WATCH: Biggest moments from the Home Run Derby

St. Louis Cardinals slugger Jordan Walker staged a thrilling comeback to win his first-ever MLB Home Run Derby on Monday night.

Walker, 24, became the first member of the Cardinals’ organization to win the derby and the fifth youngest player ever to win the tournament after hitting 31 total bombs.

In the first year of a newly formatted Home Run Derby, fans watching from Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia were given one of the most exciting finishes in the history of the tournament. Under the new rules, a batter who hits a home run on his final swing may keep swinging until he fails to clear the fence

Hometown Phillies star hitter Kyle Schwarber set the bar at 11 home runs in the final round. Facing elimination, Walker had to hit six straight home runs without fail to beat out Schwarber, and he did just that.

HOME RUN DERBY CINEMA 👑 pic.twitter.com/PBl6L93wAb

, St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) July 14, 2026

The new rules eliminate the timer that was part of the derby for a decade. Now, the first round allows all batters to have 20 swings, hitting as many home runs as they can in a single round. The top four hitters advance to the semi-finals, where the tournament aspect returns, with the batter with the most home runs facing off against fourth place, and second taking on third. The two go head-to-head with 15 swings in the remaining rounds, with the two semi-final winners advancing to the final round.

The first round saw Walker give a preview of what was to come, hitting 13 homers in his 20 attempts, tying Boston Red Sox catcher and first baseman Willson Contreras for first place. Walker was joined by Phillies’ Schwarber and Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero in the semi-finals.

Walker took on Caminero in the first matchup of the semi-finals. The Cardinals slugger cruised past the Rays’ star hitter. Walker only needed six home runs to advance and did so without even using all 15 of his swings.

On the other side of the bracket, Schwarber narrowly beat out Contreras 9-8 despite a late push from the Red Sox hitter. During Contreras’ turn, the Philadelphia faithful were on full display, booing the catcher every chance they could get.

Walker took on the villain role as the boos continued to rain down in the final round.

After an extremely impressive 11 home runs from Schwarber, Walker had a lot of ground to make up. After hitting eight home runs through his first 14 regular swings, he took advantage of the new “final swing home run” rule, hitting four more in a row to secure his first-ever MLB Home Run Derby crown.

Aside from memories, an iconic trophy, and a custom chain for winning, Walker received a major cash prize. The Cardinals slugger is currently on his rookie contract and is making $799,400. The derby win gives him an additional $1 million bonus.

The excitement that the 2026 Home Run Derby brought under its new format was shared by fans, players, and media personalities across social media and the broadcast. Even MLB’s all-time leader in home runs and one-time derby winner Barry Bonds told Walker directly how great his performance was: “That was the greatest Home Run Derby I’ve ever seen.”

Barry Bonds to Jordan Walker: “That was the greatest Home Run Derby I’ve ever seen.” 👏

Respect ❤️ #HRDerby pic.twitter.com/CiCsnNW8II

, Netflix Sports (@netflixsports) July 14, 2026

Walker is a first-time All-Star this season as well, posting a .294 batting average with 22 home runs and 74 RBIs at the halfway point of the 2026 MLB season.