Home Run Derby 2026 field: Rays' Junior Caminero first participant announced

A swing-based Home Run Derby is on tap for the first time since 2014. The bell will be rung in Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park, where eight participants will take their hacks in the latest version of MLB's midsummer slugging competition on July 13.

>The event will be broadcast on Netflix and, similar to years past, will pit eight power-charged batters against each other under the lights. But, while timed rounds have been part of the past 11 iterations of the Derby, hitters' bouts will again have no time limit.

>We're tracking every Derby participant below:

Who is competing in the 2026 MLB Home Run Derby?Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay Rays third basemanCaminero officially entered his name into the mix while coming off a prolific stretch that earned him AL Player of the Week honors. The hard-hitting soon-to-be 23-year-old piled up seven homers and 15 RBI during a six-game span from June 23 to June 28. Along the way, he rocketed a career-long 463-foot homer. He reached the midway point of the 2026 campaign slashing .292/.384/.548 with 22 dingers and 49 RBI. Caminero finished as runner-up in last year’s Derby, falling to the Seattle Mariners’ Cal Raleigh 18-15 in the finals. He clocked out of the 2025 season with 45 big flies, and he’s on pace for a comparable output this year as well.

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What are the rules of the 2026 MLB Home Run Derby?Here's the breakdown: Eight hitters will make up the first round, the second round will consist of four hitters, and the final round will pit the last two remaining against each other. Head-to-head competition begins in the second round, setting up a four-player semifinals to determine the two-way final. Prior to the semifinals, the four advancing players will be seeded based on their first-round homer totals. The big difference is that each participant will have 20 swings at his disposal in the first round, and those who are still raking in the final two rounds will have 15 swings in those turns at the plate.

>That said, if a player goes yard on his final swing, he will be allowed to keep going until a swing doesn't result in a home run. Farthest home-run distance will break first-round ties, and ties in the second and third rounds will be decided by the players in question engaging in three-swing swing-offs until a winner is determined.

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When is the 2026 MLB Home Run Derby?The 2026 Home Run Derby, held at Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park, will start at 8 p.m. ET on July 13, the day before this year's All-Star Game. Whereas ESPN has long broadcast the event, Netflix will air the long-ball frenzy this time around.