The 2026 T-Mobile Home Run Derby will take place on Monday, July 13 at 8 p.m. ET at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. The event will be broadcast live for the first time on Netflix. The derby field features a healthy mix of young upcoming stars along with some experienced veterans including 2018 Home Run Derby winner Bryce Harper.
This will be the second time that Philadelphia has hosted the Home Run Derby. The first time came in 1996 when Barry Bonds defeated Mark McGwire to take home the crown.
Home Run Derby rules and format
The 2026 Home Run Derby will feature a new format. In previous seasons, players were given three minutes or 40 pitches to hit as many home runs as possible. Major League Baseball is eliminating the clock for the 2026 Derby and going to a swing-based system.
Participants will be allotted 20 swings in Round 1, 15 in Round 2 and 15 in the final round. If you homer on your last swing in any round, then you continue to swing until you don’t homer. There are no bonus rounds and there is no bracket for the first round.
The new rules will slow down the pace and hopefully lessen the risk of injury. Previous Home Run Derbys became a test of stamina as much as skill. While it was often fun and exciting, it placed a lot of stress on the participants.
The top four homer totals from the first round will advance to the semifinals and will be seeded based on their first round home run totals. They will then face off in a bracket style with No. 1 facing No. 4 and No. 2 vs. No. 3 to determine the two finalists.
First round ties will be broken by home run distance. Three-swing swing-offs will be used in the semifinals and finals until a winner is determined.
With the rules in place, let’s take a look at the participants
Jac Caglianone, Kansas City Royals
Royals outfielder Jac Caglianone will be making his Home Run Derby debut in Monday’s event. It has been a tough season for the Royals overall but the play of Caglianone has been a bright spot. The young outfielder is in his second season in the majors and has 15 home runs and a .461 slugging percentage. He has become a Statcast darling and is among the league leaders in Average Exit Velocity, Barrel Percentage and Hard Hit rate.
Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay Rays
Rays third baseman Junior Caminero will be taking part in the Home Run Derby for the second straight season. Caminero put up a good showing in 2025 but lost in the finals to Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh 18-15. He is currently fourth in majors in homers with 28 and appears poised to post his second straight 40-homer campaign. He’s been red hot of late with 15 of his 28 homers coming over his last 37 games.
Willson Contreras, Boston Red Sox
Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras will be making his Home Run Derby debut in his 11th season in the majors. Contreras was traded to Boston this past offseason and has made his mark putting up career-best numbers. Contreras already has 20 home runs, which equals his total from last season. He is just four away from tying his career-high set way back in 2019 while with the Cubs
Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies
The only defending champion in the Derby field is Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper who will be competing in his third contest overall. Harper won the Derby back in 2018 in his home ballpark while with the Nationals, defeating his current teammate Kyle Schwarber in the finals. After a solid but unspectacular season in 2025, Harper entered this past weekend with 20 home runs and a .497 slugging percentage. His experience alone makes him a Derby favorite and will have the complete support of the home crowd.
Munetaka Murakami, Chicago White Sox
Perhaps the most surprising entrant in the Home Run Derby is White Sox first baseman Munetaka Murakami. The surprise isn’t with his performance. Murakami hit 20 homers in his first 57 games but missed over a month after suffering a Grade 2 hamstring strain back on May 29. He was activated from the injured list on Friday and was announced as a participant in the Derby and as a first-time All-Star replacing the injured Byron Buxton.
Ben Rice, New York Yankees
Yankees first baseman Ben Rice is a first-time All-Star and will be among the players making his Home Run Derby debut. Rice is a former 12th-round pick that has become an integral part of the Yankees’ lineup. He is currently third in the majors with 29 home runs. His .599 slugging percentage is second only to Houston’s Yordan Alvarez.
Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies
If you are looking for a Derby favorite, then look no further than Phillies DH Kyle Schwarber. Schwarber finished second in the majors in 2025 with 56 home runs and leads the majors this season with 32. His .562 slugging percentage is currently the sixth best mark in the majors. Nineteen of his 32 home runs have come at home and his 122 home runs at Citizens Bank Park are the fourth-most in the history of the ballpark.
Jordan Walker, St. Louis Cardinals
One of the feel-good stories of this year’s Home Run Derby is Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker. Once a top prospect, Walker has disappointed over his first three seasons in the majors. At one point during the spring, it looked like he might not even make the Opening Day roster. However, Walker has realized his potential and enters the All-Star break leading the majors with 74 RBIs. His 22 home runs are six more than his previous career-high and he has been a key cog for a surprising Cardinals team.
I really want to pick Junior Caminero. He nearly won it last year and flipped the switch in June. However, it is hard to go against Schwarber hitting in his home park. Schwarber has been one of the best home run mashers over the last several seasons and is built to slug at Citizens Bank Park. Harper got him back in 2018 and it feels like Schwarber could return the favor in 2026.
