All articles tagged with #home run derby
The Seattle Mariners staged an enthusiastic Alumni Home Run Derby at T-Mobile Park, pairing nostalgia with high-energy entertainment as former stars and returning players like Ichiro, Mike Cameron, Stefen Romero and Austin Nola wowed a raucous crowd; Romero emerged as the winner after a night of big hits and showmanship that celebrated baseball and the community around the ballpark.
During the MLB Home Run Derby in Philadelphia, 17-year-old Reed Weiner, who was shagging balls with a friend, misread a pop-up and was booed by fans; the moment went viral, but Weiner says he loved the reaction and treats the boos as an honor, noting he often boos opponents at games and that the Derby experience was helped by a Phillies-connected setup for the shagging duties.
Jordan Walker stunned the derby field with six straight homers on his final swing to win the Home Run Derby, while James Wood leads the All-Star break with 89 runs—the largest lead ever at the break. Tonight’s All-Star Game features AL vs NL at 7 pm CT on FOX, with Cease vs Sanchez on the mound and the NL aiming to repeat. The day also saw Blaze Alexander respond to Vinnie Pasquantino after a broken-hand HBP incident, with Alexander calling Pasquantino’s take a “weird take.”
OutKick covers a viral backlash to Netflix’s MLB Home Run Derby broadcast, blaming Will Ferrell’s cringe-worthy “sport ball” routine, Elle Duncan’s commentary, and persistent audio glitches for turning the event into a skippable ordeal and prompting harsh social-media reactions.
Netflix’s first MLB Home Run Derby broadcast had a rocky start with on-field promos, but improved as the night went on, buoyed by a solid booth and a dramatic finish in which Jordan Walker beat Kyle Schwarber. Netflix secured a three-season, $50 million-per-year rights deal for Opening Night, the Derby, and the Field of Dreams, raising questions about its ability to drive non-NFL sports viewership even as the broadcast delivered a memorable ending.
Tonight's 2026 MLB Home Run Derby starts at 8 p.m. ET at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia and will be streamed exclusively on Netflix (no traditional TV broadcast) for the event's three-year Netflix run, featuring Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and six other sluggers under a new swing-limit format.
Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker rallied to defeat Kyle Schwarber in a dramatic final round at Citizens Bank Park, belting six homers in six swings to win the Home Run Derby—the first Cardinal to take the title—amid a loud, booing Philadelphia crowd and a revamped swing-based format.
Netflix's first foray into live MLB broadcasting with the Home Run Derby drew strong backlash for a paywalled stream, chaotic and disjointed camera work, a long pregame, and flat commentary, prompting critics to question MLB and Netflix’s focus on revenue over fan engagement.
Fans erupted on X over Netflix’s first-time Home Run Derby broadcast, criticizing Will Ferrell’s commentary and the camera work, with many complaining about missing exit-velocity data and unhelpful angles, despite Ferrell’s nostalgia-tinged appeal and other hosts being part of the broadcast.
Jordan Walker rallied in the final rounds to win the 2026 MLB Home Run Derby in a hostile Philadelphia crowd, outlasting Kyle Schwarber as fans booed and cheered in equal measure; the event was saved by the crowd’s energy and a thrilling final stretch, even as the author admits he misses the clocked pace that defined prior derbies.
In Philadelphia, Jordan Walker outslugged Kyle Schwarber in MLB’s revamped Home Run Derby, beating Schwarber 12–11 in the final round of a format with 20 swings per contestant and a rule that keeps swinging after a homer until it’s not. Walker’s final swing tied the score and a moonshot to left sealed the win as his parents watched.
Jordan Walker of the St. Louis Cardinals won the 2026 Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park, becoming the first Cardinals player to win the event. He defeated Kyle Schwarber in a dramatic final after advancing past Junior Caminero in the semifinals, with Willson Contreras and Bryce Harper among the other contenders in the revamped swing-based format that was streamed on Netflix for the first time.
Jordan Walker outslugged Kyle Schwarber to win the Home Run Derby in Philadelphia.
Kyle Schwarber is the +300 favorite to win the 2026 Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park, with Junior Caminero (+350) and Munetaka Murakami (+550) each lined up behind him as the field competes Monday at 8 p.m. ET. SportsLine’s Matt Severance, their top MLB expert, is on a hot run and teases strong bets, including Schwarber to hit the longest homer at +250 and another plus-money prop after evaluating the entire field; full picks and analysis are available on SportsLine.
In Philadelphia for the 2026 All-Star Home Run Derby, eight sluggers compete under a new swing-based format (20 swings in the first round, then 15 per round) with knockout semis and finals; the field includes Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber for the Phillies, plus Jac Caglianone, Junior Caminero, Willson Contreras, Munetaka Murakami, Ben Rice and Jordan Walker, and the winner earns $1 million from a $2.5 million prize pool (runner-up $500K; others $150K; $100K bonus for the longest homer).