Willson Contreras was the first hitter up in the 2026 Home Run Derby. By the time he finished his round, nobody remembered anyone else went first.
The Boston Red Sox first baseman launched a 490-foot home run early in Monday night’s opening round at Citizens Bank Park. That ball left his bat at 115 mph and kept going. ESPN Insights pointed out after the round that only one other home run had traveled at least 485 feet at that park since 2006, including playoffs. Contreras did it on his very first swings under the bright lights.
He finished the opening round with 13 homers, tying Jordan Walker for the high mark and punching his ticket to the semifinals. His average home run distance was 449 feet, which is nuts over a full round of competitive swings. The Philadelphia crowd started booing when he stepped in as the derby opener but those turned to real cheers by the time he hit his seventh long ball in his first 10 cuts.
Contreras got to the semifinals and gave Kyle Schwarber a run. Schwarber edged him 9-8, which sent the Phillies star to the final round. The Red Sox veteran finished the night with 21 total homers and the single most impressive individual swing of the competition.
One swing that stood out
That 490-foot bomb became the immediate talking point. ESPN’s broadcast crew spent a full minute just watching the replay. Fans online noted the sound off the bat sounded different than anything else that night. Contreras hit it with two strikes, which made it even more impressive considering the pressure of being the derby’s first batter.
The 34-year-old entered the All-Star break with 20 regular-season homers and a .921 OPS. He made his fourth All-Star team this year too. His power surge this season has been one of the better stories for a Boston team that needed some positive national attention.
The Red Sox still haven’t won a Home Run Derby since 2004. But Contreras gave them a highlight that’ll get replayed for years. His 490-foot shot is going to be the answer to a trivia question for a long time: Who hit the longest homer in Citizens Bank Park derby history? That’s him.
And he did it as the very first guy to grab a bat.
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