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PHILADELPHIA − Considering how well Cincinnati Reds fans knew both players involved, the final round of the 2026 Home Run Derby was a bittersweet proposition.
The sweet part was baseball fans at-large enjoyed a thriller of a derby, but the cause for bitterness was that both finalists − Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber and St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker − are well-known to Reds fans for the wrong reasons.
Schwarber on July 13 rocked a raucous Citizens Bank Park crowd of 43,863 with 30 home runs across three rounds of competition, including 11 in the title matchup. But the 24-year-old Walker silenced the venue, hitting 12 final-round homers to emerge victorious.
Walker entered the All-Star break with 22 home runs, three of which came off Reds pitchers.
Schwarber, who passed on joining the Reds in offseason free-agency, leads MLB with 32 home runs. He hit two against the Reds in the days leading up to the competition.
In the head-to-head finals matchup, Schwarber hit first, clobbered 11 homers on 15 allotted swings, and then watched as the crowd turned playfully hostile toward Walker, who fell off the pace but used five consecutive homers on "magenta ball" bonus swings to take the midsummer home run crown.
The competition started with eight hitters − four apiece from each league. Each was allowed 20 total swings and the top four mashers advanced to the semifinals. Schwarber made the first-round cut with 10 homers, and joined Walker (13), Boston Red Sox first baseman Wilson Contreras (13), Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (12) in the semifinal round.
Chicago White Sox rookie sensation Munetaka Murakami (nine), Kansas City Royals right fielder Jac Caglianone (eight), Philadelphia Phillies fan-favorite Bryce Harper (eight), and Ben Rice of the New York Yankees (seven) were eliminated in the first round.
In the semifinals, Citizens Bank Park became a zoo. Schwarber batted first in his head-to-head matchup with Contreras and electrified the joint with nine homers from the 15 total allotted swings. Then, many in attendance booed lustily at Contreras throughout his 15 swings (Walker received the same treatment in the finals).
In the end, Schwarber's nine homers barely survived as Contreras popped two fly balls with his final two swings, and stayed stuck on eight homers. Meanwhile, Walker beat Caminero by a 6-5 margin.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Why the 2026 Home Run Derby was likely a tough watch for Reds fans
Continue reading...
The sweet part was baseball fans at-large enjoyed a thriller of a derby, but the cause for bitterness was that both finalists − Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber and St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker − are well-known to Reds fans for the wrong reasons.
Schwarber on July 13 rocked a raucous Citizens Bank Park crowd of 43,863 with 30 home runs across three rounds of competition, including 11 in the title matchup. But the 24-year-old Walker silenced the venue, hitting 12 final-round homers to emerge victorious.
Walker entered the All-Star break with 22 home runs, three of which came off Reds pitchers.
Schwarber, who passed on joining the Reds in offseason free-agency, leads MLB with 32 home runs. He hit two against the Reds in the days leading up to the competition.
In the head-to-head finals matchup, Schwarber hit first, clobbered 11 homers on 15 allotted swings, and then watched as the crowd turned playfully hostile toward Walker, who fell off the pace but used five consecutive homers on "magenta ball" bonus swings to take the midsummer home run crown.
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The competition started with eight hitters − four apiece from each league. Each was allowed 20 total swings and the top four mashers advanced to the semifinals. Schwarber made the first-round cut with 10 homers, and joined Walker (13), Boston Red Sox first baseman Wilson Contreras (13), Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (12) in the semifinal round.
Chicago White Sox rookie sensation Munetaka Murakami (nine), Kansas City Royals right fielder Jac Caglianone (eight), Philadelphia Phillies fan-favorite Bryce Harper (eight), and Ben Rice of the New York Yankees (seven) were eliminated in the first round.
In the semifinals, Citizens Bank Park became a zoo. Schwarber batted first in his head-to-head matchup with Contreras and electrified the joint with nine homers from the 15 total allotted swings. Then, many in attendance booed lustily at Contreras throughout his 15 swings (Walker received the same treatment in the finals).
In the end, Schwarber's nine homers barely survived as Contreras popped two fly balls with his final two swings, and stayed stuck on eight homers. Meanwhile, Walker beat Caminero by a 6-5 margin.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Why the 2026 Home Run Derby was likely a tough watch for Reds fans
Continue reading...
