Nobody in Citizens Bank Park wanted Jordan Walker to win Monday night. It was Kyle Schwarber's building, Schwarber's crowd, Schwarber's derby to lose. Walker won it anyway, beating the hometown Phillie 12-11 in the final by ripping off six straight home runs down the stretch, including a 407-foot walk-off blast, to become the first Cardinal ever to take the crown.
Jordan Walker so damn cool. What a night
The new derby format deserves some credit for how the whole night played out. MLB scrapped the countdown clock this year in favor of straight swing counts — 20 in the first round, 15 in the semis and final — with a twist that let anyone who homered on their last swing keep hitting until they finally missed. That's exactly how Walker snuck up on Schwarber, chaining bonus swings together in a way the old timer-based format never allowed.
It also meant Willson Contreras never got a real shot at the trophy despite putting on a show of his own — he hit 13 homers in his round before bowing out in the semifinals. Losing didn't stop Barstool voices from crediting him with the moment of the night: playing spoiler in Schwarber's building and having a blast doing it.
Philly fans deserve so much credit for the energy they brought last night. And even though he lost it was cool to see Willson Contreras embrace being a villain
That villain framing runs through the whole night. Philly showed up loud and hostile for anyone not wearing red pinstripes for the Phillies, and Walker had to sit in it — both during the derby and again days later at the All-Star Game itself, where he got a fresh round of boos just for showing his face.
Jordan Walker soaks in the Philly Boos
Not every subplot from the week was about home runs. Jacob Misiorowski's All-Star trip generated its own sideshow after a photo of him with a Charizard card tucked in his glove made the rounds, giving Barstool Baseball an easy bit about a 100-mph arm and a Pokemon habit.
Jacob Misiorowski Better Never Throw Under 100 MPH Again If He's Going To Have A Charizard Card In His Glove @jordiebarstool
For Walker, the payoff went well beyond a trophy and a Liberty Bell necklace. The $1 million derby prize reportedly outpaced his actual 2026 salary, turning a rough road environment into the single best financial night of his young career. Combine that with the format overhaul getting genuine praise from Barstool accounts who usually rip these gimmick changes, and Philly's derby ended up being remembered for a lot more than just who got booed the loudest.