Jordan Walker Secures First Home Run Derby Title for Cardinals
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The 24-year-old slugger overcame Kyle Schwarber in Philadelphia to become one of the youngest champions in the event's history.
Jordan Walker of the St. Louis Cardinals won the 2026 T-Mobile Home Run Derby on Monday in Philadelphia, marking the first time the Cardinals franchise has claimed the title. According to MLB, the Cardinals were previously one of nine teams without a championship, with their only prior runner-up finish coming from Albert Pujols in 2003.
Reporting from Sportsnet indicates that Walker secured the victory over Kyle Schwarber by hitting six consecutive home runs. MLB reports that Schwarber, playing before his home crowd, hit 11 home runs in the final round and finished the night with 30 total home runs, including a maximum distance of 461 feet. Had Schwarber won, he would have been the fourth player to win the contest at his home stadium, joining Bryce Harper, Bobby Abreu, and Ryan Howard.
At 24 years and 52 days old, Walker is now the fifth-youngest champion in the history of the Derby. MLB notes he trails only Juan Gonzalez (1993), Juan Soto (2022), Ruben Sierra (1989), and Wally Joyner (1986) in age at the time of victory.
Other notable performances included Willson Contreras and Junior Caminero, who both hit 13 home runs in the first round. MLB reports that Contreras hit six home runs of 470 feet or longer in that round, including one that traveled 490 feet, making him one of five players to ever hit a ball at least 490 feet in a non-Coors Field Derby.