Jordan Walker silenced Philadelphia’s booing crowd by homering on his final six swings, overtaking Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber in the championship round and becoming the first St. Louis Cardinal to win the Home Run Derby on Monday night.
Schwarber connected for 11 home runs during his 15-swing turn in the final round. Philadelphia fans, who booed everyone except Schwarber and Bryce Harper throughout the evening, quietly made their way out of the stadium when Walker’s decisive hit cleared the left‑field wall.
“I was once told you don’t boo anyone,” Walker said. “So it feels pretty good.”
Schwarber advanced past the first round, then defeated Boston’s Willson Contreras in a head‑to‑head matchup in the second round before facing Walker, a 24‑year‑old who had eliminated Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero in Round 2.
Schwarber, the league’s home‑run leader, drew roaring cheers on every swing.
With the top button of his Cardinals jersey undone, the 24‑year‑old Walker appeared unfazed by the jeers and the grand stage of the All‑Star festivities.
“He earned it,” Schwarber said.
Walker chewed a large wad of bubble gum and wore his cap backward, emulating Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. He celebrated with his family on the field, while his father reminisced about Walker’s long‑distance hits beginning at age six.
He fulfilled a childhood dream in spectacular fashion, hitting his seventh home run with two swings left and an eighth on the next to earn bonus swings. Needing four consecutive homers to clinch victory, Walker launched a ball 401 feet off the top of the center‑field fence, reached 10 home runs, and was met with a chorus of boos from Philadelphia fans. He completed his surge amid fireworks lighting the night sky.
“That was impressive,” said Schwarber, the Derby runner‑up for a second time. “What he accomplished was impressive.”
Walker, a first‑time All‑Star for the Cardinals, is enjoying a breakout season, already boasting a career‑high 22 home runs after a combined 11 over the previous two years.
Those final six homers in Philadelphia now belong to the Derby’s highlight reel.
A refreshed Derby format produced thrilling drama
MLB eliminated the timed clock this season, returning to a swing‑based format in which each batter continues hitting until he fails to homer on his final attempt.
The additional time between swings allowed hitters to track their home runs, while Philadelphia fans gained extra moments to unleash their signature boos at Contreras and Walker.
Each participant received 20 swings in the opening round, with the top four advancing. For the second round, hitters were seeded: No. 1 faced No. 4 and No. 2 faced No. 3.
In the second round, each batter got 15 swings, and those who homered on their final swing continued until they missed.
Philly prepared to celebrate its power hitters
Phillies supporters were highly optimistic that Schwarber and Harper could meet in the final and secure the franchise’s third Derby champion.
Harper managed only eight home runs in the first round and was the last slugger to attempt advancement. Schwarber watched as Harper fell short. Having previously reached the finals in 2018 with the Chicago Cubs before losing to Harper while playing for the Nationals, Schwarber expressed a bittersweet sentiment after the opening round: “I wanted both of us to move on.”
Schwarber and Harper — the first teammates to compete together in the Derby since 2018 — received thunderous ovations when legendary ring announcer Michael Buffer introduced them before the competition began.
Among the other six sluggers, all wearing home jerseys with red, white, and blue uniform numbers, fans booed them as they entered the ballpark, with the loudest jeers directed at Yankees slugger Ben Rice, who laughed good‑naturedly as he exited through the Liberty Bell entrance.
Harper, who indicated earlier that this would be his final Derby, gestured emphatically to the crowd, urging louder cheers as he approached the home‑plate platform at second base. He shook the ring ropes with a wrestler’s flair, prompting the Philadelphia crowd to go wild for the star known as The Showman.
Even the ball‑shagging children stationed in the outfield were subject to booing.
The public address announcer urged fans to cheer during quieter moments when non‑Phillies home runs were hit.
The crowd’s enthusiasm rose when Kansas City’s Jac Caglianone sent a ball into the third deck in right field — the same area once occupied by Ryan Howard — while Contreras drove a ball into the left‑field upper deck, clearing the top row of seats and bouncing onto the concourse near a bar; his 490‑foot homer was the longest of the first round.
This marked the inaugural Home Run Derby and All‑Star Game at Citizens Bank Park, the first such event in Philadelphia since Barry Bonds defeated Mark McGwire in 1996 at Veterans Stadium, which had been empty for thousands of spectators.
