Category: Sports News

Jordan Walker had a better Monday night than most people have all year. Literally.

The Cardinals outfielder won the 2026 Home Run Derby in Philadelphia, and the winner's check was $1 million. His salary for the whole 2026 season is $799,400.

In just one night, he earned 125% of his salary.

He came from behind to grab the cash too.

Walker trailed in the final and answered with six home runs on his last six swings, closing gap and finishing off Kyle Schwarber 12-11. It came right down to the last outs of the round.

The 2026 MLB Draft has come and gone, and 11 players from the Mountain West got the call throughout the weekend. Nevada had the first player taken off the board, with pitcher Aidan Brainard being the first and only athlete to go in the single-digit rounds. UNLV led the way with three players drafted, GCU with two and four separate programs with one. And surprisingly, six of the nine players were pitchers, representing both starters and closers in a conference that did not have a great year on the mound.

Here is a breakdown of each player drafted, listed by school and what round/pick they were drafted.

GCU: 2

• Chase Frey (P, Boston Red Sox, Round 15 Pick 454)

Grand Canyon’s ace on the bump this year, Frey had a pretty good year in Mountain West terms. Boasting a 4.79 ERA and a 1.14 WHIP, the Las Vegas native was one of the best starting pitchers in the conference, earning a second team all-MW honor after the 2026 season. However, Frey was not able to earn many wins over the last year, ending his college career with a 2-7 record, which was not necessarily his fault. Boston’s current situation in the starting rotation is one of the worst in the MLB this year, which is why the team has a 46-48 record. If the trend continues and Frey can develop quickly, Frey could see some time sooner rather than later.

• Garrett Ahern (P, New York Yankees, Round 16 Pick 488)

The second and final pitcher from the first Arizona-based school in the Mountain West, Ahem will now be rivals with Frey as he takes his talents to the Yankees. Although he did not see as many starts as his all-Mountain West teammate, Ahem still had a great year in the Mountain West, posting a 5.05 ERA through 46.1 innings and 189 batters faced. The junior was also a victim of a bad win-loss record, going 2-3 with six no decisions. The New York Yankees do have a pretty decent pitching staff overall, with all-star Cam Schlittler being the ace this year and household names like Max Fried and Garrit Cole still on the roster. However, if time does catch up to the veterans and spots open up, Ahem could slot right into the starting rotation once he develops his game further.

Hawaii: 1

• Ben Zeigler (1B, Atlanta Braves, Round 10 Pick 292)

Zeigler was the first position player taken from the Mountain West this year, and for good reason. The graduate student from Lahaina, Maui put up great numbers, hitting .294 with 194 at-bats, 57 hits (10 doubles, five home runs, one triple) and 37 RBis. His performance was one of the most consistent on the team throughout the year, earning an all-Big West honorable mention for his efforts. Atlanta is in a very good spot as of now, as they are the leaders of the NL East at 55-40 and are about to get healthy for a mid-season push to keep their winning ways afloat. Players like first baseman Matt Olson are still holding it down, but with the right development throughout the minor leagues, Zeigler can move up to make his own name at the corner.

Nevada: 1

• Aidan Brainard (P, Texas Rangers, Round 6 Pick 178)

The first player taken from the board from the new Mountain West after a decent year with some great high points. The all-Mountain West first team senior ended his college career with a 6.53 ERA and a 5-4 record. Across 62 innings pitched, Brainard struck out 68 batters in 253 faced with a .320 opponent batting average. Despite the less than stellar stats, Brainard did have great outings against schools like Ole Miss, Air Force, New Mexico and UNLV, showcasing what he can do when prompted. He will need to work on his consistency, but if Brainard can do so while continuing to grow his strengths, like his strikeout capabilities, he could get a good spot on the Rangers’ rotation down the road.

New Mexico: 1

• Cooper Corkrean (P, Kansas City Royals, Round 18 Pick 539)

New Mexico’s sole draft pick comes in the form of their all-Mountain West second team pitcher Cooper Corkrean. In his one year with the Lobos, Corkrean posted a steady 5.49 ERA as one of the Lobos’ best relief pitchers. In 21 appearances, the junior notched 59 strikeouts and 61 hits through 59 innings, with a WHIP of 1.44 in the season. Corkrean had several instances of closing out games that New Mexico were down in, resulting in a 6-2 record on top of four saves. There were moments where Corkrean got shelled, specifically against Northern Colorado and Tarleton State that do need to be ironed out in the big leagues, but once those blips become less and less frequent, Corkrean should be a stud in the bullpen for the Royals.

UNLV: 5

• Carson Lane (P, Cleveland Guardians, Round 14 Pick 423)

The first starter to go off the board from UNLV, Lane was definitely a mixed bag this year. Finishing his college career with an 8.23 ERA and 1.99 WHIP, Lane was not the most impressive on the bump this year, especially compared to his all-MW first team season in 2025. He still posted 70 strikeouts on the year, but allowing 57 earned runs and an opponent batting average of .330 muds up the success. And that wasn’t just some inflated stats due to a couple of bad games, as it was nearly an expectation that Lane would give up at least two runs a game in a league where hitting was king. However, the junior did have some great outings, including a five inning stint where he blanked San Diego State. If Lane can get the 4+ earned run appearances down (he had eight this year alone) and put out more small run games, he can be a very useful addition to an up-trending Guardians squad.

• Jase Evangelista (P, Boston Red Sox, Round 14 Pick 424)

The literal next pick in the draft was Evangelista, the junior relief pitcher who saw a lot of time as one of the main relief pitchers for UNLV. In 19 appearances and 46.2 innings pitched (third most on the team), Evangelista posted a 6.17 ERA with a 1.48 WHIP. Of the five pitchers that had at least 45 innings on their belt, the junior had the least amount of hits given up (51), second least earned runs (32) and the lowest opponent batting average (.282). Joining up with Frey, Evangelista will have a harder outlook due to the Red Sox bullpen being a bit better than the starting rotation. However, in a similar fashion to Frey, room could open up sooner rather than later if Evangelista plays his cards right.

• Ryan Marton (P, Chicago Cubs, Round 17 Pick 517)

Following his teammates three rounds later, Marton was yet another relief pitcher that had a pretty good season all things considered. Although he did not have as much time on the bump, Marton had a very similar season to Evangelista, posting a 6.16 ERA through 19 innings pitched. He was actually better statistically, with a .219 opponent batting average, 16 hits, 13 earned runs and a 1.32 WHIP, though that could be equated to a variety of different factors in a debate. The Toronto, Ontario native didn’t see a lot of innings throughout his appearances, which will be the big question mark as he develops. Regardless of whether he goes the closer or short inning relief route, Marton should have a great time in the minors and majors with the right progression.

• Parker Dillhoff (P, Cleveland Guardians, Round 18 Pick 543)

Another addition to the Cleveland Guardians potential starters in the future, Dillhoff was the ace of the Hustlin’ Rebels’ pitching staff and represented it decently well. In a similar, chaotic fashion to his partner in crime, Dillhoff posted a 7.53 ERA and a 1.77 WHIP through 69.1 innings. He gave up 58 earned runs (one more than Lane) while striking out 94 batters with double-digit figures in three games. Dillhoff also pitched the only complete game of the season for UNLV against Mountain West baseball newcomer Utah Tech on March 21, only giving up one run. The senior has the potential to make some noise in the minor leagues if he develops correctly, with a similar — if not, better — chance of establishing himself on the Guardians’ pitching staff to Lane.

• Jack Salmon (OF, Los Angeles Angels, Round 19 Pick 559)

The final member of UNLV taken in the draft and only positional player, 2026 was a good year for Salmon. In 49 games, the senior hit on a .344 average with a .966 OPS (.481 SLG, .485 OB), notching 53 hits. While there wasn’t a lot of fireworks in his game, only hitting three home runs, Salmon was a scoring beast, getting across home plate 42 times, the most of anyone who played less than 50 games. Salmon’s abilities at the plate and on the base path should prove wonders for the Angles, who are still in desperate times as the last team in the AL West and could use a player like Salmon in the close future.

Utah Tech: 1

• Petey Soto Jr. (SS, Houston Astros, Round 18 Pick 541)

A new affiliate member to the Mountain West for the 2027 season, Utah Tech comes in with a bit of brand exposure thanks to Petey Soto Jr. being drafted late into the second day. Competing in the Big Sky while facing off with multiple Mountain West schools last year, Soto Jr. had some great numbers, finishing his college career with a .347 batting average and a .910 OPS in 59 games. In that time, the hometown junior got 77 hits (15 doubles and six home runs) and 48 RBIs, both of which were the best on the team. The Astros do have shortstop Jeremy Pena as their shot caller at the moment, making things a tad bit difficult for Soto Jr. to make an MLB appearance anytime soon. However, given the fact that the Astros are in the midst of a down year without a serious revival, Soto Jr. might have a chance sooner down the line if he continues his growth.

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.