With a new format and a loaded field of sluggers ready to put on a show, the 2026 Home Run Derby is set to bring a new level of bedlam to The Bank on Monday night.
As this year's all-star festivities land in Philadelphia, MLB is switching things up for its annual moonshot contest, moving away from the timed event we've seen since 2015. Instead, the eight-batter field will partake in a swing-based competition that will allow fans and players to relish every no-doubter and admire each blast into the night sky.
Citizens Bank Park will do its best to contain a field that features an epic assortment of sluggers. From hometown favourites Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper to young superstars Junior Caminero and Munetaka Murakami, the battle for the newly minted Home Run Derby chain is sure to be fierce.
You can catch the latest edition of the Home Run Derby Monday on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+, starting at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.
Before the dingers start to fly in Philly, here's everything you need to know about this year's slugfest.
How it works
The Derby has put hitters on a clock since 2015, using a timer to keep the action flowing.
But all that changes now.
MLB is ditching the timers in Philly, instead opting for a swing-based format in which hitters will begin each round with a limit on how many cuts they can take.
Participants will have 20 swings in Round 1, 15 in Round 2 and 15 again in Round 3 to see how many times they can leave the yard. All swings count against the players' total, homer or not, but if they sock a dinger on the final swing of a round, they can keep hacking until they don't clear the fences.
While those changes will give the Derby a new look and feel, the eight-man field will once again compete in one group for Round 1 before the sluggers with the top four home-run totals move on to the semifinals.
Head-to-head matchups will return in the semis, as the four players will be re-seeded, with No. 1 facing No. 4 and No. 2 taking on No. 3 for a chance to advance to the final.
Any ties will be broken by whoever hit the longest homer in Round 1 and by a swing-off in Rounds 2 and 3.
The field
Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies: 32 home runs
Ben Rice, New York Yankees: 29 home runs
Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay Rays: 28 home runs
Jordan Walker, St. Louis Cardinals: 22 home runs
Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies: 20 home runs
Willson Contreras, Boston Red Sox: 20 home runs
Munetaka Murakami, Chicago White Sox: 20 home runs
Jac Caglianone, Kansas City Royals: 15 home runs
The case for each competitor to win
Kyle Schwarber: Will the third time be the charm for MLB's long-ball leader? The Phillies DH is back for more in the Derby, chasing the elusive crown after falling short in both 2018 and 2022. Few hitters hit the ball harder than Schwarber, who ranks among the league leaders in average exit velocity, hard-hit rate, bat speed and barrel percentage. That combination of raw power and past Derby experience makes him one of the favourites to walk away victorious on Monday. Schwarber will also have the advantage of swinging at his home park in Philadelphia, where he has hit 19 of his 32 home runs this season.
Ben Rice: With Aaron Judge hitting the injured list in early June, the Yankees needed a middle-of-the-order masher to step up, and Rice has had no trouble performing under the spotlight in the Bronx, emerging as one of the American League's top bats. While Rice may not be the flashiest big-fly hitter in the field — he has the shortest average home-run distance this season among the eight competitors — the 27-year-old has bashed seven homers since June 30, and 19 of his 29 regular-season jacks have come to the pull side, something that could play well in Philly. According to Statcast's Park Factors, Citizens Bank Park ranks as the most homer-friendly venue across baseball for left-handed hitters.
Junior Caminero: While Cal Raleigh ultimately won the Derby in 2025, it's hard to forget the show Caminero put on in his runner-up finish. The Rays third baseman finished three taters short under the timed format, but with the chance to take it swing-by-swing on Monday, it feels like Caminero might be tough to beat this time around. The 23-year-old leads all of baseball with nine homers that travelled 430 feet or further, and he owns the longest single blast of any competitor this season — a 463-foot shot against Arizona on June 28. So, not only will Caminero, who has the fastest average bat speed in MLB, get to admire his work without the worry of a timer, he'll also have more time to reset in between hacks after sending balls into the bleachers.
Jordan Walker: Perhaps the least-established name in the field, Walker has been one of MLB's biggest breakout stars in 2026. The 24-year-old has long been a "What if?" in St. Louis, possessing the frame and tools of a bona fide power hitter. But until this year, things just hadn't clicked into place. And now that they have, Walker might be a compelling dark-horse pick for Monday night. The six-foot-six righty doesn't get cheated at the plate, checking in just below Caminero on the bat-speed leaderboards, and only four sluggers in the sport have a higher average exit velocity than Walker this year, none of whom are competing in the Derby.
Bryce Harper: Harper knows a thing or two about winning the Home Run Derby in front of his hometown fans. The Phillies first baseman defeated current teammate Schwarber in the 2018 final at Nationals Park while playing for Washington. The 33-year-old’s underlying power metrics may lag behind those of some of his fellow competitors this season, but Harper remains as steady as ever at the plate and has a history of delivering on the biggest stages. If he claims the chain Monday, Harper would become the first player to win multiple derbies in his home ballpark and only the fifth to win the event more than once.
Willson Contreras: Since arriving in Boston after an off-season trade with the Cardinals, Contreras has taken his game to a new level with the Red Sox. The 11-year MLB veteran is currently sporting career-bests in OPS (.921), barrel percentage (14.3 per cent) and is on pace to set a new career mark in homers, having left the yard 20 times already.
Munetaka Murakami: Despite missing over a month with a hamstring strain, Murakami was a clear candidate to step up to the plate for this event if he was healthy. And after making his return to the White Sox lineup on Friday, baseball fans will be treated to a showcase from one of the game's truest home-run hitters. Before hitting the IL, the star Japanese rookie launched 20 bombs in 57 games, ranking in the 99th percentile in both barrel rate and hard-hit rate. Murakami may be built for this type of swing-off, as he hit 246 homers over eight seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball and set the single-season record for Japanese-born players with 56 bombs in 2022.
Jac Caglianone: Despite entering Monday with the fewest number of homers among the field, Caglianone's natural power makes him a threat to upset. Of all eight contestants, Caglianone's dingers go the furthest, with his 15 blasts travelling 414 feet on average. The 23-year-old has some of the best physical traits in baseball, standing at six-foot-four, 250 pounds with a 116.1 m.p.h. max exit velocity. The second-year pro has struggled to lift the ball this year, however, posting the lowest average launch angle among the players set to swing in Philadelphia. But if he can consistently lift the ball at Citizens Bank Park, Caglianone could become the first Royals hitter to come away with a Derby victory.
3:19