The question everyone is asking has a short answer: 8 p.m. ET, on Netflix. The 2026 T-Mobile Home Run Derby is Monday night at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, and for the first time since 1994, it isn’t on ESPN. Here’s the time, the field, and how the contest itself has changed.
What Time Is the Home Run Derby?
- Date: Monday, July 13
- Start time: 8:00 p.m. ET (special coverage begins 7:00 p.m. ET)
- Venue: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia
- Stream: Netflix (exclusive)
All it takes is an active Netflix subscription. There is no cable package, no add-on, no separate purchase. FOX picks up the All-Star Game the following night. If you remember Netflix carrying Opening Day this season, it’s the same deal: the event lives entirely on the streamer.
One heads-up on watching a live stream: pausing, rewinding, or scrubbing back during the event can reload the feed or bump you to live, the way any streaming broadcast behaves. If you want to catch a swing again, it’s smoother to wait for the replay than to fight the live scrubber mid-round.
The New Format: No Clock
MLB scrapped the timer, and it changes how the whole night feels. Every round is now swing-based instead of timed. Round 1 gives each of the eight hitters 20 swings, and the top four totals advance. The semifinals seed one-versus-four and two-versus-three, with the semis and final running 15 swings apiece. One rule carries over: a round can’t end on a home run, so if you go deep on your final swing, you keep hitting until you make an out.
The Field: Eight Sluggers, Six Flags
MLB.com’s Will Leitch called it maybe the most fun Derby field in memory, and it’s without Aaron Judge, two-time winner Pete Alonso, or defending champion Cal Raleigh. More than half the field carries a flag from somewhere other than home. Here’s who’s swinging, grouped by where they come from.
Italy
Jac Caglianone, Royals. American-born but the Italian-American hero of Italy’s memorable 2026 World Baseball Classic run, a name in that community long before Kansas City signed him. He’s 23, would be the youngest champion ever, and comes in hot off a monster June that put him among American League leaders in OPS, home runs, total bases and average.
Italy right fielder Jac Caglianone (14) celebrates a home run against the United States with catcher Kyle Teel (3) in the forth inning of a World Baseball Classic game, Tuesday, March 10, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Venezuela
Willson Contreras, Red Sox. A whirlwind few weeks of suspension and raw emotion in the aftermath of the earthquakes in his native Venezuela. Underrated for years and the best bat in Boston this season, Contreras is the crowd favorite here, even if his line-drive swing runs a little flat for a Derby. Nobody in the building will be rooting against him.
Venezuela’s Willson Contreras runs after hitting a RBI single during the first inning of a World Baseball Classic game against the Dominican Republic, Wednesday, March 11, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Japan
Munetaka Murakami, White Sox. Healthy at last. Japanese fans have waited to see him tested against MLB’s most powerful hitters, and few players in the sport’s history launch them quite like he does. He’s also a signature name for the White Sox, one of the best stories of the first half.
Japan’s Munetaka Murakami hits a grand slam home run during the eighth inning of a World Baseball Classic game between Japan and the Czech Republic on Tuesday, March 10, 2026 in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)
Chicago White Sox’s Munetaka Murakami smiles during work outs during spring training baseball in Phoenix, Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
Dominican Republic
Junior Caminero, Rays. The youngest man who could win it, fresh off an 11-homers-in-11-games run that launched Tampa Bay into the thick of things, and a runner-up finish just last year. He anchors the Dominican power core that has redefined what a modern slugger looks like, and he brings the vigor of youth to an event that tends to wear hitters down.
Dominican Republic’s Junior Caminero (13) reacts as he runs the bases after hitting a two run home run during the sixth inning of a World Baseball Classic game against Nicaragua, Friday, March 6, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
United States
Bryce Harper, Phillies. A hometown entrant with 383 career homers and the last man to win a Derby in his own ballpark, which he did at Nationals Park in 2018.
United States Bryce Harper celebrates after hitting a two-run home run during the eighth inning in the championship game of the World Baseball Classic against Venezuela, Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Kyle Schwarber, Phillies. The other local, one of the purest power bats alive, a 2018 runner-up chasing his first crown in front of his own fans.
United States designated hitter Kyle Schwarber hits a home run during the fifth inning of a World Baseball Classic game against Britain, Saturday, March 7, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
United States designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, right, celebrates with Aaron Judge after hitting a home run during the fifth inning of a World Baseball Classic game against Britain, Saturday, March 7, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
The 2026 Home Run Derby Participants Who Did Not Represent a Country in the 2026 World Baseball Classic Are Ben Rice and Jordan Walker
Jordan Walker, Cardinals. The 24-year-old right fielder finally hitting like the player St. Louis drafted, built roughly like Judge and hitting it nearly as hard. He homered just last week.
St. Louis Cardinals’ Jordan Walker celebrates after hitting an RBI single during the seventh inning of a baseball game against Texas Rangers Tuesday, June 2, 2026, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
Ben Rice, Yankees. The Yankees’ first baseman and designated hitter, and for the first two months of the season, the best hitter on the team, ahead of Judge himself.
Five of the eight come from the American League, and Philadelphia gets two of its own in Harper and Schwarber.
The Snubs
The field is stacked, but it’s missing three of the biggest names the event could offer. Aaron Judge, the sport’s most fearsome slugger, has been sidelined since May 31, 2026. Neither is Pete Alonso, a two-time Derby champion who has become synonymous with the contest. And defending champion Cal Raleigh, coming off a down year at the plate, won’t be back to defend the crown. Any of the three would have headlined; instead, they clear the stage for a younger, more international group.
Title: WBC United States Canada Baseball
Image ID: 26073121161900
Article: United States catcher Cal Raleigh, left, and pitcher Mason Miller, right, celebrate after their win over Canada in a World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game, Friday, March 13, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
The Rest of All-Star Week
The Derby is the Monday centerpiece. The 2026 MLB All-Star Game follows Tuesday, July 14 at 8:00 p.m. ET on FOX, also at Citizens Bank Park, with coverage beginning at 7:00 p.m. ET.
No clock, no ESPN, and a field where more than half the swings carry a flag from somewhere other than home. Eight hitters, one subscription, and the future of the sport taking hacks in South Philadelphia. Netflix o’clock.
