​Get ready for the 2026 Home Run Derby as All-Star Week arrives. With the Major League Baseball All-Star break, fans will turn their attention to each team’s plans for the remainder of the season, and trade chatter is set to heat up ahead of the August 3, 2026 trade deadline. Expect rumors to swirl as clubs weigh their options and line up possible deals.
The 2026 All-Star Game is scheduled for Tuesday, July 14, but the spotlight will first shine on the T-Mobile Home Run Derby, which kicks off at 8:00 PM Eastern Time on Monday, July 13. Netflix will broadcast the Derby live from Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, where eight competitors will aim for the championship and a top prize of $1 million. The runner-up will take home $780,000, and each participant will receive $180,000 simply for competing. There’s also a $25,000 bonus for the player who hits the longest home run of the night.
According to MLB.com, the Derby field features several notable sluggers. One standout is Munetaka Murakami of the Chicago White Sox, who has recently returned from a strained hamstring. Murakami has been a key factor in Chicago’s push in the American League Central, and MLB.com notes that he will be attempting to become the first rookie to win the Derby since Pete Alonso did so in 2019. This marks Murakami’s first All-Star Game appearance.
In Philadelphia, Kyle Schwarber of the host Phillies is another big-name participant. Schwarber is known for his prodigious power; he has already posted 32 home runs this season and is coming off a memorable moment at Citizens Bank Park. This will be Schwarber’s third Home Run Derby and his first since returning to the event in his home ballpark. Although he’s making his third All-Star appearance, this Derby will test his ability to translate elite power into another title on the big stage.
Bryce Harper, another local favorite, brings notable power numbers and experience to the field. Harper has accumulated 20 home runs this season and is no stranger to the Derby, having previously won the event in 2018 while playing for the Washington Nationals in a Derby hosted at Harper’s home ballpark in D.C. Harper’s Derby resume includes a first appearance in 2013, and this marks his third All-Star appearance overall.
Rounding out the Derby field are more players with a track record of big moments and big sticks, each bringing their own style and strategy to the contest. The event promises high-energy showmanship, explosive exhibition swings, and dramatic moments as the eight participants compete under the lights at Citizens Bank Park.
As the Derby approaches, fans can look forward to a night filled with power displays and clutch moments as the league’s best sluggers chase not only the crown of the Derby champion but also a substantial prize pool, all while teams throughout MLB monitor the landscape and plot their course for the rest of the season.