Home Run Derby 2026 Time: How to Watch Tonight
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The 2026 T-Mobile Home Run Derby starts tonight at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, and this year's event comes with a new streaming home and a new format.
What Time Does the Home Run Derby Start?
The 2026 Home Run Derby begins at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, July 13. Special pre-show coverage starts an hour earlier, at 7 p.m. ET. The event is being held at Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies, as part of MLB All-Star Week.
| Time Zone | Derby Start Time |
|---|---|
| Eastern (ET) | 8:00 p.m. |
| Central (CT) | 7:00 p.m. |
| Mountain (MT) | 6:00 p.m. |
| Pacific (PT) | 5:00 p.m. |
How to Watch
For the first time since 1994, the Home Run Derby is not airing on ESPN. This year's event streams exclusively on Netflix, marking the first time the Derby has moved to a streaming-only platform. A regular Netflix subscription is all that's needed to watch. Viewers in Canada can catch the event on Sportsnet.
Who's Competing This Year?
The 2026 field includes eight sluggers:
- Bryce Harper (Philadelphia Phillies)
- Kyle Schwarber (Philadelphia Phillies)
- Junior Caminero (Tampa Bay Rays)
- Jac Caglianone (Kansas City Royals)
- Ben Rice (New York Yankees)
- Willson Contreras (Boston Red Sox)
- Jordan Walker (St. Louis Cardinals)
- Munetaka Murakami (Chicago White Sox)
Harper is chasing his second Derby title after winning in 2018 with the Nationals, while Caminero returns after finishing as runner-up in 2025.
What's New About the Format?
MLB dropped the timer this year in favor of a swing-based format. Round 1 gives all eight hitters 20 swings each in a single pool, and the four highest home run totals advance to the semifinals. The semifinals and final round each use 15 swings, with the higher seed facing the lower seed. Ties in the first round go to whoever hit the longest home run. In the semifinals and final, ties are broken with three-swing swing-offs.
One rule carries over from past years: a round cannot end on a home run. If a hitter goes deep on their final swing, they keep swinging until they make an out.
Prize Money
The Derby winner takes home $1 million. The runner-up earns $500,000, and every other participant collects $150,000 just for taking part. There's also a $100,000 bonus for whoever hits the longest home run of the night.
What's Next
The 2026 MLB All-Star Game follows the next night, Tuesday, July 14, with first pitch at 8 p.m. ET on FOX from the same ballpark, Citizens Bank Park.
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