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St. Louis Cardinals rising star Jordan Walker broke the hearts of the Philadelphia Phillies faithful Monday night when he defeated Kyle Schwarber on a walk-off blast to win the 2026 Home Run Derby.
Walker hit 12 home runs in his final go-round, matching Schwarber’s 11 in a new MLB format. As his parents watched, Walker’s final home run hit the left field seats and he celebrated in the only way you do when you win the Home Run Derby to be named the league’s best slugger on All-Star weekend.
Once again, MLB introduced a new format for the Home Run Derby, this time giving all eight contestants 20 swings to hit as many home runs as possible. The one caveat: If your last swing results in a home run, you keep swinging until it doesn’t leave the yard.
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Jordan Walker of St. Louis Cardinals pose for a picture during the 2026 All-Star player photo shoot at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Monday, July 13, 2026. (Rob Tringali/MLB Photos)
In this format, players did not have to fight against a clock or focus on how far they hit balls to enter a bonus round. They could lock themselves in and take their time if necessary.
Boston Red Sox star Willson Contreras, who has been instrumental in the team’s turnaround this season before hitting the All-Star break, set the tone with 13 homers in his 20 swings. But Walker matched him as they were both the bar to reach the semi-finals.
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Kansas City Royals’ Jac Caglianone hit the third deck in right field, but his eight homers weren’t enough to propel him to the next round. And Chicago White Sox new fan favorite Munetaka Murakami struck out nine to at least give himself a chance.
But the Tampa Bay Rays’ Junior Caminero had 12 home runs after the New York Yankees’ Ben Rice seven-homer show. With three hitters in double figures, hometown favorites Schwarber and Bryce Harper knew they could punch their own tickets to the next round.
Schwarber was first and hit 10 home runs, putting some pressure on Harper. His Phillies teammate could either hit more than 10 to advance or fall out themselves.
Harper was only able to smash eight homers, leaving Schwarber as the final semifinalist. But he did not disappoint.
In the semifinals, 15 turns was now the cutoff, and Schwarber began to find his groove. The left-handed slugger mashed balls into the stratosphere and struck out nine to set the tone against Contreras. The Red Sox star came close with eight homers, but it wasn’t enough as the Phillies star entered the final out to the delight of the Citizens Bank Park crowd.
Jordan Walker of St. Louis Cardinals compete during the Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pa., on July 13, 2026. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
In the second matchup, Walker continued his run, edging Caminero 6-5 to put him in contention for the Home Run Derby trophy.
But once again Schwarber, using the cheers of his Philly crowd, was unstoppable. He hit 11 of his 15 swings over the fence and put tremendous pressure on Walker, who took swings at second.
Walker was up to the challenge when it was his time to hit, hitting four homers to start things off. But with only seven to go, Walker knew he had to be perfect to catch Schwarber.
With just one swing left and seven homers, Walker had to run. The excitement was killer for all to see as Walker managed to hit 10 home runs.
Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies competes during the semifinals of the Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on July 13, 2026. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
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Taking a few pitches, Walker found every stitch of the explosion that tied him with Schwarber as the Phillies-heavy crowd murmured. Then Walker, patient again, hit a moonshot to left field to ice his victory.
Walker is tied for 10th in MLB this season with 22 home runs while hitting .294 for the Cardinals with 74 RBI.
