Jordan Walker silenced Philadelphia's boo birds by homering on his last six swings, chasing down Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber in the final round and becoming the first St. Louis Cardinal to win the Home Run Derby on Monday night.
Final Round Drama
Schwarber hit 11 homers during his 15-swing turn in the final round. Philly fans, who loudly booed everyone but Schwarber and Bryce Harper throughout the night, quietly headed toward the exits when Walker's winning shot soared over the left-field wall.
"I was once told you don't boo nobodies," Walker said. "So it feels pretty good."
Path to Victory
Schwarber advanced out of the first round and then beat Boston's Willson Contreras in a head-to-head matchup in the second round to face off against Walker, a 24-year-old who beat Tampa Bay's Junior Caminero in the second round.
Schwarber, MLB's home run leader, had fans roaring on every swing.
Walker's Composure
Swinging away with the top button on his Cardinals jersey undone, Walker seemed nonplussed by the jeers and the massive stage during All-Star Game festivities.
"He earned it," Schwarber said.
Walker chewed a big wad of bubble gum and wore his cap backward just like Hall of Famer and Derby great Ken Griffey Jr. He celebrated with his family immediately on the field, while his father rejoiced in recalling how Walker started hitting long home runs when he was 6 years old.
Dramatic Finish
He fulfilled this childhood dream in dramatic fashion. Walker hit his seventh homer with two swings remaining and his eighth on the next swing to earn bonus swings. Needing to hit four straight homers to win, the right-handed Jordan knocked one off the top of the center-field fence 401ft away. He reached 10 homers and Philly fans booed with all their might, only for Jordan to finish the sensational surge and celebrate as fireworks shot off around him.
Breakout Season
Walker is a first-time All-Star for the Cardinals who is having a breakout season. He already has a career-high 22 homers after a combined 11 over the previous two years.
Derby Format and History
MLB ditched its timed clock for this season's Home Run Derby and returned to a swing format, with each hitter continuing to swing if he went deep on his final one. The extra time between swings gave hitters time to track their home runs – and Philly a smidge more time to unleash those throaty boos at Contreras and Walker.
Each player had 20 swings in the first round and the top four advanced. Hitters were seeded for the second round, where No. 1 faces 4 and 2 meets 3. Each player got 15 swings in the second round, with batters homering on their final swings continuing until not homering.
This was the first Home Run Derby and All-Star Game held at Citizens Bank Park since it opened in 2004 and the first derby in Philadelphia since Barry Bonds outslugged Mark McGwire in 1996 to win an afternoon event in front of thousands of empty seats at Veterans Stadium.
This derby was sold out and aired on Netflix for the first time. Walker won $1 million and the title, while Schwarber got $500,000 for his runner-up finish.
