Jordan Walker stood at the plate in Citizens Bank Park, down a home run with three swings left. The crowd was roaring for Kyle Schwarber, the hometown guy. Walker took a breath and kept swinging.
He didn’t stop until he had the trophy.
The 24-year-old Cardinals outfielder became the first St. Louis player ever to win the Home Run Derby on Monday night, beating Schwarber 12-11 in the final. Walker went deep on his last six swings of the round, including four straight in bonus time, to steal the win right out from under the Philadelphia fans.
It was wild. And his dad was there for every second of it.
A dad’s take on the big moment
Netflix Sports, which broadcast the Derby this year, posted a clip of Walker celebrating with his father after the win. The caption was simple: “Jordan Walker with his dad after winning the Home Run Derby is what baseball is all about.”
Walker’s father didn’t hold back when asked about his son’s performance.
“He was awesome today. I just loved everything about it. Just his attitude, his approach, the smoothness, his swing. Looked like his dad, but yeah, he just did a great job. We’re so proud of him.”
The joke was clearly on purpose. Walker’s smooth, compact swing has drawn comparisons to some of the game’s best, but his dad was happy to claim some credit anyway.
How Walker pulled it off
The night didn’t start with fireworks. Walker tied Willson Contreras with 13 homers in the opening round, then barely scraped through the semis with six dingers to eliminate Junior Caminero. That set up a final against Schwarber, who had the crowd behind him and a lead with time running out.
Walker wasn’t fazed. He calmly worked his way back, and when bonus time started, he turned into a machine. Four homers in a row. The last one put him over the top.
This was Walker’s first All-Star selection. Winning the Derby in front of a hostile crowd, with his dad watching from the front row, added something deeper to the accomplishment. It wasn’t just about power. It was about years of work, the kind of belief that only family really understands, and a swing that looks effortless even when everything is on the line.
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