The 2026 Home Run Derby will be held on Monday, July 13, in Philadelphia at Citizens Bank Park. It's a great event, at least now that the league started throwing a clock on the thing in time for the 2015 Derby.
Last year, Mariners slugger Cal Raleigh took home the glory, beating the Rays' Junior Caminero in the final round after clearing the field of Oneil Cruz, Byron Buxton, Brent Rooker, James Wood, Matt Olson and Jazz Chisholm Jr.
For this year, I'm going to put together our ideal field, within reason. That is to say, we need to consider things like injuries knocking out sluggers like Aaron Judge and, more crushingly, Munetaka Murakami. We also need to consider that, for example, Shohei Ohtani is never gonna do it again. He'd still be in the field in a perfect world, but we're shooting for a realistic chance to land all eight picks below. Also, the venue matters. You've gotta have at least one player from the home team and there's always a bonus if we can get a villain in there, too.
Let's rock.
Bryce Harper, Phillies
Bryce Harper PHI • 1B • #3 BA0.259R38HR14RBI36SB4 View Profile This is the easiest pick on the board. Harper has won a Derby at home before, back in D.C. in 2018. He seems open to doing this one, so long as he makes the All-Star team.
"I've got to see how my body feels," Harper said last month, via the Philadelphia Inquirer. "It would be a blast to be able to play in an All-Star Game here. That would be a dream to be able to play in that game. We're still a little bit of a ways away from that, so still got to keep going, keep playing hard, keep playing well, and get there.
"I won't do (the Derby) if I'm not an All-Star. I just want to be an All-Star, first and foremost. And I want to be healthy. I'm going to take health into consideration, big time, because I feel great right now, and I don't want to screw that up. So we'll see."
The eight-time All-Star is having a big power season and has a good shot to make the team -- he might even win the fan vote, assuming Philly fans stuff the ballot box in hopes of getting him there.
Harper is Philly through and through at this point (I once lovingly called him Bryce the Panderer). You've gotta have at least one hero in the Derby. Here he is.
Kyle Schwarber, Phillies
Kyle Schwarber PHI • DH • #12 BA0.233R37HR23RBI40 View Profile And here's another! We can absolutely have two Phillies. The Marlins got two of their guys in 2017 (Giancarlo Stanton and Justin Bour), for example. Schwarber has taken part in the Derby twice, including finishing as the runner-up to Harper in 2018. We've gotta have them square off again at home as teammates, right? What a fun rematch.
Schwarber remains one of the best sluggers in baseball, and last year in Atlanta, he basically won the swing-off for the National League after the All-Star Game ended in the ninth inning in a tie.
Also, he is the MLB leader in home runs (23) and led the NL last season with 56.
As long as he wants to do it, this is a no-brainer.
Mike Trout, Angels
Mike Trout LAA • CF • #27 BA0.240R47HR14RBI31SB5 View Profile Trout grew up in South Jersey and is a Philly sports fan -- notably the NFL's Eagles. He's one of the greatest baseball players to ever come from the greater Philadelphia area, if we can stretch the limits of that term to reach all the way to Millville, N.J. (Citizens Bank Park is roughly an hour drive from Millville).
Trout is healthy and having a great season. He's likely headed to the All-Star Game for the first time since 2023 and sounds excited about it, given the host city.
"I always really enjoy it," Trout said of making the All-Star team (via MLB.com). "And to go get that fan experience, especially now I have kids. They really enjoy coming to the ballpark and MLB does a really good job with the festivities for the family. So it's definitely something I'm looking forward to if I get selected."
In the past, Trout has said that MLB asked him to participate in the Derby every single year and every single year he's been asked, he's declined. In 2019, he said he's not counting it out forever.
"Maybe one year I'll say to myself, 'Hey, let's do it,'" Trout said. "I'm obviously a big fan of watching it. It's just what it is. I enjoyed watching it as a kid, thought it was cool. I just never really wanted to do it."
Between a resurgent season and as close to a home park as there is in MLB for him, the timing is right.
Ronald Acuña Jr., Braves
Ronald Acuna Jr. ATL • RF • #13 BA0.249R29HR7RBI21SB14 View Profile OK, enough love. We need a villain or two. Phillies fans probably hate the Mets more, but the Mets have been bad enough this season to become a bit boring for our purposes at this point in time. The first-place Braves are plenty hated in Philly these days and Acuña can piss them off with the best of 'em.
Remember, he was going to participate last season but was a late scratch (he took part in 2019 and 2022, but he's a big enough star that there's room for another go-round). He recently came back from injury and had a power surge and he's topped 40 home runs twice in his career.
He could put on a show while boos rain down on him. That's a win-win for me.
Yordan Alvarez, Astros
Yordan Alvarez HOU • DH • #44 BA0.316R41HR21RBI44 View Profile Alvarez has never taken part in the Derby before, which feels like a crime. He has declined in the past, but he's also said that participating in the event is "something that would interest" him.
He was hampered by injuries last season and only hit six home runs in 48 games, but this season he's back to being an absolute monster and is on pace for his career high in home runs (he maxed out at 37 in 2022; he already has 22 here in 2026).
As a bonus, there's a touch of villainy. Remember, the Phillies got to the World Series in 2022 and Alvarez came through with the big blast in Game 6 that buried them.
Miguel Vargas, White Sox
Miguel Vargas CHW • 3B • #20 BA0.242R46HR15RBI41SB9 View Profile Murakami was going to be my first non-Phillies pick, but I doubt he'll be able to take part. Even if he comes back from his hamstring injury, say, the week before the All-Star Game, it just wouldn't be smart to dive right into the Derby in fear of re-aggravating it.
The White Sox's resurrection this season has been fun enough and they've got an underrated, budding star in Vargas. He's already clubbed 15 home runs, more than half of them no-doubters. This is a good showcase for a lesser-known player.
Ben Rice, Yankees
Ben Rice NYY • 1B • #22 BA0.300R46HR17RBI44 View Profile Even if many people would love to see Judge, he's injured and hasn't even been the Yankees' best player this season. Rice has been.
Last season looked like a breakout with 26 home runs in 467 at-bats, but he's taking things to another level this year. He's been one of the best all-around hitters in baseball and has 18 home runs.
Junior Caminero, Rays
Junior Caminero TB • 3B • #13 BA0.278R38HR14RBI30 View Profile I strongly considered James Wood, but he took part last year and was eliminated in the first round. Oneil Cruz would also be a strong candidate for getting a second shot. I figured giving Rice and Vargas a first shot before them getting a second makes sense, though I wouldn't argue with Wood or Cruz getting another chance.
Someone who should get another shot is Caminero, who came in second place last season, losing 18-15 to Cal Raleigh in the finals.
A second chance might mean Caminero stealing the show. Let's find out.
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