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The rising star of St. Louis Cardinals Jordan Walker broke the hearts of the Philadelphia Phillies faithful Monday night, beating Kyle Schwarber in a walk-off blast to win the 2026 Home Run Derby.
Walker hit 12 home runs in his last outing, topping Schwarber’s 11 in MLB’s new format. With his parents watching, Walker’s final home run hit the left field seats and he celebrated the way you only do when you win the Home Run Derby to be crowned the league’s leading hitter during All-Star weekend.
Once again, MLB introduced a new format to the Home Run Derby, this time giving all eight contestants 20 swings to hit as many home runs as possible. One caveat: if your last swing results in a home run, you keep swinging until he’s out of the yard.
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Jordan Walker of St. Louis Cardinals poses for a photo during the 2026 All-Star player photoshoot at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Monday, July 13, 2026. (Rob Tringali/MLB Photos)
With this format, players didn’t have to fight the clock or focus on how far they hit the balls to get into the bonus round. They can lock and take their time if needed.
Boston Red Sox star Wilson Contreras, who led the team in turnovers this season before hitting the All-Star break, set the tone with 13 homers in his 20 homers. But Walker matched him, as both should have reached the semifinals.
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Jac Caglianone of the Kansas City Royals hit the third deck in right field, but his eight homers weren’t enough to advance him to the next round. And new Chicago White Sox fan favorite Munetaka Murakami struck out nine to at least give himself a chance.
But Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays hit 12 home runs following Ben Rice of the New York Yankees’ seven-homer game. With three hitters in double digits, hometown favorites Schwarber and Bryce Harper knew they could punch their ticket to the next round.
Schwarber was the first, hitting 10 home runs, which put pressure on Harper. His Phillies teammate can hit more than 10 to advance, or strike out himself.
Harper was only able to crush eight homers, leaving Schwarber as the runner-up. But he did not disappoint.
In the semifinals, 15 swings were now the key, and Schwarber began to find his footing. The left-handed slugger was hitting balls in the stratosphere, striking out nine to pitch Contreras. The Red Sox star came close with eight hits, but it wasn’t enough as the Phillies star entered the finals 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 another game, Walker went on a run, edging out Caminero 6-5 to put him in contention for the Home Run Derby title.
But again, Schwarber, using the cheers from his Philly crowd, was unstoppable. He hit 11 of his 15 swings over the fence, putting a lot of pressure on Walker, who took the second swing.
Walker was up to the challenge when it was his turn to hit, hitting four homers to start things off. But with only seven left, Walker knew he needed to be perfect to reach Schwarber.
With one swing and seven homers to go, Walker had to run. Suspense killed everyone watching, as Walker hit 10 home runs.
Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies competes in 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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As he took a few pitches, Walker got all the explosive stuff that tied him and Schwarber, as the Phillies-heavy crowd groaned. Then, Walker, patient again, hit a moonsault to left 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.
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