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Jordan Walker silences Phillies fans to become first Cardinals player ever to win Home Run Derby originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Jordan Walker walked into Citizens Bank Park with just 49 career home runs. He walked out as the first St. Louis Cardinals player ever to win the MLB Home Run Derby.
The 24-year-old slugger delivered a performance that Cardinals fans won't soon forget Monday night, surviving two rounds before defeating hometown favorite Kyle Schwarber in front of a roaring Philadelphia crowd. Every time Walker stepped to the plate in the championship round, thousands of Phillies fans showered him with boos, hoping to will Schwarber to victory.
Instead, Walker embraced the hostile atmosphere, launched one towering home run after another and made franchise history. The victory also made Walker the second-youngest Home Run Derby champion in MLB history, trailing only Juan Gonzalez, who won the event at age 23 in 1993.
Walker powers through first two rounds
Walker looked comfortable from his very first swing. He blasted 13 home runs in the opening round, tying former Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras, now with the Boston Red Sox, for the highest total of the round. Under the Derby's format, the top four hitters advanced, allowing both sluggers to move on.
The semifinals paired Walker with Tampa Bay Rays star Junior Caminero, who entered the night with a chance to become the youngest Home Run Derby champion ever.
Caminero managed five home runs. Walker needed only six.
The Cardinals slugger reached that mark quickly and ended his round immediately after clinching the victory, conserving energy for what was ahead.
By the time the championship round arrived, Walker had launched 19 home runs on just 27 swings, an incredibly efficient display of power that made him the hottest hitter in the field. On the opposite side of the bracket, Schwarber caught fire.
After sneaking into the semifinals as the fourth and final qualifier with 10 home runs in the opening round, the Phillies slugger blasted nine in the semifinals to eliminate Contreras, who finished with eight. That set up the championship everyone inside Citizens Bank Park wanted.
Michael Buffer delivers the introductions before dramatic final
Before the championship began, legendary ring announcer Michael Buffer stepped onto the field to introduce the finalists, giving the Derby a prizefight atmosphere. The contrast between the two sluggers couldn't have been more striking.
Walker entered the night with 49 career major league home runs.
Schwarber had 372.
One was a first-time All-Star still establishing himself among baseball's elite. The other was one of the sport's most feared power hitters competing in front of his home crowd.
MORE: Cardinals' first-round pick Trevor Condon already drawing Pete Crow-Armstrong comparisons
Walker silences Philadelphia to make Cardinals history
Schwarber gave the Phillies fans exactly what they wanted. The hometown star crushed 11 home runs in just 15 swings, drawing thunderous cheers after nearly every blast and putting significant pressure on Walker.
Then it was the Cardinals slugger's turn. As Walker stepped into the batter's box, boos rained down from every corner of Citizens Bank Park.
They never slowed him down.
Walker answered with an unforgettable performance, launching 12 home runs to officially pass Schwarber and clinch the championship.
For the Cardinals, it was a historic breakthrough. Despite one of baseball's richest traditions and generations of legendary sluggers, St. Louis had never produced a Home Run Derby champion until Monday night.
Walker added another milestone to what has already become a sensational season. The first-time All-Star entered the break batting .294 with 22 home runs and a Major League-leading 74 RBIs, emerging as the centerpiece of the Cardinals' offense.
On Monday night, he proved he could shine on one of baseball's biggest stages.
Walker didn't simply win the Home Run Derby. He outslugged one of the game's greatest power hitters, silenced a packed Philadelphia crowd, and became the first Cardinals player to lift one of All-Star Week's most coveted trophies.
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