The 2026 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby had a distinctly Philadelphia edge to it on Monday night at Citizens Bank Park, and the crowd made sure everyone knew exactly where they stood.
Jordan Walker of the St. Louis Cardinals walked away with the title, beating the Phillies’ Kyle Schwarber in the final round.
Schwarber put up 11 home runs, but Walker answered with 12 after catching fire late. The finish came with plenty of noise from the stands, and not the friendly kind.
Walker had to work through a heavy wave of boos from the Philadelphia crowd to get it done.
He wasn’t the only visiting player who got that treatment. Tampa Bay Rays slugger Junior Caminero and Wilson Contreras of the Boston Red Sox were also booed loudly during the event.
For plenty of baseball fans online, the atmosphere in South Philadelphia was the real story. Reactions on X ranged from disbelief to admiration to outright disgust. One Atlanta Braves fan wanted MLB to steer clear of Philadelphia for future All-Star weeks altogether, saying even Los Angeles would be a better option.
"Hey MLB, plz never host All-Star week in Philly ever again. Literally any other city will do. I’ll even take LA over this."
That same fan also took a shot at Dodgers fans by comparison, saying they were easier to deal with than the crowd in Philly.
"🤣🤣 dodgers fans have a littleee more class than these feral Phillies fans I can’t deal lol"
Another fan called the behavior "classless" and said booing every non-Phillies competitor was out of line.
"Ban Philly from hosting future all star events! Boo-ing all competitors in the home run derby besides Phillies is Busch league."
A Washington, D.C.-area commentator pointed out that the boos seemed to reach just about everything in sight.
"Philly is booing everybody and everything so far tonight.Kid in outfield not making a play.Slugger taking a pitch.The dude selling the beer.The drone flying over head.If you’re not Schwarber or Harper, you’re getting booed."
Jayson Stark of The Athletic noted that this wasn’t business as usual for a Home Run Derby.
"I don't recall booing being a thing in Home Run Derbies of yesteryear. Philadelphia just made it a thing in this Derby, roundly hooting everyone in the field who was not Kyle Schwarber or Bryce Harper. It's on!"
He followed that up with a blunt line about the city’s latest contribution to the event.
"Leave it to Philadelphia to pioneer competitive booing at a batting practice."
A Chicago sports fan was even harsher, arguing that the city should be shut out from hosting another All-Star Game.
"OK, that’s it, the Philadelphia Phillies will never host another All-Star game again. I mean these fans have to absolutely suck.
It’s the All-Star game. You should be cheering on some of the greatest players in the sport yet here you are booing every player that does not wear…"
Not everyone saw a problem. One Phillies fan embraced the whole thing and called the crowd’s treatment of the outsiders "perfection."
"Phillies fans booing everyone except Schwarber and Harper at the home run derby is perfection. #ringthebell pic.twitter.com/BMYWJyYwo6"
Whatever side of the argument you land on, the one thing nobody can miss is how fiercely Philadelphia fans show up. They don’t hide their feelings for the Phillies, Eagles, 76ers or Flyers, and when they think something needs fixing, they let it rip. But when the team is rolling, they can be just as loud in support.
Right now, the Phillies have given them plenty to cheer about. After opening the season 9-19 and moving on from then-manager Rob Thomson, they’ve climbed to 54-43 and sit just two games behind the first-place Braves in the National League East.
Interim manager Don Mattingly has made such a strong impression that he is strongly considering staying in the role beyond this season, and the Philadelphia fan base is behind him.
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Phillies Fans Got The Schwarber Harper Derby Showdown They Wanted
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Schwarber worked through a slow start before finishing with 10 home runs, while Harper put together some loud contact of his own but came up just short of the mark he needed to keep moving. The result sent Schwarber on to the next round and ended Harpers night early, adding another layer to a derby pairing that already carried some history for Phillies fans to remember. [Read more 🡒]