Matt Johnson
Who Is In The Home Run Derby? The 2026 MLB Home Run Derby is tonight at Citizens Bank Park, with a field of eight of the best power hitters in baseball competing for the crown.
Let’s dive into our rankings of the 2026 MLB Home Run Derby participants. Statistics used are courtesy of Baseball Savant.
1. Junior Caminero, 3B, Tampa Bay Rays
We’re picking Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero to win the 2026 MLB Home Run Derby. He has the top Bat Speed (79.9 mph) in all of baseball and places in the 95th percentile for Average Exit Velocity (93.2 mph). At just 23 years old, Caminero has the energy to go the distance in the derby and we feel great about his eye-popping bat speed translating to round-to-round consistency.
2. Munetaka Murakami, 1B, Chicago White Sox
Munetaka Murakami’s rookie season has been one of the best stories in baseball in 2026. The former superstar in Japan has shown his power (20 home runs in 259 plate appearances) translates perfectly to MLB and we anticipate it being on full display tonight. The only real knock on Murakami is the swing-and-miss nature of his approach, as evidenced by a 1st percentile (43.2 percent) Whiff rate and a 2nd percentile (33.6 percent) K-rate. That’s the danger here and why he would be our second choice to win it.
3. Kyle Schwarber, DH, Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber certainly knows how to put on a display of gargantuan power at this ballpark. Similar to Bryce Harper, he’ll also have the fans on his side tonight. Schwarber has hit off his BP pitcher Rafael Pena in the cage the last two years, so that’s another factor working in his favor. Throw in the elite batted-ball data, including 96th percentile Bat Speed (77.1 mph), 98th percentile Barrel Rate (19.4 percent) and 96th percentile Hard-Hit rate (53.1 percent) and you have a great pick to potentially win it.
4. Bryce Harper, 1B, Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper has competed in the Home Run Derby before and we feel like experience matters here. There’s obviously the added significance of doing this in front of the home fans, too. We love his pick for BP pitcher, Dino Ebel and familiarity with where to target in this park as a left-handed slugger also adds to his chances of making it to the final. We’re just not as confident he can come out on top.
5. Jordan Walker, OF, St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker is among the sluggers competing in the Home Run Derby this year who offers 70-plus grade raw power on the 20-80 scouting scale. He’s demonstrated it in a breakout season, crushing 22 home runs with a .532 SLG in 395 plate appearances. What matters here, at least enough to put him fifth in our rankings, is 100th percentile Bat Speed (79.2 mph), 98th percentile Average Exit Velocity (94.2 mph) and a 93rd percentile Hard-Hit rate (51.5 percent). It’s worth noting, though, Walker has just 13 career plate appearances at Citizens Bank Park (.083 SLG) and right-handed power doesn’t work quite as well here.
6. Ben Rice, 1B, New York Yankees
New York Yankees first baseman Ben Rice is enjoying a phenomenal season and has without question been one of the best power hitters in MLB this season. Standing at 6-foot-2, the left-handed hitter boasts 29 home runs across 390 plate appearances on the year and it’s not like he is hitting cheapies, as evidenced by the fact he ranks in the 89th percentile or better for Launch Angle Sweet Spot (91st percentile), Barrel Rate (92nd percentile) and Average Exit Velocity (89th percentile). Swinging left-handed does give him an edge in this ballpark, but we’re always a bit nervous of a Yankees hitter in a Home Run Derby, especially when the father is the BP pitcher.
7. Jac Caglianone, OF, Kansas City Royals
We can certainly see the case for why MLB included Kansas City Royals right fielder Jac Caglianone among the 2026 Home Run Derby participants. The left-handed hitter boasts elite bat speed (97th percentile) and one of the best Average Exit Velocities (93.0, 98th percentile). There’s a chance of the 23-year-old hitting the furthest home run on Monday night. Being mentored by Pete Alonso also helps, but we just don’t see Caglianone having the consistency to advance far.
8. Willson Contreras, C, Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras was a late addition to the 2026 MLB Home Run Derby and it’s nice to see the veteran make it in. With that said, we’re very pessimistic regarding his chances. He ranks in just the 8th percentile for Squared-Up percentage, the 26th percentile for Launch Angle Sweet Spot and the 74th percentile for Average Exit Velocity this season. He’s also recorded just modest career production at Citizens Bank Park, with a career .463 SLG and 2 home runs in 51 plate appearances.
