Cardinals' Jordan Walker clubs 6 straight for walk-off Home Run Derby
July 14 (UPI) --St. Louis Cardinals slugger Jordan Walker hit six consecutive blasts to shock hometown favorite Kyle Schwarber and win the 2026 Home Run Derby.
Walker, a first-time All-Star, totaled 31 long balls through the three-round event Monday in Philadelphia. Schwarber, his final-round foe who typically fills in as designated hitter for the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park, totaled 30 homers, including 11 in the finale.
"Honestly, I hit and I was hoping it would get out," Walker told reporters, when asked about his decisive 407-foot blast to left center field. "I didn't know if I got it good enough."
Walker received $1 million for his efforts, eclipsing his 2026 salary of about $800,000. Schwarber took home $500,000 for his second-place finish, following a runner-up showing in 2018. The other six participants earned $150,000 apiece.
MLB sluggers combined to hit 131 home runs -- traveling a combined total of more than 10 miles.
Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Junior Caminero -- last year's runner-up -- earned another $100,000 for the longest home run of the night -- a 491-foot shot during his 6-5 semifinal loss to Walker.
Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras hit a 490-foot home run in pool play, in which he tied Walker with an event-high 13 homers. Schwarber, who clubbed 10 home runs in pool play, beat Contreras 9-8 in the other semifinal.
Former (2018) derby winner Bryce Harper, who joined Schwarber as the only other Phillies player in the event, hit eight home runs in the first round and failed to advance.
Chicago White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami (9), Kansas City Royals outfielder Jac Caglianone (8) and New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice (7) also failed to get past the first round.
Schwarber, MLB's 2026 home run leader, deployed his compact swing to swat 11 homers in 15 swings in the final round. Walker calmly stepped to the plate and went on his game-winning slugfest, which started with a 455-foot bomb, his longest homer of the final round.
"I can't even describe how it means to win it," Walker said. "It was a lot of swings, a lot of pressure, but I think I just had fun, no matter what. Like, every round, I was having a good time."
Defending champion Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners did not participate. Former winners Teoscar Hernandez, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Pete Alonso -- a two-time winner, also did not compete.
The American League will take on the National League in the 2026 MLB All-Star Game at 8 p.m. EDT Tuesday in Philadelphia.
Copyright 2026 UPI News Corporation. All Rights Reserved.
This story was originally published July 14, 2026 at 5:54 AM.