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I’m not sure how much traction this will actually get, since it’s being shown on Netflix this year. We canceled our Netflix subscription in January last year, after they announced another price hike, and really haven’t particularly missed it since then. So we will not be watching the Derby this year. But some of you might, and if so, please feel free to use the thread to discuss it. There are some interesting changes to the format this year, so below find discussion of that, the contenders, and so forth.

How to watch

• Date: Monday, July 13
• Place: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia
• Time: 5 p.m. Arizona time (the pre-derby coverage begins an hour earliers)
• Watch: Netflix. That’s it. No other (legal) option.

Fun fact, the last time there was a HR Derby in Philadelphia was back in 1999. The finalists that year ended up being Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire. Bonds took the title after homering on his three final swings. He did not have to pee into a cup afterward.

The participants

• Jac Caglianone, Kansas City Royals
• Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay Rays
• Willson Contreras, Boston Red Sox
• Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies
• Munetaka Murakami, Chicago White Sox
• Ben Rice, New York Yankees
• Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies
• Jordan Walker, St. Louis Cardinals

While Schwarber is the MLB home-run leader, with 31, there are a few players here who haven’t exactly stood out in the first half. Eighteen players have hit more than twenty home-runs this year. Half the field – Harper, Contreras, Murakami and something called a Caglianone – are not among them. The last-name is ranked equal 49th in homers so far. Also, if you want to cheer on the NL, but do not wish to do so for the Phillies (who inexplicably have two representatives – where was this benevolence in 2011?), you get Jordan Walker. He is the only other representative from the Senior Circuit.

The format

Things have been switched up this year. Most notably? Gone is the clock – it’s back to swings. Here’s what happens.

• Round 1. All eight players compete. The four hitting the most home-runs move on to the semi-finals.
• Semi-finals. #1 will face #4, and #2 will face #3, head-to-head.
• Final. The winner of the semi-finals will meet for the title.
• 20 swings in Round 1, 15 swings thereafter.
• If you homer on your final swing, you can keep going until you do not.
• Tiebreakers: Longest homer distance (Round 1); a swing-off of three swings (semis and final)

The odds

Home Run Derby Champion

• Kyle Schwarber             +325
• Junior Caminero            +400
• Munetaka Murakami     +550
• Ben Rice                       +600
• Bryce Harper                +700
• Jordan Walker               +700
• Jac Caglianone              +750
• Willson Contreras         +1600

Most consecutive HRs by any player to start Round 1

• Over/Under      5 homers

Longest HR streak by any player after 20th swing of Round 1

• Over/Under      4 homers

Total home runs hit

• Over/Under      118.5 homers

Distance of longest HR hit

• Over/Under      484.5 feet

Most HRs by any player in Round 1

• Over/Under      13.5 homers

Round 1 Home Run Totals

• Ben Rice                       o/u 9.5
• Bryce Harper                o/u 8.5
• Jac Caglianone              o/u 9.5
• Jordan Walter               o/u 9.5
• Junior Caminero            o/u 9.5
• Kyle Schwarber             o/u 10.5
• Munetaka Murakami     o/u 9.5
• Willson Contreras         o/u 8.5

Feel free to place your wagers in SnakePit dollars in the comments!

The Los Angeles Dodgers are heading into the All-Star break with baseball’s best record, an 11.5-game lead in the National League West and the look of a team built to chase a third straight World Series title.

Naturally, the Dodgers reputation is preceding them and they are being linked to the best pitcher who could possibly move at the trade deadline.

ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan said on Get Up that if Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal is traded, the Dodgers are the team that makes the most sense.

“If there is a team that’s gonna go get Tarik Skubal and has both the incentive and the ability to do so, it is the Los Angeles Dodgers,” Passan said. “And I know people don’t like hearing that.”

They probably do not.

The idea of this team adding a two-time Cy Young winner is exactly the kind of deadline scenario that makes the rest of baseball groan and demand an ironclad salary cap.

But the Dodgers still have questions. Starting pitchers Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are once again working their way back from lengthy injured-list stints. The rotation is still loaded with Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Justin Wrobleski, but the kind of October run they seek has a way of turning depth into a daily emergency.

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That is why Skubal makes sense.

Despite missing a few starts due to arthroscopic elbow surgery in early May, the Tigers left-hander has still been effective this season, posting a 3.09 ERA with 89 strikeouts, 11 walks and a 0.952 WHIP in 75 2/3 innings. For most pitchers, that would be a strong season. For Skubal, it qualifies as a relative step back only because of the high standard he has already set.

The complication is that Skubal apparently wants no part of the rumor mill.

According to USA Today, Skubal has told friends he “badly wants to stay in Detroit” for the rest of the season because he believes the Tigers have a legitimate shot at the World Series.

But without a no-trade clause, Skubal’s belief only matters if the Tigers believe it, too.

Do the Tigers see a flawed but dangerous team capable of climbing to the top of a weak AL Central? Or do they see an expiring superstar arm, a massive contract decision coming and a chance to turn him into a franchise-altering prospect haul?

If Detroit puts Skubal on the market, the Dodgers become impossible to ignore.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that rival executives worry Los Angeles may be underselling its interest, even as people around the Dodgers have suggested they are not desperate with Snell and Glasnow working their way back.

That may be true. The Dodgers do not need Skubal in the way most contenders would.

But that is also what makes the possibility so uncomfortable for everyone else.

Los Angeles can take the calmer path and play this deadline the way it did last year, without making a massive splash. Or it can use its resources, prospect depth and title-or-bust appetite to cement it’s chances at securing the rare three-peat.

Skubal may want to stay.

The rest of baseball may want the Dodgers to stay away.

But if the Tigers decide they are sellers, neither one may get what they want.

Jordan Walker's four-final swing homers spoil Kyle Schwarber's Derby run originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Electric.

That was the word for the start of Monday night at Citizens Bank Park. A boxing ring was built around second base. Michael Buffer announced each Home Run Derby hitter.

Bryce Harper even jumped on the ropes to fire up the home crowd before taking his swings.

“I’ve always wanted to do that,” Harper said.

Then the swings started, and the ballpark got quiet.

For Kyle Schwarber, it did not look promising.

First round. First five swings. No home runs.

That is not good in any Home Run Derby format, especially this one.

Schwarber was not done. His next four swings all left the yard, and the No. 1 seed turned a quiet start into a round-saving surge. He hit 10 homers over his final 15 swings, giving him enough to survive the opening round.

It also put the Philadelphia crowd in an awkward spot.

Harper hit next. If he hit 11, he would knock out his Phillies teammate. If they tied, the tiebreaker would come down to longest home run.

Harper gave a few a ride, including a 482-footer. But he came up short, finishing with eight.

“I had a blast,” Harper said. “I hit some pretty far ones, so that’s always fun. I thought Kyle obviously was gonna get his first one and be able to do that.”

The attention turned back to Schwarber, whose Derby swing looked a lot like his swing-off performance in last year’s All-Star Game.

Short and direct, in a rhythm.

He entered that first-ever swing-off and drilled three homers on three pitches, helping the National League win and earning All-Star Game MVP honors.

Monday night, he found that same gear again.

Schwarber faced former Cubs teammate Willson Contreras, a 2016 World Series champion with him, in the semifinal. Contreras had looked dangerous early, owning seven of the 10 longest home runs at one point.

But the crowd was waiting for Schwarber when he came back up.

Just like in the first round, he started slowly. No homers on his first three swings.

Then they came in bunches.

Seven of his next eight swings left the yard. His pitcher, Rafael Peña, found consistency with him. Schwarber finished with nine homers on 15 swings, the second-round limit.

Then Contreras stepped in.

Every ball that carried toward the seats made Citizens Bank Park tense. Every ball that landed short brought a roar. Phillies fans booed between pitches and cheered misses like outs in October.

“With our fans, it’s part of home field,” Harper said. “They showed out and did what they do.”

With Contreras sitting on eight homers and one swing left, Red Sox bench coach José David Flores hit him with a pitch.

Contreras’ final swing landed short.

Schwarber moved on.

He had survived two rounds. Then came Jordan Walker.

Walker arrived in the majors in 2023 as one of baseball’s top prospects, but the last few years had not been a straight line. He struggled at times to stick in St. Louis, bounced between roles and had to hit his way back into the Cardinals’ plans.

This season, he has done that. The Georgia native entered the Derby with 22 homers in 2026.

Derby stadium host Greg Amsinger kept calling it “easy power,” and Walker kept proving him right.

Schwarber did his part in the final. Again, he found a late burst. Again, he kept clearing the wall. He finished with 11 homers, his best round of the night.

It looked like enough.

Walker received the same treatment Contreras did.

He started fast, then slowed. With four swings left, Walker had six homers. Then he just missed one, driving it off the base of the wall.

With one swing left, he had eight.

The magenta ball gave him a path. Hit one out, get another swing. Keep doing it, and the round keeps going.

Walker needed four straight.

He slammed three in a row, to tie. Schwarber’s lead was gone.

Then his patience kicked in, and he nailed the fourth.

Twelve.

That was it.

Walker became the first Cardinals player to win the Derby, spoiling Schwarber’s hometown run on the final swing.

Harper watched the whole finish unfold and pointed to Walker’s poise.

“It’s kind of whoever can keep their composure,” Harper said. “He was able to do that. He stepped out and kept his composure. I thought Kyle had it, obviously. But he slowly but surely got there and did it.”

Schwarber thought back to 2018, when Harper beat him in the final at Nationals Park. This time, Walker was the one making the late charge.

“Trust me, that was definitely popping in your head,” Schwarber said. “Seeing Bryce do what he did in ’18 and then obviously what he was able to do, the run he just had. It’s impressive. You tip your cap.”

Schwarber was never too bullish.

“I don’t think I ever thought I had it won because I know anything can happen, especially when it gets down to that last ball,” he said. “He was able to slow down and be in the moment, and he was able to get the job done.”

Schwarber still gave the home crowd just about everything it could have asked for. A comeback against Harper. A tense semifinal against Contreras. His best round of the night in the final.

It just was not enough.

Walker was better when he had to be.

Schwarber did not leave sounding bitter. He tipped his cap to Philadelphia, which roared for him all night, and to Walker, who earned the moment at the end.

“I felt great about it at the end of the night,” Schwarber said. “Would I wish I was able to hit another one or two there at the end?

Sure.

But I was proud of the way I was able to go out there and put it out there for these guys and for the fans. At the end of the day, whatever happens, happens. You never get too high, never get too low. It’s the game, and you’ve got to show up tomorrow.”

Cardinals' Jordan Walker wins 2026 MLB Home Run Derby to stun Philly crowd originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The hometown Philadelphia crowd was left stunned in the 2026 MLB Home Run Derby on Monday.

St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker clutched up by hitting six straight homers with one swing left in the final round to stun Phillies star Kyle Schwarber.

Walker, 24, became the first ever Cardinal to win the derby, topping all of the odds that were against him.

Schwarber’s final round saw him blast 11 homers out of 15 for his best tally on the night. Walker came in next to loud boos and cheers when he missed, eventually posting 12 homers to mark an incredible finish.

After coming down to his final swing in the new format, Walker rallied off six straight — including four do-or-due swings — to quiet the crowd as Schwarber could only look on. Any miss by Walker would’ve resulted in a swing-off battle. That never happened.

Here is a look at Walker’s derby-winning swing:

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

— MLB (@MLB) July 14, 2026

The 33-year-old Schwarber also finished second in 2018 when he lost to Bryce Harper in Washington D.C.

The first round opened with Boston Red Sox slugger Willson Contreras recording 13 homers out of 20 swings, finding a soft spot in left field. He had seven homers in his first 10 swings. Walker followed suit with 13 homers, too, with 10 traveling at least 420 feet.

Kansas City Royals’ Jac Caglianone went third and was the first lefty at bat, though he managed just eight homers to fall short of a semifinals berth. Chicago White Sox‘ Munetaka Murakami had a similar showing with nine home runs, starting slow but ending better.

New York Yankees‘ Ben Rice had the lowest score of the first round, mustering only seven home runs before 2025 runner-up Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays put up 12. Nine of those went at least 420 feet.

The first round concluded with the two hometown sluggers. Kyle Schwarber started slow, too, but ended strong with 10, including four straight. Bryce Harper, the 2018 winner, came in last but couldn’t top Schwarber’s total, only blasting eight after gaining steam too late.

In the semifinals, Caminero opened with just five home runs out of 15 total swings in a spiral from his first-round tally. His opponent, Walker, surpassed him with seven swings to go, helping conserve some energy before the final.

The second semifinal saw Schwarber start with nine home runs to energize the home crowd, including seven in a row for the best streak of any slugger to that point. Contreras needed to fight off constant boos (and cheers when he missed) as the villain, but just failed with eight as it came down to his final swing.

Next up is the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT/7 p.m. CT as the American League and National League battle for bragging rights.

Cardinals' Jordan Walker wins 2026 MLB Home Run Derby to stun Philly crowd originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The hometown Philadelphia crowd was left stunned in the 2026 MLB Home Run Derby on Monday.

St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker clutched up by hitting six straight homers with one swing left in the final round to stun Phillies star Kyle Schwarber.

Walker, 24, became the first ever Cardinal to win the derby, topping all of the odds that were against him.

Schwarber’s final round saw him blast 11 homers out of 15 for his best tally on the night. Walker came in next to loud boos and cheers when he missed, eventually posting 12 homers to mark an incredible finish.

After coming down to his final swing in the new format, Walker rallied off six straight — including four do-or-due swings — to quiet the crowd as Schwarber could only look on. Any miss by Walker would’ve resulted in a swing-off battle. That never happened.

Here is a look at Walker’s derby-winning swing:

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

— MLB (@MLB) July 14, 2026

The 33-year-old Schwarber also finished second in 2018 when he lost to Bryce Harper in Washington D.C.

The first round opened with Boston Red Sox slugger Willson Contreras recording 13 homers out of 20 swings, finding a soft spot in left field. He had seven homers in his first 10 swings. Walker followed suit with 13 homers, too, with 10 traveling at least 420 feet.

Kansas City Royals’ Jac Caglianone went third and was the first lefty at bat, though he managed just eight homers to fall short of a semifinals berth. Chicago White Sox‘ Munetaka Murakami had a similar showing with nine home runs, starting slow but ending better.

New York Yankees‘ Ben Rice had the lowest score of the first round, mustering only seven home runs before 2025 runner-up Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays put up 12. Nine of those went at least 420 feet.

The first round concluded with the two hometown sluggers. Kyle Schwarber started slow, too, but ended strong with 10, including four straight. Bryce Harper, the 2018 winner, came in last but couldn’t top Schwarber’s total, only blasting eight after gaining steam too late.

In the semifinals, Caminero opened with just five home runs out of 15 total swings in a spiral from his first-round tally. His opponent, Walker, surpassed him with seven swings to go, helping conserve some energy before the final.

The second semifinal saw Schwarber start with nine home runs to energize the home crowd, including seven in a row for the best streak of any slugger to that point. Contreras needed to fight off constant boos (and cheers when he missed) as the villain, but just failed with eight as it came down to his final swing.

Next up is the MLB All-Star Game on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT/7 p.m. CT as the American League and National League battle for bragging rights.

The MLB Home Run Derby lineup is set and the St. Louis Cardinals finally have a representative again. Jordan Walker will be competing with 7 others in the competition that will be streaming live on Netflix starting at 6pm central time. Here’s the lineup:

Kyle Schwarber (Phillies)
Ben Rice (Yankees)
Junior Caminero (Rays)
Jordan Walker (Cardinals)
Willson Contreras (Red Sox)
Bryce Harper (Phillies)
Munetaka Murakami (White Sox)
Jac Caglianone (Royals)

According to MLB.com, here are the rules for this year’s competition:

It is no longer time based

Each competitor gets 20 swings in the 1st round, 15 in the 2nd round and 15 in the 3rd round

Every swing counts no matter if it’s a home run or not

If a player hits a home run on his final swing, he can continue until he fails to hit a home run

Top 4 home run totals in the 1st round advance to semi-finals where competitors will be ranked based on 1st round totals

Ties in the 1st round will be decided by home run distance – Ties in semi-finals and finals decided by 3-swing swing-off

Congratulations to the two-time West Coast Conference Player of the Year, redshirt senior third baseman Mikey Bell, who was picked by the San Francisco Giants with the No. 568 pick in the 19th round of the 2026 MLB Draft.

The former Gonzaga Bulldog previously announced that he’s transferring to the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC. As long as he doesn’t sign the contract with San Francisco, Bell can play his final season of college eligibility.

Bell to the Bay Area! 🛎️

Congrats to Mikey Bell for getting picked by the Giants in today’s draft! The Zags have now had a player selected in every full MLB draft since 1999 #GDTBAZpic.twitter.com/RX4JmTUCWK

— Gonzaga Baseball (@ZagBaseball) July 12, 2026

The 6-2, 200-pound slugger hit .369 with 24 doubles, 20 home runs, 92 runs batted in, and 51 walks during his time in Spokane, Washington. Bell finished with a .448 on-base percentage, .610 slugging percentage, and 1.057 on-base plus slugging percentage across 107 games.

The Fresno, California, native started his college career on the junior college level at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, California. The Slipper Still Fits spoke with the 22-year-old before the start of the 2026 season, and what a treat it was.

Arden Cravalho is a Gonzaga University graduate from the Bay Area… Follow him on X @a_cravalho

If the Dodgers picked up Tarik Skubal, would that be overkill?

Logan Webb, the longtime ace of the San Francisco Giants, laughed.

“I don’t think they need him,” Webb said, “but you never count those guys out on getting anybody in the league.”

The Dodgers could make a mockery of the National League West by trading for Skubal, who won the last two American League Cy Young awards for the Detroit Tigers.

Then again, you could argue the Dodgers already are making a mockery of the NL West. They lead the division by 11½ games, more than double the lead in any other division.

Read more:How Dodgers' Justin Wrobleski went from demotion to All-Star in less than two years

So, on the day before the All-Star Game, I posed the overkill question to stars from the other teams in the NL West.

“Would I consider it overkill? It’s a crazy game,” said outfielder Corbin Carroll of the Arizona Diamondbacks, the team that swept the Dodgers over the weekend at Dodger Stadium.

“I don’t think, going into the weekend, that too many people would have expected that. The nature of this game is about you can never be good enough, and you always have to look to keep improving. I think I would just view it in that same light.”

The Dodgers are not about winning the NL West this season. From owner Mark Walter to president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, from manager Dave Roberts to franchise icon Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers last fall loudly and proudly declared their intent to three-peat and become the first NL team ever to win three consecutive World Series championships.

Their postseason rotation could be so overloaded that All-Star Justin Wrobleski, whose 2.69 ERA compares favorably to NL All-Star starter Cristopher Sanchez (2.62), could find himself in the bullpen behind starters Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Ohtani, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow.

On the other hand, Ohtani missed his last start for treatment of a troublesome left knee, and neither Snell nor Glasnow has pitched since May. The Dodgers might not be entirely sure of projecting their October health and effectiveness by the Aug. 3 trade deadline, and the chance to three-peat might never come again.

The Dodgers have the prospects and the money to acquire Skubal, should the Tigers trade him. The Dodgers may or may not have the need, but they surely have the motivation.

“I wouldn’t blame them,” Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman said. “They’re trying to win another World Series.”

Said San Diego Padres closer Mason Miller: “He’d help any team he went to. They’ve got a strong rotation, a lot of guys that are going to get healthy and help them out, but I don’t necessarily consider it overkill. Anybody, on any given night.”

If the Dodgers acquired Skubal, the fans of those rival NL West teams would explode in frustration, perhaps even in rage, at the back-to-back champions. Ohtani for $700 million, Kyle Tucker for $60 million per year, and now the rich kids would get Skubal, too?

The owners are trying to channel that level of fan frustration and anger in their push for a salary cap. They say they’re trying to help teams like, say, the Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates compete more effectively against the Dodgers.

The Pirates have not posted a winning record in eight years and have not appeared in the playoffs for 11 years. Surely a salary cap would help them, right?

“I don’t think there’s any need for a salary cap,” Pirates ace Paul Skenes said. “I don’t know if there’s a perfect answer, but I do know the salary cap would not be a fix-all for parity.”

Read more:Shaikin: Inside the Shohei Ohtani Economy driving a wild auction for his worn cleats

Parity is in the eye of the beholder, or more accurately in the definition of the beholder. The owners like to note that no small-market team has won the World Series since the Kansas City Royals in 2015.

However, in a league that owners insist demands immediate reform, 23 of the 30 teams are within four games of a playoff spot.

As one of eight players on the executive committee of the players’ union, Skenes is involved in the current collective bargaining negotiations. Salary cap or not, would it be overkill if the Dodgers picked up Skubal?

“They’re trying to win, aren’t they?” Skenes said. “You can’t ever blame a team for going out and doing everything possible to win.”

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

PHILADELPHIA - Luis Arraez is fully prepared to get dealt by the time the Aug. 3 trade deadline comes around. But he'd also like potential suitors to know any deal involving him comes with an expectation: He's now a second baseman, and doesn't expect that to change after joining a new team.

Arraez, the three-time batting champion who's been the lone bright spot on a 41-55 San Francisco Giants team, has remade himself into a Gold Glove-caliber second baseman under the tutelage of infield guru Ron Washington, enhancing his value significantly as he once again tests the free agent market this winter.

He's once again elite with the bat, hitting .330, but now he's no longer dinged for being a first baseman or designated hitter with little power. And Arraez would prefer to maintain his rediscovered identity at second.

"It's going to be second base," Arraez said when asked about potential destinations and scenarios. "I don’t like to go back to first base. I prepared my mind, I prepared my body only to play second base."

It's easy to see why, and perhaps acquiring teams will understand it as well. Arraez has already accrued 3.0 WAR in this slightly more than half season, more than his prevous two seasons, when he banged out 381 hits for Miami and San Diego yet amassed just 2.6 WAR.

Why? Most of that damage came as he played himself off second and was relegated to first or DH. He was traded from Miami to San Diego in 2024, and the Padres reached the playoffs both seasons.

He and the Giants had high hopes for a similar outcome in 2025, but the first year under manager Tony Vitello has gone awry in several fashions. The Giants finished the symbolic first half winning three of four against Colorado, but it would take a July miracle for them to avoid being sellers come trade deadline time.

"This past week, we’ve played good baseball as an organization. But I just need to stay focused and I don’t want to think about a trade," says Arraez. "It’s tough, especially mentally. When you feel like a family and you’ve got Willy (Adames), Raffy (Devers), Heliot (Ramos), Logan (Webb) – those guys seem like family. They open the door for me.

"It’s hard to leave, you know? But it’s a business."

As he and his new team may soon find out next month.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB trade target Luis Arraez makes surprise demand at All-Star Game