Ben Rice eliminated in first round of 2026 Home Run Derby

sportsJul 14, 2026782,681

Yankees slugger Ben Rice was eliminated in the first round of the 2026 Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park after hitting seven homers. The lefty was the fifth competitor and went homerless on his first four swings before hitting a 386-foot drive to right for his first long ball, then added a second long ball two pitches later. Rice stood at four homers with seven swings remaining and finished with three more, popping up the gold ball on his final swing. His seven homers were the lowest first-round total; Jac Caglianone (8), Bryce Harper (8), and Munetaka Murakami (9) were also eliminated. Willson Contreras (13), Jordan Walker (13), Junior Caminero (12), and Kyle Schwarber (10) advanced to the next stage. Hours before the derby Rice called the experience “already a success” because he and his father, Dan, had made it. Jordan Walker hit six consecutive homers in the final to become the first Cardinal to win the Home Run Derby.

The Athletic

@theathletic.com

Jordan Walker is making $799,400 as a Cardinal this year. He won $1,000,000 as the 2026 Home Run Derby champion on Monday night. H/T @tylerkepner.bsky.social nyti.ms/4aSRsW2

6673h ago

✨🐝🌻🕊️AstraeaMK🕊️🌻🐝✨11

And a lot of well earned respect.

Brian Keith Jackson5

DEI. He must be stopped.

Brittany Andrews3

Jordan Walker believers are having a great time right now, and honestly, who can blame them?

elliot2

That would fix the NBA dunk contest and the Pro Bowl. Double the winner’s salaries

Tactical Moon Pie2

I'm a lifelong Cardinals fan and I love seeing Walker have this season.

Diaspora20222

HOORAY 🎉 ‼️ Good on you, Jordan! 👏🏽

Quoting this

Sara Sanchez33

Gee, it's almost like MLB's compensation system for young star players is unfairly low and they should massively raise league minimums in the next CBA....

Monica10

LET THAT F**KING SINK IN. JORDAN, WE CAN SHOW YOU A WAY BETTER TIME HERE IN PHILLY

Jon Hegglund9

they should only have players on prearb contracts competing, that would be both more fun and more ethical

chirping bird4

I was rooting for Schwarber (as he is my 12 y/o son’s favorite baseball player), but I couldn’t be happier with Walker winning. a Black player getting this recognition and headlines is good for baseball, and good for him. what a fun night!

nick3

I think I learned that this is how it worked when Alonso won the first time and ever since then I've rooted for the guys making league minimum.

Sarah Langs

@slangsonsports.bsky.social

Jordan Walker is the first Cardinals player to win the Home Run Derby

2203h ago

Mike Howells5

Given who's worn the uniform that is a wild stat.

Quoting this

Andrew Mearns3

Stan Musial and Johnny Mize ain't shit (it is Actually surprising that Pujols never won one though)

actioncookbook

@actioncookbook.com

Okay that was an awesome home run derby. It just needed a proper villain (the city of Philadelphia)

1573h ago

Poaster13

Incredible Derby, loved the Philly fans

Patrick D. Lyons

@patrickdlyons.bsky.social

Jordan Walker. Wow. Needed to homer in his final six swings and the Cardinals slugger does it in enemy territory. No one had homered with the magenta ball all night until the Finals, then Walker does it three times to win the 2026 Home Run Derby. Incredible.

1583h ago

Patrick D. Lyons5

*Four consecutive magenta balls. Three tied it, four won it. Dang.

notsleeping.bsky.social1

Walker homered on a magenta ball in the first round. The completely inept Netflix crew just kept spreading the mistaken idea that no one had hit one yet.

Joe Posnanski

@joeposnanski.com

The beautiful thing about sports is that you can have a silly home run derby and it means absolutely nothing and then, at the end, you get some kid hitting batting practice home runs over the boos with his parents cheering and it gives you goosebumps.

1493h ago

Tony Mantia3

His parents were so proud of him. Just great stuff

Quoting this

Grant3

Hey, Dan, you wanna get this one for me? @bookowl.bsky.social

Josh Gondelman

@joshgondelman.bsky.social

I’ve never seen a Home Run Derby ending that made me laugh before.

1503h ago

JulieBuellie4

I'm a Philly fan rooting for Schwarbs and I was cackling. Such a fun ending!

Miranda Yaver3

That was a wild finish!

tomhoefwrites.bsky.social3

Such a great, cool run by Walker at the end. Schwarber put on a great show, too.

Grant Brisbee

@grantbrisbee.bsky.social

Fatigue is a big factor in a home run derby this long. It's hard to boo consistently for so many hours.

1203h ago

Justin Lafferty1

These are Philadelphia fans, though. They’ve been booing since birth.

Linda Holmes

@lindaholmes.bsky.social

It’s like they don’t respect the gravity and objectivity of the Home Run Derby.

1054h ago

Well That's Just Great2

That's the "T-Mobile Home Run Derby featuring the T-Mobile Magenta Ball brought to you by "The Hawk" starring Will Ferrell debuting July 16 exclusively on Netflix" to you.

Jeffrey1

If I am a StL fan it is way cooler for my guy to win the derby against a chorus of boos.

jen ramos-eisen

@jenramose.online

I feel like it says a lot that a player can make more winning the Home Run Derby than make in one season at near league minimum salary

572h ago

mike taddow

@miketaddow.bsky.social

this is how i found out a brother won the home run derby. july is now also black history month. if you disagree you racist!

672h ago

one dozen rats at a keyboard

@panasonicdx4500.bsky.social

brandon marsh watching them steal the home run derby from kyle

593h ago

Wet Luzinski

@wetluzinski.bsky.social

Schwarber choosing one of the Phillies’ own bullpen pitchers for the home run derby was a genius move.

564h ago

Razzball

@razzball.bsky.social

Home Run Derby shows if you just get out of the way baseball has so much magic in it (I sound like Michael Jackson talking about David Blaine)

483h ago

Stephen

@tgk.bsky.social

Disappointed but fuck, that kinda rocked. Home Run Derby remains awesome

493h ago

Kelsey 🪲🏴‍☠️

@11lizzie.bsky.social

they should let the banana ball guy come up with the home run derby format next year and spray Netflix with a hose if they even ask about hosting it again

374h ago

2 sources

sports.yahoo.comYankees' Ben Rice eliminated in first round of 2026 MLB Home Run Derby trib.alBen Rice falls in first round of Home Run Derby - but it was still a 'success' doing it with dad

Olivia Miles sets Lynx rookie scoring record in 104-100 winsports Kyle Schwarber falls in Home Run Derby final on home fieldsports Ben Rice eliminated in first round of 2026 Home Run Derbysports

Ben Rice eliminated in first round of 2026 Home Run Derby

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