Kyle Schwarber to participate in Home Run Derby 

If there weren’t enough fireworks on the Fourth of July to celebrate the country’s 250th birthday, there will be plenty more at this year’s Major League Baseball Home Run Derby.

Philadelphia Phillies fans can cheer on not one but two of their star sluggers.

The Phillies announced Friday that Kyle Schwarber, who leads MLB with 32 home runs, will participate in the Derby the team announced on Friday. 

Schwarber, who last participated in a Derby in 2022, joins fellow teammate Bryce Harper, who confirmed on his Instagram on Thursday he will be swinging for the fences in front of the home faithful. 

The duo will become the first pair of teammates to participate in the same Home Run Derby since Schwarber and Javy Baez represented the Chicago Cubs in the 2018, the year Harper won in his old home ballpark as a member of the Washington Nationals. 

Harper beat Schwarber that year with a thrilling 19-18 victory in the final round, where Harper hit the sealing long ball during the 30-second bonus time. 

In 2022, Schwarber was the number one seed and lost against future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols in the tiebreaker, clubbing 19 total home runs in the round. 

Joining Schwarber and Harper repping the National League is St. Louis Cardinals' Jordan Walker, who is having a breakout season. 

For the American League, Tampa Bay Rays phenom Junior Caminero was the first player to commit to the event, followed by New York Yankees slugger Ben Rice; Kansas City’s young power threat in Jac Caglianone; and the veteran power-hitting catcher Willson Contreras of the Boston Red Sox. 

There is still one final spot open to round out the tournament field. 

The Home Run Derby will air exclusively on Netflix on Monday, July 13th at 8 p.m. and will be showcasing a new format, no longer using a clock like in recent years. 

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