The 2026 Home Run Derby did not disappoint, with Jordan Walker coming out 12-11 winner over Kyle Schwarber in the final round in front of a hostile Philadelphia crowd.
Schwarber wasn’t the only Phillies star seeking a win on home turf. 33-year-old Bryce Harper, who won the Derby back in 2018, was also vying for victory at his home turf, Citizens Bank Park.
He went out in the first round after hitting just eight homers, but he will at least be happy with the introduction he got from Hollywood A-lister Will Ferrell, who was on the Netflix broadcast on Tuesday.
Bryce Harper gets Philadelphia-themed welcome from Will Ferrell
Harper was the last to make the WWE-style walk to the centre ring, looking well up for it as he joined the seven other competitors.
The performance left fans wanting, but he was at least lauded by Ferrell on his way out.
The 58-year-old said (via Netflix): “The man who never has to pay at Wawa. The Liberty comes and takes photos of him.
“He has 21 career ejections, most in the MLB, and hopefully he ejects some balls tonight.”
It’s true, Harper is as ferocious a competitor as you’ll find in MLB. After seven years in Philadelphia, he may as well be a native. He’s revered there.
But it was Walker who came out on top — the first Cardinal to win the Home Run Derby. It was an exciting watch from a baseball perspective, but not so much for the fans at home.
MLB fans not loving Netflix’s All Star coverage
There were a couple of hitches in the broadcast provided by the streaming giant. Audio quality was one issue, and there were interviews cutting off mid-sentence.
As one fan put it: “Netflix should never be allowed to broadcast any sporting events. Terrible coverage. They cut off the interview of the winner in mid sentence. Horrible coverage, Netflix is awful!”
Others disagreed on principle, rather than commenting on the broadcast itself. Needing a subscription to watch it this year rubbed them the wrong way.
Like this fan, who wrote: “I can’t believe the MLB sold the HR Derby to you. This is a clear statement that baseball doesn’t care about its fan. These sports leagues need to quit selling these events to the streaming services. I don’t need 12 different subscriptions to watch sports.”
It’s an issue not limited to baseball. More and more big sporting events are being acquired exclusively by the biggest streaming platforms. The more that get involved, the harder it becomes for fans to watch their sport.
Ferrell wasn’t bad, though…
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