Walker's HR Derby win adds to 'magical season'
Eric Samulski reflects on the work Jordan Walker has put in to produce his breakout 2026 season, which reached a high point with his thrilling Home Run Derby victory in Philadelphia against Kyle Schwarber.
Video Transcript
It was a dramatic finish to the 2026 Home Run Derby as Jordan Walker needed 12 home runs in the final round to beat hometown favorite Kyle Schwarber.
Not only did he get those 12 home runs, he had home runs on his final six swings to add to the epic finish.
In the brand new format, which got rid of time rounds and added 20 swings per round, the win was icing on the cake for Walker.
It's been a really nice first half of the season, but the win also earned him a million dollars, which is great for Walker because his current year salary is under $800,000, so that's a nice perk.
In what has been a resurgent season for Walker, we know that the story for him is three years of perseverance, three years of working on his swing, trying to figure out exactly what could, lead him to the con- to consistent results.
He flashed at times in, MLB, but he had been demoted to Triple-A a few times.
He came into this season outside of the top 400 in fantasy baseball ADP.
He was the 231st hitter drafted in fantasy leagues.
But in the first half of the season, he's hit 294 with 22 home runs, 13 steals.
He's got a 14% barrel rate.
He's got a 51 and a half percent hard hit rate.
His 79-mile-per-hour bat speed is among the best in the league.
And yes, his 82% zone contact rate is below league average, but he's swinging more often this year, and he's swinging in the heart of the zone 6% more often this year.
So he's really looking, to attack the ball far more often, get his A swing, his power swing off.
That has led to a lot of success for Jordan Walker.
Now he is the 2026 Home Run Derby champion, and we'll see if he can keep up his magical season in the second half.
