Jordan Walker of the Cardinals stunned the Philly faithful by defeating the hometown hero, Kyle Schwarber, in the final round.
There were long home runs traveling well beyond 450 feet and intense moments that came down to the wire.
Here are some of those moments and facts from Monday’s unforgettable 2026 T-Mobile Home Run Derby in Philadelphia.
Walker wins it
The Cardinals are one of the most accomplished franchises in Major League Baseball, but one thing they didn’t have in their trophy case? A Home Run Derby title. In fact, the Cards had only one previous runner-up finish. That was by Albert Pujols, who came up just short against the Angels’ Garret Anderson in 2003 on the South Side of Chicago. And sure enough, there was Pujols, on hand Monday night as part of the Netflix broadcast crew.
Walker and Pujols were nearly Cardinals teammates. Pujols returned to St. Louis for a triumphant final stint in 2022, while Walker (the Cards’ first-round Draft pick in 2020), made his MLB debut for the team on Opening Day 2023. When Pujols finished second in the 2003 Derby, Walker was just one year old, having been born on May 22, 2002.
Speaking of Walker’s age, he was 24 years and 52 days old on Monday. That makes him the fifth-youngest champion in Derby history, behind only Juan Gonzalez in 1993 (23 years, 265 days), Juan Soto in 2022 (23 years, 266 days), Ruben Sierra in 1989 (23 years, 277 days) and Wally Joyner in 1986 (24 years, 28 days).
The Cardinals had been one of nine franchises without a Home Run Derby championship. That still leaves eight heading into 2027 at Wrigley Field: the Astros, Braves, Guardians, Padres, Pirates, Rays, Rockies and Royals.
Schwarber nearly becomes hometown hero
Schwarber nearly became the fourth player to win the Home Run Derby at his home stadium, which was last done by current teammate Bryce Harper with the Nationals in 2018. As the first participant in the final round, Schwarber hit 11 home runs, which seemed like an insurmountable lead for Walker to overcome. But even with Schwarber just finishing short, his performance was a memorable one that further etched his name in Philly sports lore.
Schwarber combined to hit 30 home runs in three rounds, averaging 417 feet and topping out at 461 feet. Every time he homered, it seemed like the Philly faithful were getting even louder, which made Walker’s finale all the more impressive. Schwarber would have become the third Phillies player to win the Derby, which has been done by Bobby Abreu in 2005 and Ryan Howard in ‘06.
Contreras, Caminero bring the distance
Willson Contreras and Junior Caminero were the first two hitters in Monday night’s Derby, and they both brought it from the very outset.
The two American League East sluggers each launched 13 home runs on their 20 swings in the first round, and both found the furthest reaches of the upper deck at Citizens Bank Park.
Contreras’ first round featured homers of 490, 487, 482, 479, 473 and 470 feet, to name a few. Caminero, meanwhile, slugged dingers of 487, 479, 478 and 477 feet.
Apart from the 2021 Derby at high-altitude Coors Field, not many hitters had produced that many long homers in a single Derby round.
Most 470+ foot home runs in Derby round outside Coors Field under Statcast tracking (since 2016):
Giancarlo Stanton, 2016 (second round): 9
Stanton, 2017 (first round): 9
Willson Contreras, 2026 (first round): 6
Oneil Cruz, 2025 (first round): 5
Cruz, 2025 (second round): 5
Contreras became one of just five players to hit a home run of at least 490 feet in a non-Coors Derby, joining Stanton, Cruz, Aaron Judge, and Miguel Sanó.
Highest average home run distance in a round outside Coors Field under Statcast tracking (since 2016):
461 feet: Giancarlo Stanton, 2016 second round
456 feet: Stanton, 2017 first round
453 feet: Oneil Cruz, 2025 second round
449 feet: Willson Contreras, 2026 first round
Derby dingers, by the numbers
Caminero and Contreras weren’t the only sluggers laying the lumber on Monday night. Here are some more numbers to know from the 2026 Derby.
- 131: Total number of homers hit
- 56,343: Total distance traveled by those homers, or about 10.7 miles.
- 15: Homers hit 470 feet or longer
- 69: Homers hit 430 feet or longer, or more than half of the night’s total
- 7: Competitors, or all but Ben Rice, to hit at least one homer 460-plus feet
- 104: Schwarber’s career homer total in three Derby appearances, more than any hitter in the event’s history other than Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (163), Julio Rodriguez (142) and Pujols (106)