For a franchise that has had Albert Pujols, Mark McGwire, Jim Edmonds, Nolan Arenado, and Paul Goldschmidt, it’s amazing how Jordan Walker became the first Sr. Louis Cardinals slugger to win the Home Run Derby.

Walker won the 2026 Home Run Derby, besting Kyle Schwarber in the final round by a 12-11 margin. He blasted four straight homers on the final ball—and hit six straight homers on his final six swings—to pull off an incredible comeback.

And he did so under immense pressure ranging from having to hit six straight home runs on his last swing, to being booed heavily by the pro-Schwarber Philadelphia crowd.

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

“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.”

What’s funny (and interesting) is that he earned $1 million with the prize money he won….. more than doubled his salary for the season, as he is earning $799,400 in 2026, according to Spotrac.

The Home Run Derby had a total prize pool of $2.5 million. The winner received $1 million, the runner-up, this case being Schwarber, received $500,000. The remaining six participants each received $150,000.

Walker is making a case for MVP and we’re just now hitting the halfway mark: In 93 games this season, Walker has a .294 batting average with 22 home runs, and his 74 RBIs lead the big leagues. It’s a stark contrast to the past two seasons. Walker struggled in 2024, when he played just 51 games and hit just .201 with five home runs. In 2025, he played 111 games and hit .215 with six home runs.

There are a lot of historic moments in St. Louis Cardinals history, that will be etched in baseball lore forever. Walker’s performance last night is officially one of those moments now.