Major League Baseball’s All-Star buildup is underway, and the Home Run Derby field has started to take shape with a familiar face at the front of the line. Junior Caminero, last year’s runner-up, was announced Tuesday as the first competitor for the 2026 Derby.
The event is set for Monday, July 13 at 8 p.m. ET, with Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park serving as the backdrop for All-Star week.
This year’s Derby will also have a new home on the streaming side. Netflix will carry the annual power showcase for the first time. The platform already handled this year’s “Opening Night” matchup between the San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees, and it also streamed the World Baseball Classic tournament in Japan.
The format is changing too, and it’s a pretty big shift. The Derby is dropping the timed rounds it has used since 2015. Instead, the eight hitters in the field will get a set number of swings: 20 in the first round, then 15 in the second round and 15 in the finals.
Every swing counts, whether it turns into a homer or not. If a player goes deep on his last allotted swing, he can keep swinging until he finally comes up empty.
After Round 1, the four players with the highest home run totals will advance and be seeded by their numbers, with No. 1 facing No. 4 and No. 2 taking on No. 3 to decide the championship round.
Ties in the opening round will be settled by the longest home run between the two players. In the later rounds, a three-swing swing-off will break the deadlock.
The end result should feel closer to the old-school Derby format - the kind of straight-up slugging contest that made the event a staple in the first place.
For now, Caminero is the first name in the field. The Tampa Bay Rays third baseman is hitting .292/.384/.548 with 22 home runs and a 154 wRC+ this season.
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