The 2026 Home Run Derby just wrapped up, and as predicted, it was an absolute doozy. Just when it looked like Kyle Schwarber might not make it past the first round, he advanced to the finals, much to the delight of a boisterous Phillies crowd. He faced off against Jordan Walker, who looked like he didn't even break a sweat all night.
Schwarber seemed to be on his way towards a victory, only for Walker to steal it out of his hands by launching six straight home runs. As electric as the finish was, the night was full of ups and downs both for players and the fans. With that in mind, let's dive into the winners and losers from the evening.
Home Run Derby winner: Philadelphia fans
Look, I'm a New York Mets fan, but I can give credit where it's due; Philadelphia Phillies fans showed out. In true Philadelphia fashion. Not only did they make their love for Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber well known all night, but they made their hatred for anyone not donning the red pinstripes abundantly clear.
The boos when every non-Phillie was introduced were unmistakable. The boos for Willson Contreras when he faced off against Schwarber in the second round were even louder. I mean, they were booing him for taking a pitch! They were completely silent whenever Contreras hit a ball over the fence! And somehow, the boos for Jordan Walker in the finals were even louder.
They get a bad rap, but Philadelphia fans are among the most passionate in all of sports. Can they go overboard at times? Absolutely. But the crowd was beyond electric, and that made every swing, home run or not, feel memorable.
Home Run Derby loser: New York Yankees fans
Okay, it wasn't as bad as last year. Ben Rice hit seven home runs, more than doubling Jazz Chisholm's 2025 total of just three. With that being said, those seven home runs were the fewest among the eight participants in the first round, and it's not as if he hit any super long ones either. This felt doomed from the start for Rice, who didn't hit a home run until his fifth swing.
Rice struggling is one thing, but he was also the only AL East contestant to be eliminated in the first round. Sure, Junior Caminero and Willson Contreras failed to advance to the finals, but Caminero put on an absolute display, hitting 12 home runs on 20 first-round swings and hitting a 491-foot moonshot in the second round. Contreras hit one 490 feet in the first round, electrifying the crowd as the event's first batter, and while he fell short in the next round, he nearly knocked Schwarber off.
Both Caminero and Contreras, even without a win, had memorable showings. Rice had perhaps the least memorable performance of the night, making it two straight years of brutal Derbies from a Bronx Bomber.
Home Run Derby winner: Jordan Walker
Who saw this coming? Jordan Walker was perhaps the longest long-shot of the entire field, and understandably so. He isn't known as a majestic slugger — in fact, he was known for hitting far too many ground balls for the first three years of his career. He's come into his own this season, though, and a Derby win is just the latest notch on his belt.
Walker looked cool as a cucumber all night, making his win even more impressive. Many athletes would fold under the pressure of the bright lights, especially with 40,000 fans booing your every move. It's one thing to win the Derby, and it's another for a player like Walker to hit six straight home runs when he could ill afford to make a single out if he wanted to knock off Schwarber.
The St. Louis Cardinals have themselves a star on their hands, and this is further proof of that.
Home Run Derby loser: Netflix broadcast
Having the Home Run Derby, an event that can draw casual fans to the game, on Netflix, behind a paywall, is head-scratching by itself. If you're going to do that, you better be sure the broadcast is good enough to hook fans in. This was anything but.
For starters, it took too long to even get underway. The first swing of the night didn't take place until well after 8:15 p.m. ET when the listed start time was 8:00 p.m. ET. Somehow, that's easy to forget because of how lackluster the actual broadcast was.
Netflix continued to show bizarre camera angles that robbed fans of a chance to see how far many of the home runs were going. The commentary, despite having a star-studded crew, was as boring as it could possibly be, with nobody wanting to raise a voice or show any sort of personality. There's only one Chris Berman, but was this really the best we could do? Even the final home run call just didn't meet the level of enthusiasm you'd want to see.
Home Run Derby winner: New format
The new Home Run Derby format was met with mixed reviews from MLB fans. The fear among some was that removing the clock would open the door to players taking too many pitches, dragging the event on for far too long. Don't get me wrong, there were times when players would take one or two more pitches than I would've liked, but overall, the format change was a big win.
Removing the clock made it so that fans could appreciate the truly majestic home runs. Do you think anyone would've noticed just how far some of these home runs went if pitchers had to rush pitches in? Making it so that a round cannot end on a home run opened the door for something like what happened in the finals to take place. Walker had the ability to hit six straight home runs with the Derby on the line.
There is no perfect format, but this sure felt better than the rushed timer, and that's a huge win for MLB.
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