Electric. That was the word for the start of Monday night at Citizens Bank Park. A boxing ring was built around second base. Michael Buffer announced each Home Run Derby hitter. Bryce Harper even jumped on the ropes to fire up the home crowd before taking his swings. “I’ve always wante d to do that,” Harper said. Then the swings started, and the ballpark got quiet. For Kyle Schwarber, it did not look promising. First round. First five swings. No home runs. That is not good in any Home Run Derby format, especially this one. Schwarber was not done. His next four swings all left the yard, and the No. 1 seed turned a quiet start into a round-saving surge. He hit 10 homers over his final 15 swings, giving him enough to survive the opening round. It also put the Philadelphia crowd in an awkward spot. Harper hit next. If he hit 11, he would knock out his Phillies teammate. If they tied, the tiebreaker would come down to longest home run. Harper gave a few a ride, including a 482-footer. But he came up short, finishing with eight. “I had a blast,” Harper said. “I hit some pretty far ones, so that’s always fun. I thought Kyle obviously was gonna get his first one and be able to do that.” The attention turned back to Schwarber, whose Derby swing looked a lot like his swing-off performance in last year’s All-Star Game. Short and direct, in a rhythm. He entered that first-ever swing-off and drilled three homers on three pitches, helping the National League win and earning All-Star Game MVP honors. Monday night, he found that same gear again. Schwarber faced former Cubs teammate Willson Contreras, a 2016 World Series champion with him, in the semifinal. Contreras had looked dangerous early, owning seven of the 10 longest home runs at one point. But the crowd was waiting for Schwarber when he came back up. Just like in the first round, he started slowly. No homers on his first three swings. Then they came in bunches. Seven of his next eight swings left the yard. His pitcher, Rafael Peña, found consistency with him. Schwarber finished with nine homers on 15 swings, the second-round limit. Then Contreras stepped in. Every ball that carried toward the seats made Citizens Bank Park tense. Every ball that landed short brought a roar. Phillies fans booed between pitches and cheered misses like outs in October. “With our fans, it’s part of home field,” Harper said. “They showed out and did what they do.” With Contreras sitting on eight homers and one swing left, Red Sox bench coach José David Flores hit him with a pitch. Contreras’ final swing landed short. Schwarber moved on. He had survived two rounds. Then came Jordan Walker. Walker arrived in the majors in 2023 as one of baseball’s top prospects, but the last few years had not been a straight line. He struggled at times to stick in St. Louis, bounced between roles and had to hit his way back into the Cardinals’ plans. This season, he has done that. The Georgia native entered the Derby with 22 homers in 2026. Derby stadium host Greg Amsinger kept calling it “easy power,” and Walker kept proving him right. Schwarber did his part in the final. Again, he found a late burst. Again, he kept clearing the wall. He finished with 11 homers, his best round of the night. It looked like enough. Walker received the same treatment Contreras did. He started fast, then slowed. With four swings left, Walker had six homers. Then he just missed one, driving it off the base of the wall. With one swing left, he had eight. The magenta ball gave him a path. Hit one out, get another swing. Keep doing it, and the round keeps going. Walker needed four straight. He slammed three in a row, to tie. Schwarber’s lead was gone. Then his patience kicked in, and he nailed the fourth. Twelve. That was it. Walker became the first Cardinals player to win the Derby, spoiling Schwarber’s hometown run on the final swing. Harper watched the whole finish unfold and pointed to Walker’s poise. “It’s kind of whoever can keep their composure,” Harper said. “He was able to do that. He stepped out and kept his composure. I thought Kyle had it, obviously. But he slowly but surely got there and did it.” Schwarber thought back to 2018, when Harper beat him in the final at Nationals Park. This time, Walker was the one making the late charge. “Trust me, that was definitely popping in your head,” Schwarber said. “Seeing Bryce do what he did in ’18 and then obviously what he was able to do, the run he just had. It’s impressive. You tip your cap.” Schwarber was never too bullish. “I don’t think I ever thought I had it won because I know anything can happen, especially when it gets down to that last ball,” he said. “He was able to slow down and be in the moment, and he was able to get the job done.” Schwarber still gave the home crowd just about everything it could have asked for. A comeback against Harper. A tense semifinal against Contreras. His best round of the night in the final. It just was not enough. Walker was better when he had to be. Schwarber did not leave sounding bitter. He tipped his cap to Philadelphia, which roared for him all night, and to Walker, who earned the moment at the end. “I felt great about it at the end of the night,” Schwarber said. “Would I wish I was able to hit another one or two there at the end? Sure. But I was proud of the way I was able to go out there and put it out there for these guys and for the fans. At the end of the day, whatever happens, happens. You never get too high, never get too low. It’s the game, and you’ve got to show up tomorrow.” ...read more read less