Walker stuns Schwarber, becomes Cardinals' first Derby champ

PHILADELPHIA -- As guest PA announcer Michael Buffer introduced him for the finals of the T-Mobile Home Run Derby on Monday, Jordan Walker couldn’t help but grin. Buffer had barely run through the beginning of his script when the Citizens Bank Park crowd began booing. Hardly a soul in Philadelphia was rooting for Walker. Through no fault of his own, he had become the villain.

Here’s the thing, though: sometimes villains win. Sometimes villains even put on a show. So it was with Walker, who overcame a cavalcade of boos to upend Kyle Schwarber, the overwhelming fan favorite, 12-11 in the finals.

“I was once told you don’t boo nobody,” Walker said on the field as he received his trophy. “So it feels pretty good.”

If anyone still considered Walker a nobody heading into the Derby, they can’t anymore. Shortly after Schwarber clubbed 11 homers to send the crowd into a frenzy, Walker found himself sitting on six with only three swings left in the finals. Under this year’s revamped format, batters who ended a round on a homer could continue swinging until they hit a ball that stayed in the park. Walker took full advantage, bashing six homers in a row -- including three in the bonus period -- to upend Schwarber. That made him the first Cardinals player to win the Derby.

PHILADELPHIA -- As guest PA announcer Michael Buffer introduced him for the finals of the T-Mobile Home Run Derby on Monday, Jordan Walker couldn’t help but grin. Buffer had barely run through the beginning of his script when the Citizens Bank Park crowd began booing. Hardly a soul in Philadelphia was rooting for Walker. Through no fault of his own, he had become the villain.

Here’s the thing though: sometimes villains win. Sometimes villains even put on a show. So it was with Walker, who overcame a cavalcade of boos to upend Kyle Schwarber, the overwhelming fan favorite, 12-11 in the finals.

“I was once told you don’t boo nobody,” Walker said on the field as he received his trophy. “So it feels pretty good.”

If anyone still considered Walker a nobody heading into the Derby, they can’t anymore. Shortly after Schwarber clubbed 11 homers to send the crowd into a frenzy, Walker found himself sitting on six with only three swings left in the finals. Under this year’s revamped format, batters who ended a round on a homer could continue swinging until they hit a ball that stayed in the park. Walker took full advantage, bashing six homers in a row -- including three in the bonus period -- to upend Schwarber. That made him the first Cardinals player to win the Derby.

“I can't even describe how it means to win it,” Walker said, voice hoarse in the moments following his victory. “It was a lot of swings, a lot of pressure, but I think I just had fun no matter what. Like, every round, I was having a good time.”

So too were the 43,863 fans packed into Citizens Bank Park, which became a cauldron as Schwarber and Bryce Harper took their turns at-bat to finish off the first round. At that point, Walker was already guaranteed a spot in the semifinals, having tied for the Derby lead with 13 first-round homers. Harper did not advance, but Schwarber did, bringing the full force of Philadelphia’s support behind him.

As Schwarber gained momentum in the second round, hitting nine home runs to defeat Willson Contreras, fans began willing him to accomplish more. Every time Contreras hit a home run, fans booed. Every time he made an out, the seating bowl erupted in cheers.

From his perch near the home dugout, Marvel-themed bat in hand and bright-red Cardinals hat resting backwards on his head, Walker took note.

“My thought was, ‘Philly is brutal,’” Walker said. “I mean, honestly. But I think it's pretty special because they love their players and that's what you want from your home … I can't hate them, because that's their guy.”