The Phillies are turning Citizens Bank Park into the center of the baseball world in 2026, and now they’ve added another heavyweight to the Home Run Derby stage.
Kyle Schwarber will join Bryce Harper in the Derby on Monday, July 13, giving Philadelphia fans a chance to watch the club’s two biggest sluggers go back-to-back in front of a home crowd. Schwarber, who leads MLB with 32 home runs this season, was not a sure thing because of back issues that could have kept him out. But the Phillies made it official, and the “Schwarbombs” are coming.
“There will be Schwarbombs bursting in air,” the Phillies announced with Schwarber's participation in the Home Run Derby.
Harper had already confirmed he would take part, but Schwarber’s announcement gives the event a different kind of juice. The Phillies’ fan base now gets the hometown pairing in the Derby after already looking ahead to the All-Star Game itself, where Brandon Marsh is starting in the outfield, Jhoan Duran might close, and Cristopher Sanchez and Jesus Luzardo are likely to pitch.
Schwarber and Harper have done this before. Both were in the 2018 Derby in Washington, and both reached the finals. Philadelphia would love a repeat, and at minimum, the club now has a real shot at seeing one of its stars make a deep run.
The current field includes Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Jac Caglianone of the Kansas City Royals, Willson Contreras of the Boston Red Sox, Jordan Walker of the St. Louis Cardinals, and Ben Rice of the New York Yankees. One spot remains open, with Brandon Marsh a theoretical option, though another National League slugger is more likely if the event goes with four AL and four NL representatives.
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Phillies Fans Just Lost A Reunion They Were Waiting For
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