Home Run Derby: DeKalb County’s Jordan Walker defeats Kyle Schwarber for crown
Cardinals outfielder hit a combined 5,558 feet of home runs, according to MLB Stats
2026 Home Run Derby PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals poses with the trophy after winning the 2026 Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park on July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
2026 Home Run Derby PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals poses with family members after winning the 2026 Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park on July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
2026 Home Run Derby PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals poses with his father Derek after winning the 2026 Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park on July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
2026 Home Run Derby PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Philadelphia Phillies and Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals are introduced before the finals of the 2026 Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park on July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
2026 Home Run Derby PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals competes in the finals of the 2026 Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park on July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
2026 Home Run Derby PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Philadelphia Phillies and Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals are introduced before the finals of the 2026 Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park on July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
2026 Home Run Derby PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals competes in the finals of the 2026 Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park on July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
2026 Home Run Derby PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Philadelphia Phillies and Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals are introduced before the finals of the 2026 Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park on July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
2026 Home Run Derby PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals competes during the 2026 Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park on July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
2026 Home Run Derby PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrates after winning the 2026 Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park on July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) (Al Bello/Getty Images)
2026 Home Run Derby PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals poses with family members after winning the 2026 Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park on July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
2026 Home Run Derby PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: (L to R) Riley O'Brien #61, manager Oliver Marmol #37, bullpen catcher Kleininger Teran #76, and Iván Herrera #48 of the St. Louis Cardinals pose with teammate Jordan Walker #18 after he won the 2026 Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park on July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
By WSBTV.com News Staff
There’s a new Home Run Derby champion and he’s from metro Atlanta.
St. Louis Cardinals star Jordan Walker crushed six straight home runs to end the final round and defeat Philadelphia Phillies star Kyle Schwarber in the 2026 T-Mobile Home Run Derby on Monday.
Walker grew up in Stone Mountain and graduated from Decatur High School in 2020. He was even named WSB-TV‘s Montlick Injury Attorneys 2020 Athlete of the Year. The Cardinals selected him in the first round of the MLB Draft that same year.
Walker’s family attended Monday’s Home Run Derby to see him add his name of the long list of champions.
“I’ve been following him since he started, when they couldn’t find cleats small enough for him. And he was truly engrossed. And I do think this is his life’s calling. I believe that,” Walker’s grandmother, Normarene Merritt, said during the Netflix post-derby show.
2026 Home Run Derby PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals poses with the trophy after winning the 2026 Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park on July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
2026 Home Run Derby PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals poses with family members after winning the 2026 Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park on July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
2026 Home Run Derby PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals poses with his father Derek after winning the 2026 Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park on July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
2026 Home Run Derby PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Philadelphia Phillies and Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals are introduced before the finals of the 2026 Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park on July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
2026 Home Run Derby PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals competes in the finals of the 2026 Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park on July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
2026 Home Run Derby PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Philadelphia Phillies and Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals are introduced before the finals of the 2026 Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park on July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
2026 Home Run Derby PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals competes in the finals of the 2026 Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park on July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
2026 Home Run Derby PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Philadelphia Phillies and Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals are introduced before the finals of the 2026 Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park on July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
2026 Home Run Derby PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals competes during the 2026 Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park on July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
2026 Home Run Derby PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals celebrates after winning the 2026 Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park on July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) (Al Bello/Getty Images)
2026 Home Run Derby PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals poses with family members after winning the 2026 Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park on July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
2026 Home Run Derby PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 13: (L to R) Riley O'Brien #61, manager Oliver Marmol #37, bullpen catcher Kleininger Teran #76, and Iván Herrera #48 of the St. Louis Cardinals pose with teammate Jordan Walker #18 after he won the 2026 Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park on July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Walker will be on the reserves roster for the National League in Tuesday night’s 2026 MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park. His hometown Atlanta Braves have five players on the NL All-Star Game roster, including Drake Baldwin and Ozzie Albies in the starting lineup.