MLB has taken over Philly with events and celebrations leading up to the 2026 All-Star Game tomorrow at Citizens Bank Park. Six Phillies will represent our city at the game, which hasn't been held here since 1996.
While the July 14 game headlines the week of events, tonight you can see (arguably) the most exciting All-Star week happening: the Home Run Derby, which will feature Phillies Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper. Considering our stadium is among the most home run-friendly venues in baseball, it's sure to be an out-of-the-park night. So in advance of the derby at 8 p.m., here's how the Phillies have done in the years since the annual competition started in 1985.
The Numbers
In its 41-year history, players have represented Philly nine times. Ryan Howard, who spent his entire career with the Phillies as a first baseman, made three appearances.
The Winners
Two Phillies have won the competition. The first was in 2005; Bobby Abreu hit 41 home runs, setting a record at the time. One homer went 517 feet, which remains one of the longest home runs in the derby's history. The next year, Ryan Howard hit 23 homers at Pittsburgh's PNC Park to take home the title.
Second Time's A Charm
This will be the second time Philly has hosted the derby; the last was in 1996. No Phillies participated in the competition at Veterans Stadium that ended with Barry Bonds of the Giants beating the Athletics' Mark McGwire. The stands were not full, and the event wasn’t even held in prime time. Things have definitely changed!
Home Advantage
This week will mark Bryce Harper's third appearance at the derby. He was on the Nationals when he won in 2018, beating out Kyle Schwarber, who was then on the Cubs. Now teammates, Harper and Schwarber will face off against each other in the eight-player competition this year. Harper announced last week he'd be joining the lineup with a social media post captioned: “Derby at home? Sure why not?" Home-field advantage has worked in Harper's favor in the past, but Schwarber has hit more dingers than Harper has so far this season.
A City of Firsts
A few changes are coming to this year's derby, which will be live-streamed on Netflix. Instead of timed rounds, the competitors will have a limited number of swings. There will be 20 in the first round and 15 in the second and final rounds. But if a player hits a homer on the last swing, they can keep swinging until they don't hit another. The top four players advance to the second round, and the final round will be a head-to-head battle. Ties in the first round will be determined by distance. If a tie occurs in the second or final round, a three-swing swing-off will break it.
