Citizens Bank Park played host to the 2026 Home Run Derby on Monday, and many players felt the heat from Philly’s passionate fans.
That includes Jordan Walker, who hit six straight home runs to clinch his victory in his first-ever Derby, marking the first time a St. Louis Cardinal has won the title. He defeated Philadelphia’s own Kyle Schwarber in the final round by one home run.
After his win, Walker discussed feeling the wrath of Philly fans.
“My thought was ‘Philly’s brutal,’ obviously. But I think it’s pretty special because they love their players, and that’s what you want from your home [crowd],” Walker said.
“I’ve never heard people cheer so loud for Schwarber, [Bryce] Harper. Those guys did their thing…I just gotta play the game.”
Fans at Citizens Bank Park could be heard loudly booing throughout the night for every non-Phillie in the eventm, from the opening introductions to when players were preparing to take their swings.
Walker got the brunt of the wrath, but his father Derek was almost touched by their acknowledgement of his son.
“We had a lot of fun with the Philly fans,” he told The Athletic. “In our section there actually were quite a few folks who flip-flopped it. They were for Kyle Schwarber, but like ‘Hey, but we’re Jordan Walker fans when he’s up at bat — you know, lose by one home run.’
“But they were great. They were cheering for their guy, like Jordan said, but what they kept telling us is, a boo in Philadelphia is a sign of respect. They booed very loudly; they respected us very well. When it was all over, they were fantastic. I loved this crowd tonight.”
Visiting players will once again experience the Philadelphia atmosphere at Tuesday night’s All-Star Game at 8 pm.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
