MLB Home Run Derby 2026 Live Updates, Results, Highlights and Fan Reaction

Round 1

Semifinals

Finals

There was a bit of a stir earlier on Monday when ESPN's Jeff Passan predicted that the new Home Run Derby format was "gonna stink."

With the benefit of hindsight, even he doesn't think he was right.

The new format wasn't perfect—hitters especially seemed to have trouble with the magenta balls for the last swing—but it kept things nice and breezy, and the potential for high entertainment really came through at the end. When every swing is precious, every swing is that much more dramatic.

As for the Netflix of it all, the "Go for it!" spirit that was there on Opening Night in March is still admirable in some respects. They really pulled out all the stops in trying to put on a show, and some of them (Michael Buffer!) worked.

That said, the camera work, audio mix and editing too often made things hard to follow, to a point where some sequences were downright confusing. There were multiple moments where it felt like the announcers were describing a different event from the one I was witnessing.

No need to go back to the drawing board, but the goal for next time definitely needs to involve ironing out those kinks.

Jordan Walker's family was there in Philadelphia to cheer him on, and his father, Derek, turned the postgame celebration into story time and crushed it.

"From an early age, he always loved the game. He always loved to play baseball. He loved to sleep with his glove. He always had a bat, we traveled with it all the time. He ate, thought, slept baseball. And he just kept progressing. He just kept working on his craft. And again, we can't be more proud."

That's what it's all about, folks.

It was not, in fact, over.

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What a finish!

Walker only had eight home runs when he was down to his final swing, and then ripped off four in a row to walk (sorry, had to do it) it off over Schwarber. The Philly fans seemed stunned. But for the rest of us, that was 80-grade entertainment.

With that, Walker becomes the first Cardinal to ever win the Home Run Derby.

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This was 11 homers on 16 swings, as Schwarber earned an extra swing by homering on his 15th swing off the magenta ball. It's the first time all night anyone has done that. So, Earth to Netflix and MLB: the magenta ball might be a bad idea.

Regardless, Walker is up against it. This is a big deficit, and the Citizens Bank Park crowd isn't exactly going to be encouraging.

Matchup

Both of them have exactly 19 home runs on the night, so there's no edge to be found there. And as a reminder, ties will be settled by a three-swing swing-off.

For now, more pomp and circumstance. Ryan Howard and Bobby Abreu just showed up with the Home Run Derby trophy, and Michael Buffer returned to hype the final round.

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This was the best sequence of the night. Contreras was getting booed at every turn, except for when Philly fans erupted in cheers when he made outs. The back-and-forth was terrific cinema, and a nice change of pace after a sleepy stretch following Harper's first-round exit.

Contreras once again leaned into the drama by egging on the crowd, and he even had fun with an accidental brushback pitch at one point. But in the end, he fell one homer short of forcing a swing-off.

It's Walker vs. Schwarber in the finals!

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Once again, it took a few swings for Schwarber to find a groove. But once he did, he was off. Nine homers might be enough, but Willson Contreras ended up having the best round of anyone after getting first ups, and he's had a lot of time to rest.

Contreras is up next.

This is two years in a row that the Yankees have had one of their sluggers get knocked out of the first round of the Home Run Derby. Not exactly the best run for the "Bronx Bombers," and they're letting 'em have it on social media.

To wit, shoutout to Talkin' Yanks for this beauty on Dan Rice:

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Walker made that look way too easy, getting the six homers he needed to knock off Caminero in just eight swings. He's onto the finals, where he'll try to become the first Cardinal to ever win the Home Run Derby. As of now, he has 19 total homers on just 27 swings.

Schwarber is up next.

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Caminero got as far as 491 feet, which is the longest home run of the night. But that no longer counts for a tiebreaker, and five home runs doesn't feel like it'll be enough to move on.

Walker needs six homers to move onto the finals.

Matchups

Contreras has the tiebreaker over Walker because of his 490-foot homer in his round, so he's the No. 1 seed for the semifinals.

As opposed to 20 in Round 1, each batter only gets 15 swings in this round. And this time, ties will be settled by three-swing swing-offs.

Caminero is up first.

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Annnnnnnnnnnd there goes Bryce Harper. He earned a tiebreaker on Schwarber with a 482-foot blast, but couldn't get the two homers he needed at the end of his round. He's done.

The semifinals are up next.

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Schwarber went homer-less on his first five swings, but then got it together. He had three over 450 feet, with a long of 461 feet. He's in position to move on for the moment, but Bryce Harper could still knock him out.

Either way, there will be a Phillie in Round 2.

Dig this grab by a fan on Junior Caminero's 487-foot shot into left-center field. And that guy didn't even need one of those oversized blue gloves!

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Even if he's third on the leaderboard, that was A Show by Junior Caminero. He cleared 470 feet four times, with a max of 487 feet that could prove to be a valuable tiebreaker with two contestants left.

Kyle Schwarber is up next.

The downside of all the coverage Netflix is getting is that there's a little too much to cut between in real time. But on the plus side, it means more angles for replays.

The benefit of that is right there in this angle of one of Munetaka Murakami's moonshots. If the idea is to provide a more cinematic experience, that's where it works.

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Yeah, just not a good showing there for the Yankees slugger. Rice did get up to 443 feet in distance, but seven homers has him out of the money. He seemed to tire earlier than one would hope.

Junior Caminero is up next.

This is the second major MLB event Netflix has carried this year, and some would say there was a need for redemption after Opening Night. They went big for Yankees vs. Giants back in March, but a lot of it didn't land.

There's been a bit less self-promotion this time around, which is for the best. But there's a lot of talk on social media about the wonky camera work, audio mix and editing, which are occasionally making the action hard to follow.

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A respectable showing for Munetaka Murakami in his first Home Run Derby, highlighted by a 466-foot shot. But with four hitters still left to go in Round 1, it might not be enough. One wonders if he's still rusty after playing in just three games after coming off the IL on July 10.

Ben Rice is up next.

Philly fans are infamous for having booed Santa Claus once upon a time, and they've been living up to that reputation all evening. Everyone is getting booed, including a kid who missed a catch on a Jordan Walker fly ball.

Hey, when you have a bit, you might as well lean into it.

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"Cags" hit a couple over 470 feet, and he had four straight homers on four straight swings at one point. His longest was a 477-foot tank that reached the third deck at CBP, which might as well be the moon.

Munetaka Murakami is up next.

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Jordan Walker tied Willson Contreras' output, but Contreras has the tiebreaker because of his long home run of 470 feet. Even so, another impressive display. Walker topped 440 feet on six of his 13 long balls.

Jac Caglianone is up next.

That 490-foot blast by Willson Contreras? It was caught by a police officer up on the concourse. Didn't look like he expected to get one all the way up there.

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That was quite the display for Willson Contreras to lead off Round 1. He homered 13 times in 20 swings, and he had six that went at least 470 feet. The longest was a 490-foot blast.

Jordan Walker is up next.

Every non-Phillies player heard boos from the Citizens Bank Park crowd during introductions, but the loudest were reserved for Willson Contreras.

He handled it well, playing along by cupping his hand to ear and egging on the fans. He did it again when he stepped into the box for his round. Good sense of humor, if nothing else.

They saved Bryce Harper's introduction for last, and it was about as capital-B Big as anyone could have expected. He went full hype man, and the crowd loved it.

This is the second time Harper has participated in a Home Run Derby in front of a home audience, as he also did so (and won!) at Nationals Park back in 2018. But believe it not, he's now been a Phillie for longer than he was a National.

Just glad he didn't hurt himself on that plate-shaped ring. It looked a bit wobbly.

It wouldn't be a Netflix broadcast if it wasn't a star-studded affair, but this is next-level. Legendary ring announcer Michael Buffer, a Philadelphia native, is introducing the derby contestants.

With what looks like hand-written notes, no less. And even at 81, he still sounds like a million bucks.

Here's an interesting observation from Eno Sarris of The Athletic on how the new swing-based format won't reward endurance as much as the timed format.

Based on bat speed and power, Junior Caminero and Jordan Walker could be the favorites. Bryce Harper and Ben Rice could have a harder time.

As per usual, every contestant in the Home Run Derby got to choose his own pitcher for the event. Here's who has the honors:

The only real surprise is that Harper's father, Ron, isn't returning after throwing to his son in the 2018 Home Run Derby. Ron apparently hasn't thrown in a while, so Bryce called in a connection from the World Baseball Classic. Ebel coached under Mark DeRosa for Team USA.

Kind of, anyway. The Cardinals slugger is rocking a custom Iron Man-themed bat as a nod to his favorite Marvel hero.

Just remember, Jordan: If you're nothing without the bat, then you shouldn't swing it.

Fans sitting beyond the outfield walls at Citizens Bank Park won't have any excuses to not catch anything that comes their way tonight. Geico made up some oversized gloves for them to use.

That'll help. Just remember to communicate out there. And watch out for Zack Hample.