​Who is pitching to Bryce Harper in the Home Run Derby? Why Dodgers coach Dino Ebel is paired with Phillies star originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. It may be hard to believe that Bryce Harper is in the middle of his eighth season as a Phillie. When Philadelphia was announced as the site of this year’s All-Star festivities seven years ago, he was on the stage — and since then, given his combination of star power and slugging, he’s virtually been penciled in as a 2026 Home Run Derby participant. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement
Harper’s official announcement took longer than anticipated, however. His father, who threw to him in his 2018 Derby victory in Washington D.C., was no longer an option, leaving Harper to find a trustworthy enough candidate to throw to him in a massive event. The Phillies star settled upon a three-time World Series champion coach who has already found some derby success. Here’s why Harper wound up choosing Dodgers coach Dino Ebel to throw to him at the 2026 Home Run Derby. MORE: Who will win the Home Run Derby?
Harper will be taking pitches from Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel at the 2026 Home Run Derby. Despite fan interest in Harper going for a second Derby trophy — also with a chance to win in front of his home fans after doing so in 2018 — he didn’t commit to the event until days prior, partially due to him not having a locked-in pitching option. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement
“Then once I thought about it more and more,” Harper said, per The Athletic. “Knowing the fans want me to do it, my kids are going to be able to remember it — things like that sparked my interest a little bit more.” After weighing his options, Harper picked Ebel to throw to him at Citizens Bank Park, going with somebody he was able to develop a relationship with at another major baseball event earlier in 2026. “He throws a really good BP,” Harper said of Ebel, per The Athletic. “I think the tough part is I won’t be able to see him before the Derby really to practice or anything else. So we’re trying to go into it a little bit blind.” Ebel is a 60-year-old coach who is currently the Dodgers’ third-base coach. Born in Barstow, California, during his own baseball playing career, Ebel attended San Bernardino Valley College, won an NCAA Division II title with Florida Southern College in 1988, joined the Dodgers organization as a free agent and found some success in the minor leagues before moving into coaching. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement
After initially becoming a player-coach in Class A-Advanced and high-A, Ebel officially became a minor-league manager by 1997. He would spend 17 years in the Dodgers’ organization before a 2005 move to the Angels’ system, starting out as the coach of the Stingers in the PCL, then eventually moving into the big leagues. MORE: Does the Home Run Derby actually ruin players’ swings? Ebel is one of the more highly for better SEO. minimum 500 word