Walker bests Schwarber in thrilling HR Derby finish
· Yahoo Sports
While there were criticisms of the broadcast/platform and fewer homers clubbed than in past seasons, Jordan Walker’s “walk-off” home run to upset Kyle Schwarber to win the 2026 Home Run Derby redeemed the evening and then some.
Hometown favorite Schwarber led off the title round with 11 homers, his best effort of the evening (10 in the opening round to edge out Chicago’s Munetaka Murakami, nine in the semis to sneak past Boston’s Willson Contreras). With essentially the whole of the ballpark rooting against him and trailing, 11-8, while down to his last swing, Walker dug deep and clubbed four straight to win it.
Visit rouesnews.click for more information.
For Philadelphia fans who lustily booed all six non-Phillie participants in the Derby, consider it a sign of maturity that they were merely stunned into silence by the blast:
View LinkHalfway across the world and in half of Chicagoland homes, however, all eyes were on White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami.
Mune, fresh off of the injured list and with only five total games under his belt before setting up in the Derby batters’ box, made a valiant run in the first round. Clubbing nine home runs with White Sox coach Luis Sierra throwing to him (Sierra had prepped for the assignment on Saturday by pitching to the White Sox legends in the Sox Park Home Run Derby won by Leury García), Murakami settled into third place, with enough longballs to make the cut. Ben Rice didn’t come close to Mune, but he was still alive, in fourth, even after Junior Caminero crushed 12 into the seats. With two batters remaining, Schwarber then stepped up and deflated the hopes of fans in Japan and Chicago by lofting 10 balls over the wall.
Mune’s longest missile traveled an awe-inspiring 466 feet, with seven shots landing in right field and two in right-center.
Here’s every one of Mune’s moon shots, at least one of which soared over the Citizen’s Bank Ballpark stands:
View Link