressure? What pressure. Jordan Walker silenced the Philadelphia crowd with an outstanding display of power and poise in the final round to overcome Kyle Schwarber and take home the Home Run Derby.

After homering in each of his final six swings, needing every single one of them, Walker became the first St. Louis Cardinals player in the history of one of baseball’s most storied franchises to win this event.

Right-handed hitters dominated Round 1

One of the underdogs heading into this event, Willson Contreras started things off with a performance that looked more and more impressive with each hitter that came to the plate in the first round. Not only was Contreras impressive in total volume, finishing with 13, but he also shone in raw power with four of the six largest distances, matched only by Junior Caminero in the top 6. So much was made of the field day left-handed hitters would have with the Derby taking place in Philly that maybe the righty hitters took it a bit personally.

Jordan Walker followed Contreras and also managed to hit 13 homers, which inevitably led us to believe in a high cutoff mark for that first round. Little did we know that no other hitter would crack 13. Unlike Contreras, Walker looked to be saving himself more for the following round, which is backed up by an average exit velocity five miles per hour slower than Contreras despite clearly possessing more raw power. Evidently, that move paid off with Walker eventually taking home the trophy.

It wasn’t quite Jazz Chisholm Jr. in terms of level of disappointment, but Ben Rice was responsible for another underwhelming Derby for a Yankees hitter, finishing with just seven homers and the lowest average exit velocity (103.7 MPH).

Junior Caminero was another standout performer from the right side with 12 bombs—Kyle Schwarber didn’t crack the top 3 with just 10 home runs. With that, the stage was then set for Bryce Harper to compete against his teammate for the final spot as the only lefty to make it to the second round. Harper only got to eight home runs and was bounced out early.

National League over American League in Round 2

Walker missed out on the top seed to Contreras, who had a longer home run in the first round. With that, the matchups were between Walker vs. Caminero and Contreras vs. Schwarber. Caminero was underwhelming with just five home runs in 15 swings and set up a pretty easy second round for Walker, who got to six with still seven swings to spare.

The second semifinal was far closer, and this time around, the batter going first managed to squeeze out a win, as Schwarber’s nine home runs proved enough to beat out Contreras, who stopped at eight.

Dramatic final round

Schwarber managed to hit 11 bombs to open the final, more than any hitter had achieved in the semis with the same 15 swings. With the pressure of the home crowd against Walker to wrap things up, something that might’ve led to a pedestrian start for the Cardinals’ slugger—the win looked like a sure thing for Schwarber.

Up until Walker’s final run, there had been only one home run in the final ball of a round, allowing a hitter to extend his run, and that had come from Schwarber in the final. Walker had three swings left with six home runs and then doubled that total with six straight home runs to win the event.

Overall, Walker ended the night with 31 home runs on 47 swings, a ridiculous mark for the once-former top prospect currently in the middle of a breakout campaign.

The main takeaway of this year’s Home Run Derby: The new format gives plaers 20 swings in the first round and 15 thereafter, unless the final swing results in a homer, in which it can continue to infinite swings. Minus a Stanley Kubrick- or David Fincher-type possessing the skills of Kenny Lofton, this is an ideal scenario. You don’t need to take my word for it though. They wanna hit and tonight, the proof was in the pudding. This derby was fun to start to finish. Willson Contreras didn’t win but he was the perfect heel.

The secondary takeaway: MLB spent money on this, at least by their standards. Barry Bonds, Will Ferrell, Michael Buffer, more. They wanted people to watch, and they put on a show.

Round 1: Willson leads off, beats everyone’s booties en route to Round 2

Willson was booed lustily when he was introduced, which is the Philly way of saying “I love you,” so the vibes were good. They also famously love brawlers, and, well, Willson is one. And hoooo boy, did he seem like he was at home. He was the first person to hit, and holy smokes did he deliver, hitting not just 13 homers on 20 swings in, but hitting bombs in between laser shots to the corners. Since it was a new format, he was able to milk the clock very nicely, a very smart move, before his last ball. He took four pitches, building drama, before flying off the wall in deep left center.

It ruled.

So then Jordan Walker of the Cardinals came up, and hit 13. Which still seemed amazing, but was it the players, or the format? The answer: The players! He was on one! Jac Caglianone hit 8 taking pitches from his dad — which, I mean, is a better than winning the thing, it’s the best day of your life, but you ain’t gonna win — and after an incredible middle section he faded out not leastwise because his dad is older than me, who was born during the Carter Administration. If I was pitching he’d have advanced tho. Just saying. I can still throw a meatball if nothing else.

Munetaka Murakami came on and sort of biffed it and hit 9 without his dad pitching. They didn’t say he was, at least. But then Ben Rice came out and had his dad pitch to him, and he hit 7 and sucked for him and ruled for us, because the Yankees are trash. Junior Caminero then came out without his dad and hit 12. Do you see the pattern? Do you see it?

Unfortunately, this event being in Philly, the Phillies were saved until the end. Red Sox legend/MLB home run leader Kyle Schwarber came out and needed 10 to advance. So he hit 10 and had to rely on teammate Bryce Harper not to displace him. And look as a person Harper’s just exhausting but the man can hit a baseball. Just not as good as Red Sox legend Schwarbs, as Harper, laden by FanDuel cash, only merited 8 homers. Onward.

Round 1 notes: Chris Sale’s kids look like Chris Sale

Round 2: Willson, booed the entire time and loving every second, loses in absurdly theatrical match against Red Sox legend Kyle Schwarber

Now it was Junior vs. Walker and Willson vs. Red Sox legend Schwarbs in head-to-head semifinal matchups, which are down to 15 swings. The change in formats caught me by surprise but I get them.

Junior started things off. FYI the distance tiebreaker, which was in place in Round 1, did not apply to Round 2. So we’re in swing-off territory. But Junior only hit 5, so not really an issue. Good for us, at least. Also Willson hadn’t yet started a fight. Alas, the night was still young. As is Walker, who, I mean, looked absolutely sick and hit 6 homers to beat Junior with a handful of swings to spare. As I’m writing this right now he seems the most locked in.

Red Sox legend Schwarbs led off on the other side of the bracket, and he kicked ass, hitting 9 no-doubt dongers. What can we even say? He was here! He was right here! Red Sox legend Schwarbs now and forever. Except right now, against Willson. This is the exception that proves the rule.

But now he came on and was lustily booed until he made an out, at which point the crowd was nuts. Incredible hating. It was glorious, I can’t lie. If he took a pitch, they booed louder. Game recognize game. He was hapless through 7 swings, got hot, got cold, got hot, took it down to the last swing with the crowd in a lather. His pitcher “threw at him,” evoking laughs. Then he popped out and the crowd went wild. It was amazing, and Willson loved every moment of playing the villain. But he had a blast. Onward.

Round 3: Red Sox legend Kyle Schwarber loses in dramatic fashion to non-Red Sox legend Jordan Walker

Time comes for us all, but Kyle Schwarber doesn’t wanna hear it. At 33 years old, he’s as good as ever, probably because he played for us those few months (but also because his archetype lends itself to this sorta thing). That’s just science. He hit 11 homers and finally hit the magenta last ball, which is worth more I think. Walker came out second and just didn’t have it… at first. He was booed as lustily as Willson and fell behind Schwarbs’ pace before a furious comeback, showered by boos, that drew him to within one swing, 11-10. Homer or go home. he hit a homer to make it 11-11. Now it’s a homer and we go home. Guess what he did next? Here’s a hint: this blog is over. And the Home Run Derby is back.

Jac Caglianone is a gigantic human who can hit baseballs very, very hard and very, very far. But the Home Run Derby is a different beast, and while Cags hit some absolute tanks, he was eliminated in the first round of this year’s contest. Meanwhile, at least one Missouri hitter ended the day as the total victor: Jordan Walker, the St. Louis Cardinals’ budding 24-year-old star, defeated hometown hero Kyle Schwarber in one of the wildest runs in recent Derby history.

That matters, because this year’s Derby was a bit like the contests of old: no clock. No golden ball. But the currency spent here was not outs, but swings: each hitter got 20 swings, and if you got a home run on the final swing, you kept going until you made an out.

Wilson Contreras and Jordan Walker set the stage with some very impressive home runs, notching 12 and 13, respectively. With his dad, Jeff, pitching to him, Cags stepped up to the plate and immediately looked a little nervous, making an out at one point with seven consecutive swings. But he eventually found a groove, unleashing this ridiculous shot to the upper deck:

Cags also unleashed a home run to straightaway center field that went over the batting eye ivy. He ended up with eight home runs. It was a respectable figure and similar to a lot of other hitters in the first round: Muneteka Murakami ended up with only nine home runs after his first round, and two batters later Ben Rice only hit seven. Kyle Schwarber had 10 afterwards. And Bryce Harper himself only got eight home runs. But rules are rules, and Cags didn’t hit as many as his peers, so he fell off.

The format itself—at least to me—was a nice shift away from the frenetic energy of the timed event. Big home runs were given their time to breathe, and there was a little more drama as a result. But Netflix was equally unhurried; Cags was only the third hitter, and it didn’t happen until 45 minutes after the broadcast began.

The Philadelphia crowd helped. They were, at you might expect, feisty. With not one but two Phillies participating, they gleefully sent boos towards the non-Philly hitters. At at one point during Walker’s first go-round, they even booed one of the outfield kids for failing to snag a fly ball.

As mentioned before, the finals shook out to Schwarber, the Philly, against Walker, the Cardinal. The fans were totally into it, rooting for their guy. Schwarber went first, crushing 11 home runs and setting a difficult bar for Walker to hit. Walker, like many of the other hitters after the first round, looked a little gassed. But down to his last swing, he kept hitting dinger after dinger with no margin for error…and walking of Schwarber in an incredible performance.

I’m sure this isn’t the only time Caglianone will be a part of the Derby. He’ll get another chance. And when he does, I think he’ll be ready.

The St. Louis Cardinals haven’t had a competitor in the MLB Home Run Derby since Albert Pujols put on a show during his final season in 2022. Jordan Walker’s breakout year has given him the opportunity to represent St. Louis this year, but he was up against formidable competition. Little did we know that Jordan would rise to the occasion in an incredible way to give St. Louis Cardinals fans a night they will never ever forget. Here’s how it happened.

Each player had 20 swings in the first round with the top 4 moving on to the semi-finals. Here’s how each player did to kick off the competition.

Home Run Derby First Round – 20 swings

Former St. Louis Cardinal and current Boston Red Sox Willson Contreras was the first up in the Home Run Derby. He had an impressive first round hammering 13 home runs with the longest being a monstrous 490 feet.

Jordan Walker of the St. Louis Cardinals was next up and he homered on his first swing and went on to crush 12 more out of his next 20 swings to tie Willson Contreras with 13 first-round home runs. His average exit velocity was a vicious 107 mph and his longest bomb traveled 470 feet.

Jac Caglianone was next up representing the cross-state Kansas City Royals who we’ve completely forgiven for the 1985 I-70 series. Well, we’ve forgiven most of it. He launched some rockets into the upper deck in right field, but ended the first round with 8 home runs.

Munetaka Murakami of the surprising Chicago White Sox was the 4th competitor to step into the box. He jumped out to a fast start, but seemed to tire and ended up with a respectable total of 9 home runs.

Ben Rice from the New York Yankees was Home Run Derby combatant #5 and he got off to a slow start not hitting a homer until his 5th swing. He got into a nice rhythm during the middle of his round, but ended his effort with 7 home runs leaving him with the first guaranteed elimination in round 1.

Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays entered the Home Run Derby arena and crushed 12 home runs with his final swing barely on the wrong side of the foul pole (for him).

The Philadelphia Phillies portion of the Home Run Derby began with Kyle Schwarber entering the batter’s box. He ended up with an underwhelming (by his high standards) 10 home runs in the first round which put him on the bubble for making the semi-finals or not depending on teammate Bryce Harper’s performance.

What did Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies do with his Home Run Derby first round in front of the home crowd? Incredibly, he did not rise to the occasion and only hit 8 home runs which meant Bryce was eliminated and Schwarber moved on to the semis.

Home Run Derby Semi-Finals – 15 swings

Junior Caminero vs Jordan Walker

Caminero got off to a slow start hitting just 2 home runs in his first 7 swings, but picked up the pace near the end finishing his semi-final effort with 5 home runs.

What did the St. Louis Cardinals Jordan Walker do with a shot at the finals? He EASILY smacked 6 home runs with 8 swings left to move onto the Home Run Derby finals.

Kyle Schwarber vs Willson Contreras

Kyle Schwarber was the first up in his semi-final round. He didn’t homer until his 4th swing, but got on a roll after that putting 9 home runs on the board for Contreras to shoot for by the time he was done.

Would it be a former St. Louis Cardinal vs a current St. Louis Cardinal in the finals? That was the opportunity given to Willson Contreras as he stepped in for his semi-final turn. With the Philadelphia crowd cheering every miss, Willson fell just one home run short with 8 dingers before he fouled off his final pitch.

Home Run Derby Finals – 15 swings

Jordan Walker vs Kyle Schwarber

To say that probably no one outside of Cardinals nation had Jordan picked as a Home Run Derby finalist is an understatement. Could he overcome the hometown crowd backing Kyle Schwarber who’s an experienced Home Run Derby competitor who was the runner-up to Bryce Harper back in 2018?

Kyle Schwarber was first up which meant that Jordan would have a number to shoot for. Schwarber got onto one of his infamous homer streaks putting up a staggering 11 home run total on the board including 1 on his final swing. Could Walker somehow overcome a double-digit final round total?

Jordan Walker had such a cool laid back disposition during the entire competition and that didn’t change in the MLB Home Run Derby finals. He seemed unaffected by the national spotlight and earned the chance to try and take down hometown favorite Schwarber for the trophy. He put up an incredible performance hitting multiple home runs on his final swings upsetting Schwarber with an incredible 12 home runs in the finals that included 4 home runs-in-a-row on his final ball. No room for error. No support from the booing crowd. No problem for Jordan Walker. Legend.

Congrats, Jordan Walker. The rest of Major League Baseball now understands you are for real. An incredible upset that will never be forgotten.

The 2026 Home Run Derby looks to be a thrilling competition with a revamped set of rules, but the Yankees won’t have much to root for outside of rooting against their division rival representatives after a disappointing first round. Their candidate to go the distance, Ben Rice, was eliminated in the first round after a showing that saw him collect the fewest home runs of the bunch with just seven bombs.

Boston’s Willson Contreras set the tone for the night, blasting several home runs over 450 feet and setting the benchmark for both the total that everyone would chase and the longest bomb at 13 home runs and 490 feet, respectively. St. Louis’ Jordan Walker managed to match his pace, getting hot out the gate for another 13 home runs while maxing out around 470 feet. Kansas City’s Jac Caglianone and Chicago’s Munetaka Murakami stepped up and proved that the first two were highwater marks to chase: both had stretches to start where they couldn’t get the ball to lift before cranking some moonshots to start a run, but neither came close to the heaters that Contreras and Walker had. Murakami ended with nine home runs and briefly held one of the spots to advance, while Caglianone was just below him with eight.

Ben Rice was the first up of the second batch of hitters and had perhaps the roughest opening of the group by the time he went, getting eaten up on several swings out of the gate. Two home runs in his first seven swings put him on a poor pace, but he hit a couple back-to-back to give the hope that he could find his groove. It still didn’t come though, and by the time he had five swings left he had just five homers tallied. One more managed to sneak its way out, but his final hack ended up being a popup straight back as he chased a pitch up near his hands. All in all, the opening round unfortunately ended with a Yankee in last place for the second straight year as Rice’s seven fell one short of tying Caglianone. Still, Rice’s performance was a lot closer to the pack than Jazz Chisholm Jr.‘s last year and it looked like the Yankee All-Star had a blast participating with his father on the mound, so it wasn’t all bad for the Bombers’ latest star.

The rest of the contestants behind Rice gave it their best shot at advancing, and a couple of them succeeded. Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero had a strong start to his night, collecting several homers in his first five swings before ending with the third-most of the round with 12. Then came the home crowd’s favorites, Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, who both stumbled out of the gate before coming on strong. Schwarber secured the final spot with his 10th homer coming on his last swing to push him past Murakami (who held the tiebreaking distance-shot had he not), and Harper fell just short with nine.

Schwarber eventually made it through to the finals, topping Contreras in the semis while the hometown fans furiously booed the latter as he came up short. They tried to do the same in the finals, but Walker—who had dispatched Caminero—was impressively unflappable. Down to his last swing, the Cards’ post-hype breakout star belted six consecutive homers to snatch the trophy out of Schwarber’s hands. Walker is the first St. Louis player to ever win the Derby. Congrats to him!

PHILADELPHIA — Hours beforehand, Ben Rice declared his Home Run Derby experience “already a success” because he and his father, Dan, had made it.

The derbies that took place in their backyard in Cohasset, Mass., were teleported into a different decade and venue, still a father pitching to his son.

The Rices won.

Just not the Derby.

Ben was eliminated in Monday’s first round at Citizens Bank Park, finishing with seven home runs — better than Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s three last year, but still last in this field — when he needed at least 10 for a shot at the second round.

Most participants leave shortly after falling short. Rice — in his first experience at the Midsummer Classic and breathing in every moment — stuck around for a long while, taking a seat in the infield and chatting at length with his father and Juan Soto while watching what turned out to be a thrilling finish.

In a finals matchup between hometown hero Kyle Schwarber and new Philly villain Jordan Walker, the breakout Cardinals star stole the competition and homered with his final five swings, upsetting Schwarber 12-11 and upsetting a stunned crowd for his first Derby crown.

Each home run from Walker — just like from Willson Contreras a round earlier, the Red Sox big bat suddenly hated by Phillies fans — was met with near silence by a sold-out crowd that wanted Schwarber to win his first Derby.

It was not to be, Walker outslugging the Phillies slugger on enemy territory in a star turn for the first-year All-Star.

Rice watched most of it after a competition in which the Yankees revelation, taking swings against the former Brown University pitcher, came in eighth of eight.

Which does not mean the pair lost.

“I think it’s a can’t-lose mentality for us,” Ben said earlier in the day. “Going to go out there and enjoy ourselves, hopefully hit a bunch of homers, hopefully we win it.

“But if not, it was a success because my dad and I got to do it.”

By that measure, it was successful. An entertaining, if brief, night for Rice began with his introduction, during which he was showered with boos by a crowd that jeered every non-Phillie but reserved its loudest jeers for the Yankee.

“The boos were crazy,” said Rice, who broke into a smile as they rained down. “It was so cool. I always like the saying, ‘They don’t boo nobodies.’ ”

After strong early performances from Contreras and Walker especially, Rice stepped up needing eight home runs on 20 swings to at least have a shot.

He never got going, was jumpy and ahead of many of his father’s pitches.

One would-be home run down the right field line hooked foul.

He did not account for the adrenaline rush.

“I didn’t realize how out front my first swings were going to be,” Rice said with a smile. “I was in the cage, and I was like, ‘I’m going to hit 20 home runs. I’m on fire now.’

“And then I took my first one. I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m going so fast right now.’ ”

After a final swing that did not clear the fence, Ben walked to his father and gave him a hug.

A slugger became a son again.

The duo had a great time. Would they do it again?

“We’ll see,” Rice said. “We’ll think about it. If I ever got the chance, I definitely would consider it.”

Yankees slugger Ben Rice was eliminated in the first round of the 2026 Home Run Derby on Monday night. 

Rice was the fifth competitor to take his hacks at Citizens Bank Park, and he never quite found his groove. 

The lefty went homerless over his first four swings before leaving the yard 386 feet to right for his first long ball. 

He homered again two pitches later, but still couldn't find his power swing. 

Rice's total sat at just four with seven swings remaining, and he only added three more to his total before popping up the gold ball on his final swing to bring his round to an end. 

The slugger finished with the lowest home run total in the first round (7).

Jac Caglianone (8), Bryce Harper (8), and Munetaka Murakami (9) also received the boot.

Willson Contreras (13), Jordan Walker (13), Junior Caminero (12), and Kyle Schwarber (10) advanced.

Walker (6) knocked out Caminero (5) in the first semi-final meeting then Schwarber (9) hung on against Contreras (8).

The hometown guy appeared to have done enough with an 11 homer final round, however, Walker went deep on his final six swings to become the first Cardinal ever to win the Home Run Derby. 

This past weekend, the Athletics added 21 players to the organization through the 20-round MLB Draft, which kicked off this week’s All-Star festivities in Philadelphia. Of the A’s 21 selections, 11 were pitchers, and all but two played college baseball.

The majority of MLB teams drafted high school players in the first few rounds and will now attempt to lure these touted prospects away from their college commitments with overslot signing bonuses. In years past, the A’s draft classes often included at least one high-risk prep selection in the first few rounds.

This year, however, the A’s largely avoided that demographic. Instead, the team invested nearly its entire signing bonus pool of $13,840,300 in a class of collegiate prospects who will likely require less time to reach the majors than their high school counterparts. That figure represents the maximum amount MLB gives teams to spend on signing bonuses for players selected in the first 10 rounds of the draft.

Day 1 Rundown

The A’s kicked their draft off by selecting Georgia Tech’s 5-foot-9 outfielder Drew Burress with the No. 8 pick. Burress, arguably the best collegiate outfielder in this draft class, used his all-around skillset to break multiple program records. He finished his collegiate career with a .357 batting average, 60 home runs and a 1.204 OPS in three seasons.

The small but stout hitter is no slouch defensively. He plays a quality center field and would be comfortable moving to an outfield corner if needed. Burress looks to be another fast mover who could find himself in the A’s outfield as the franchise begins a new chapter in Las Vegas.

He could be joined by the Athletics’ second-round selection, USC left-handed pitcher Mason Edwards. Baseball America’s collegiate pitcher of the year and the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year led the NCAA with 169 strikeouts, climbing up draft boards after each dominant outing this spring. Between Edwards, Gage Jump, Jamie Arnold and Wei-En Lin, the A’s have an abundance of talented young left-handed pitching prospects, a good sign for a club that needs a talent infusion on the mound.

Edwards led a run of three straight college pitchers, although the next two bring more question marks. Right-hander Gabe Gaeckle has electric stuff but command questions. If the A’s can harness his ability, Gaeckle could pitch in the front half of the team’s rotation. If not, he may be better suited for a late-game relief role.

In the third round, the “Green and Gold” selected Jacob Dudan, whose dynamic fastball/slider combination led to a breakout as NC State’s ace before he blew out his elbow. The A’s will have to wait until Dudan returns from Tommy John surgery to get a sense of what he brings to the table.

The Athletics ended the first day of the draft by selecting UCLA infielder Roman Martin, who performed well with the Bruins, although he was overshadowed by No. 1 pick Roch Cholowsky.

Day Two Names to Watch

The A’s did not draft a high school player until the 14th round, when they broke the seal, drafting right-handed pitcher Caden Sivrich out of Norwin HS (PA). Five rounds later, the team chose left-handed pitcher Jake Escalante out of Soquel HS (CA). The team will have to contend with their respective commitments to Pitt and Cal State Fullerton. If they are able to get at least one to sign, that would ensure this draft class comprises not just college players.

Speaking of college players, the following guys are sleepers to watch.

• Right-handed pitcher Nathan Aceves, the A’s 12th round draft pick, followed San Francisco Giants’ first round pick Jackson Flora in UCSB’s rotation this season. His mid-90’s fastball and plus changeup give him a good foundation to have success as a starter in the A’s farm system.
• In the seventh round, the club selected Campbell University’s David Rossow,. The CAA pitcher of the year will look to continue his success against tougher hitters in professional baseball.
• Alex Sosa, the A’s sixth round pick out of Miami (FL), gives the team another young catching prospect to develop. Sosa could be a name to watch as the team’s farm system lacks catching prospects and its starting catcher Shea Langeliers is only a couple of years away from free agency.
• Wake Forest outfielder Javar Williams and Liberty infielder Tanner Marsh are two additional athletic players the A’s nabbed in later rounds who could outplay their draft slot.

Given the team’s desire to contend and how quickly previous draft picks Jacob Wilson, Nick Kurtz and Gage Jump reached the majors, it made sense that the A’s focused primarily on college players this draft class. On the other hand, it would have been nice for them to land a highly ranked high school pitcher or position player to balance out this group.

It is too early to think ahead, but unless the Athletics can resurrect their season in the second half, the team may find itself in the draft lottery once again next year. If that is the case, they will have another opportunity to extend or break this recent streak of selecting college players in the first round.

How do you think the A’s fared during the draft? Is there a prospect who you hoped they would take, but ended up being selected by another team? Will Burress reach the majors first out of these new A’s players? If not, who will beat him and why?