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PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – JULY 13: Jordan Walker #18 of the St. Louis Cardinals poses with his father Derek after winning the 2026 Home Run Derby at Citizens Bank Park on July 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
The last time Jordan Walker was in Philadelphia, he was crowned a Home Run Derby Champion. In his return to Citizens Bank Park for Player’s Weekend, the St. Louis Cardinals star outfielder made sure to bring a memento of that night.
MLB’s X account posted Walker’s custom Victus bats as part of Player’s Weekend. The 24-year-old had two bats made: an Iron Man bat and his Home Run Derby champion bat.
The 2026 season has been a big breakout for Walker, who’s developed into one of the game’s best sluggers. Entering this series, he’s slashing .288/.348/.506 with 26 home runs. FanGraphs estimates his offense to be about 36% better than the league-average hitter with a 136 wRC+.
Walker was named to his first All-Star team in 2026, which led to his participation in the 2026 MLB Home Run Derby.
Jordan Walker Celebrates Home Run Derby Win With Custom Bat
GettyCardinals outfielder Jordan Walker celebrates winning the Home Run Derby with his All-Star teammates and coaches. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Jordan Walker was one of eight players who participated in this year’s Home Run Derby.
Walker advanced to the finals to take on Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber, eliminating Rays star third baseman Junior Caminero in the semifinal round. Down to his final swing, the Cardinals star crushed six home run balls in a row to knock off Schwarber, 12-11, in front of his fans at Citizens Bank Park.
It marked the first time that a St. Louis Cardinals player won the Home Run Derby, despite storied sluggers Mark McGwire and Albert Pujols participating in the event in past years. Walker received a $1 million bonus for winning the derby, which was more than his 2026 season salary.
The 24-year-old returns to the site of his victory, hoping to take down Schwarber and the Phillies once again. And he’s eager to remind those same fans of his big night with his custom bat. It would not be a surprise for Walker to hear boos from the Philly faithful over the weekend.
Cardinals Face Phillies With Postseason Stakes on the Line
The Cardinals take on the Phillies in a pivotal three-game series. Last week, St. Louis took two of three in the previous series between the two clubs at Busch Stadium. Now the two teams will square off again at Citizens Bank Park.
The Cardinals seek to close the gap in the National League Wild Card race. They are 2.5 games behind the San Diego Padres for the final Wild Card spot entering play on August 21.
For St. Louis to creep back into the postseason picture, this is a must-win series. It’s a chance to close ground on a Wild Card competitor, and possibly close the gap if they get help from the Cincinnati Reds or Minnesota Twins this weekend.
It will take a big weekend from Walker for the Cardinals to take the series in Philadelphia. But if they do, it would give them the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Phillies. That could come in handy at the end of the season, especially if they finish with the same record.
Michael McDermott Michael McDermott covers MLB and the Arizona Cardinals for Heavy Sports. He’s previously published content for SB Nation, Sports Illustrated, and FanSided since 2015. Michael covered the Arizona Diamondbacks as an on-site reporter for Arizona Diamondbacks On SI for the 2022-2024 seasons and the Arizona Fall League for 2022-2025. More about Michael McDermott
