Jordan Walker wins 2026 MLB Home Run Derby — SkimNews
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- Jordan Walker won the 2026 Home Run Derby with 12 home runs in the final, beating Philadelphia's Kyle Schwarber (11) in his first-ever Derby appearance at Citizens Bank Park.
- Walker became the first St. Louis Cardinals player ever to win the Derby, with Jeff Passan noting his 24-year-old star turn has helped propel St. Louis into playoff contention.
- Junior Caminero launched the longest blast of the night at 491 feet before being eliminated by Walker in the semifinal round.
- Bryce Harper was bounced in the first round after failing to top Schwarber's 10 home runs, while Yankees first baseman Ben Rice posted the lowest total of the field with seven.
- The new format rewards the percentage of balls hit over the fence rather than raw swing volume; David Schoenfield called it "more fair" but said it missed the rapid-fire barrage of past Derbys.
- The Philly crowd of 43,863 mercilessly booed every non-Phillie, per Jeff Passan and Jorge Castillo, who described the atmosphere as "unusually raucous."
- ESPN's pre-Derby panel unanimously missed Walker: Passan picked Caminero, Schoenfield and Castillo picked Schwarber, Olney picked Harper, and Rogers picked Caminero — none had the eventual champion.
Why it matters: Walker's upset silenced a hostile Philadelphia crowd of 43,863 and delivered the Cardinals their first-ever Derby champion, while every ESPN analyst on the pre-Derby panel picked someone else. The result validates the new percentage-based format, which rewarded Walker's efficiency (12 HR in 18 swings) over Schwarber's shorter but higher-yield burst (11 in 15).
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