Major League Baseball’s biggest power hitters are set to take center stage Monday night as eight of the game’s top sluggers compete in the 2026 T-Mobile Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, with a $1 million grand prize on the line.
The annual spectacle, which officially kicks off All-Star Week, begins at 8 p.m. ET on July 13 and will be streamed live on Netflix. The event precedes Tuesday’s 2026 MLB All-Star Game and comes just weeks before the Aug. 3 trade deadline, a period expected to generate significant movement and speculation across the league.
This year’s Derby introduces a dramatically revamped format designed to emphasize pure power hitting. Timers and “outs” have been eliminated, giving each participant 20 swings in the opening round and 15 swings in both the semifinals and championship round. Players can continue hitting beyond their final scheduled swing as long as they keep launching home runs, while tiebreakers will be decided by longest home run in the opening round and three-swing shootouts in the later stages.
In addition to the $1 million winner’s purse, the runner-up will earn $780,000, every participant will receive $180,000, and the player who records the longest home run of the night will collect a $25,000 bonus.
The eight-player field features a blend of established stars and rising sluggers:
Kyle Schwarber (Philadelphia Phillies) enters as one of the favorites after blasting 32 home runs this season. Competing in front of his home fans, the three-time Derby participant is still seeking his first title despite being regarded as one of baseball’s premier power hitters.
Joining him in Philadelphia is teammate Bryce Harper, the 2018 Home Run Derby champion, who returns for his third Derby appearance. Harper has launched 20 home runs this season and will be making his ninth All-Star Game appearance while hoping to become a two-time Derby winner in his home ballpark.
Junior Caminero (Tampa Bay Rays) arrives as perhaps the hottest hitter in the competition. The 23-year-old slugger has already hit 28 home runs, including 10 during June and five more in July. After finishing runner-up to Cal Raleigh in last year’s Derby, Caminero is looking to become the youngest Home Run Derby champion in MLB history.
Ben Rice (New York Yankees) has emerged as one of the American League’s breakout stars with 29 home runs, earning his first All-Star selection and Derby invitation. His offensive production has been a key factor in New York’s success this season.
Jordan Walker (St. Louis Cardinals) has enjoyed a breakout campaign, collecting 22 home runs and 74 RBIs after an inconsistent start to his MLB career. He hopes to become the first Cardinals player to win the Home Run Derby.
Munetaka Murakami (Chicago White Sox) enters his first Derby after returning from a hamstring injury. The rookie has hit 20 home runs and played a major role in keeping the White Sox in contention in the AL Central. A victory would make him the first rookie to capture the Derby title since Pete Alonso in 2019.
Willson Contreras (Boston Red Sox) brings veteran experience after hitting 20 home runs this season. Despite recently serving a five-game suspension following an on-field altercation, the four-time All-Star will make his Derby debut.
Jac Caglianone (Kansas City Royals) rounds out the field. The former first-round draft pick has already showcased elite raw power with 15 home runs in his first full season and enters the competition as one of the event’s most intriguing young sluggers.
Oddsmakers have installed Schwarber as the favorite to lift the trophy, followed by Caminero and Harper, though the new swing-based format could produce unexpected results and create opportunities for every participant.
With hometown stars, emerging young talent, a new competition format and a seven-figure prize awaiting the winner, the 2026 Home Run Derby promises to be one of the marquee events of All-Star Week before attention shifts toward Tuesday’s Midsummer Classic and the approaching trade deadline.
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