Overview
- Bryce Harper announced on Thursday that he will compete in the Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park on July 13, giving the event a hometown star and filling one of the eight field spots.
- Six participants are now confirmed — Harper, Jordan Walker, Willson Contreras, Ben Rice, Junior Caminero and Jac Caglianone — leaving two unfilled slots that MLB is still finalizing.
- MLB replaced the Derby clock with a swing-based format that gives hitters a set number of swings per round (20 in Round 1, 15 in Rounds 2 and 3) and awards bonus swings only if the final allotted swing is a home run, which shifts emphasis from stamina to swing efficiency.
- Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly publicly suggested Kyle Schwarber might join, but Schwarber’s participation remains unconfirmed as he weighs back and health issues before deciding to enter.
- The Derby is reported to stream exclusively on Netflix for 2026, marking a broadcast shift from ESPN that could change production style and where viewers will watch the event.