St. Louis Cardinals’ Jordan Walker was crowned the 2026 Home Run Derby champion Monday night, defeating Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber with a walk-off home run in front of a home crowd.
Walker launched 12 home runs in the final round, narrowly surpassing Schwarber's 11. The MLB introduced a new format for the 2026 Home Run Derby, where all eight contestants received 20 swings to hit as many home runs as possible. The rule stipulated that if a final swing resulted in a home run, the batter would continue swinging until a ball failed to leave the park. This format removed the pressure of a ticking clock, allowing hitters to focus on power.
Early in the competition, Boston Red Sox star Willson Contreras set a high mark with 13 home runs. Kansas City Royals' Jac Caglianone hit eight homers, and Chicago White Sox's Munetaka Murakami hit nine, failing to advance. Tampa Bay Rays’ Junior Caminero belted 12 home runs, while New York Yankees’ Ben Rice hit seven.
Philadelphia's own Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper advanced to the semifinals. Schwarber hit 10 home runs, and Harper managed eight, meaning Schwarber was the sole Phillies representative moving forward. In the semifinal round, with a cutoff of 15 swings, Schwarber hit nine home runs, eliminating Contreras, who hit eight.
In the other semifinal matchup, Walker edged out Caminero with a 6-5 score to reach the finals. Schwarber then put immense pressure on Walker by hitting 11 home runs in his 15 swings.
Facing a raucous home crowd cheering for Schwarber, Walker responded. After hitting four home runs early in his final round, Walker rallied to hit seven more, tying Schwarber's total with his final swing. On the subsequent swing, Walker hit a moonshot to left field to secure the victory.
Walker is currently tied for 10th in MLB this season with 22 home runs and is batting .294 with 74 RBIs for the Cardinals.