2026 MLB Home Run Derby Debuts New Swing Format on Netflix
The 2026 MLB Home Run Derby is scheduled for Monday, July 13, at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, featuring eight of baseball's top power hitters in a contest that will debut a new format and a new broadcast partner. The event is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET.
This year's field includes established stars and rising talents: Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper of the hometown Philadelphia Phillies, Ben Rice of the New York Yankees, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Jordan Walker of the St. Louis Cardinals, Willson Contreras of the Boston Red Sox, Munetaka Murakami of the Chicago White Sox, and Jac Caglianone of the Kansas City Royals. Harper is the only former Derby champion in the group, having won in 2018. Caminero returns after finishing as the runner-up in the 2025 event, which was won by Seattle's Cal Raleigh.
A significant change this year is the competition's swing-based format, replacing the timed rounds used for over a decade. In the opening round, each hitter will receive 20 swings. The four players with the most home runs will advance to the semifinals, where they will receive 15 swings each in head-to-head matchups seeded by their first-round totals. The final round...