Jordan Walker stuns Philadelphia to win the 2026 Home Run Derby

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker pulled off one of the Home Run Derby's great upsets on Monday night, overhauling hometown favorite Kyle Schwarber to win the 2026 edition in front of a partisan crowd at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

Competing in the Derby for the first time, Walker saved his best for last. Trailing the Phillies slugger and down to his closing swings, he needed a late flurry to catch Schwarber and delivered it, finishing with 12 home runs to Schwarber's 11. Walker got there on 18 swings; Schwarber, who had thrilled the home fans all night, fell one short on 15. Walker becomes the first Cardinal ever to take the title.

Schwarber's home crowd left waiting

The result denied Philadelphia a storybook night. Schwarber had carried the building through the earlier rounds, and fellow Phillie Bryce Harper, a former champion, drew the loudest roars before bowing out in the opening round. In the end it was the visiting 24-year-old who quieted the 43,863 in attendance.

Caminero's monster night falls short

Tampa Bay's Junior Caminero, the runner-up a year earlier, again provided the fireworks. He launched the longest blast of the night, a 491-foot drive, and crushed a dozen homers in the first round, several travelling beyond 470 feet. But he cooled in the semifinals and was eliminated, with Boston's Willson Contreras also falling in the last four to set up the Schwarber-Walker final. The Yankees' Ben Rice exited early with the night's lowest total.

The Derby traditionally opens Major League Baseball's All-Star week, with the Midsummer Classic still to come as its centrepiece. Walker's comeback gave the marquee opener a finish worthy of the occasion.