Walker defeats Schwarber in dramatic HR Derby
Dan Patrick and the Danettes react to Jordan Walker's electric win over Kyle Schwarber at the 2026 Home Run Derby, analyzing Netflix's broadcast and the new format for the event.
Video Transcript
Home Run Derby was fun last night.
I, first of all, I couldn't find it, and, I couldn't imagine being at home with Fritzy, because Fritzy, you sounded like apoplectic.
You were like, "I can't find it.
I can't find it.
How do I find it?"
And then we realized it was on Net- Netflix.
Why did I get so nervous about it?
Just the whole Home Run Derby is like, "It's not on Fox, it's not on ESPN, it's not on FS1, it's not ESPN2, it's not ESPN News, it's not on MLB Network.
It's on Netflix where you, like, watch movies and The Handmaid's Tale or whatever?
What?"
I know.
They had, you know, the opening day, Netflix, and then they gave us the All-Star Game.
They gotta do a little better, publicity.
Just feels like, you know, Bonds and Pujols were there.
I didn't see any of this, and, and I'd like to think that I'm at least socially aware of sporting events, but I had no idea.
And then all of a sudden it's like Netflix, and then, you had Will Ferrell showed up.
You had, Bonds and Pujols, and I'm like, "Okay."
they're trying.
Netflix is trying.
Trying different things.
Now, sometimes you can try too hard.
Sometimes you can try to dress something up and you really don't need to.
You know, there was drama there.
There was some star power.
I thought the Philly fans were great.
I love that they were booing Jordan Walker.
I loved it, 'cause Kyle Schwarber's in the finals there, so they're backing their guy.
So it had a real something to it.
And here's another thing, and I don't know if the NBA will pick up on this, but when you realize the winner got a million dollars last night.
That's more than Jordan Walker makes this year.
I think he makes 790.
He got a million dollars last night.
Slam Dunk Contest, the winner last year, $105,000.
Three-point shooting contest, 60K.
Skills challenge, $55,000.
If you're the NBA and you say, "We're gonna put out a million dollars for the Slam Dunk Contest," I gotta believe you're gonna get some players that you've heard of.
Because as it is now, this is a meaningless moment.
Now, three-point shooting contest, will watch, and you will get names in the three-point shooting contest.
Because to be designated as the greatest shooter, or at least in that moment, means a whole lot more than being the greatest dunker.
These will be marquee guys who will still compete in the three-point shooting contest.
We've seen that before.
But man, I'd up the ante just a little bit based off last night.
Now, Jordan Walker is not a big name.
He is 24.
He's in the Cardinals organization.
Now, he's kinda been up and down, but he's a former first-round pick.
He's supposed to be really good, and he's having one of those seasons that you would expect from somebody in the Cardinals organization.
'Cause they normally have a Hall of Famer in the lineup.
Down through the years, I'd like to know how many years the Cardinals didn't have a Hall of Famer, future Hall of Famer in their lineup, because it feels like it's every year they have somebody there.
And, you know, Cardinals haven't been the Cardinals for a couple of years here, but Jordan Walker last night, that was a whole lot of fun.
And I love watching Schwarber.
I truly think, like, in my mind, I think he's the kind of guy that will go, "Hold my beer.
Let me go hit some dingers."
Right?
He'd be that guy, the, 12-inch softball, maybe even 16-inch softball, you know, that he would be just hitting bombs.
"Here, hold my beer.
Let me go hit some home runs.
I'll be right back."
That's the feeling you get every time I watch him swing.
But it was good last night.
And Bonds is there.
Granted, you know, there's baggage there.
Pujols is there.
But still, Bonds has that ability, and so does A-Rod.
You know, A-Rod's there with Fox.
But, you know, you get these guys who bring baggage, but they are also very, very smart.
Bonds is as smart as any player who's ever played the game.
Like, the analytics of watching, you know He was, he was seeing these hitters do things that we didn't see, and he'd go, "Look at the wrist."
And, you know, and Jordan Walker said, "You know, I, I, I didn't want them You know, I wanted to make sure I was not overusing my swing," you know, the energy there.
And but Bonds was picking out just little things that I thought really helped the broadcast.
Some of the camera angles I could do without.
Like, I didn't see the pitch, and I'd just see the swing, and I'd go, "Home run?
Okay."
but sometimes you wanna try to put your stamp on something.
And I think we've grown up with the crack, crack, crack, crack, crack, crack, crack, gone.
And we were used to that with Chris Berman.
This is something different.
And look, I'm all for trying, I just think sometimes you have to look at this.
Now, I love Will Ferrell.
I didn't need Will Ferrell on the broadcast last night, okay?
I think that they tried too hard in what they were trying to do there.
But still, you're trying to do new things.
Sometimes it's just good the way it is.
Like March Madness, nobody asked, no one said, "We gotta expand."
I mean, we're expanding, but we don't have to.
You know, sometimes you look at this and, and like World Cup.
World Cup's going to expand.
It's going to.
Guaranteed.
It went too well, too many storylines, and of course, more games, and that means more hydration breaks, because that's what we need.
And that's not going away either.
Oh.
There's too much money attached to a hydration break.
All right, we'll come up with a poll question here, play of the day, stat of the day, all of that forthcoming.
I thought Netflix did okay.
All right?
You know?
I Look, I'm probably in the minority when it comes to assessing these things, because I'm gonna look at the minutiae, whereas the overall fan is probably just saying, "Yeah, okay.
It was fun."
You know?
They had drama.
It helped being in Philadelphia.
It helped having Qy- Kyle Schwarber there.
That would've been great.
It'd been nice to see Bryce Harper against Kyle Schwarber.
Now, that would've been fun to see how the fans would've reacted.
But for Jordan Walker, you picked up a million dollars.
Congratulations
