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Netflix is 0-for-2 in my book when it comes to its MLB telecasts. If you recall, Netflix was the channel on which the season’s very first game appeared, with the San Francisco Giants hosting the New York Yankees. There was some attempt at taxi cabs or other stuff that didn’t really make sense in a baseball context. There’s a way to be entertaining without making fans scratch their heads as to what was going on. Home Run Derby was only slightly better, but that isn’t saying much. The telecast started out with Will Farrell, Luke Wilson and Jimmy Tatro — there more so to promote their upcoming Netflix series that anything to do with baseball — muttering into their low-volume microphones and interjecting commentary that could barely be heard between the introductions by Philadelphia-born Michael Buffer, better acquainted with Las Vegas. Don’t worry, Netflix has a chance to go 0-for-3 when it carries the Field of Dreams game Aug. 13 between the Minnesota Twins and the Philadelphia Phillies.
Today’s Headlines
Walker’s Finishing Flurry Decks Schwarber
Under a torrent of boos from Philadelphia Phillies fans, St. Louis Cardinals slugger Jordan Walker did the unthinkable: He KO’d baseball’s Rocky Balboa in his home ring. Walker homered on his final six swings, including four do-or-die blasts on the multicolored final ball, to steal the Home Run Derby crown away from Kyle Schwarber of the Phillies 12-11. Schwarber, riding the momentum thrown at him by his hometown fans and MLB’s home run leader with 32, put up a big number as the first hitter in the final round, smashing 11, including being the first to hit the multicolored ball for a homer. But Walker, cool under pressure, welcomed the boos. While the few that didn’t go out in the final were meet with rousing cheers as if the Phillies had just won a playoff game, Walker turned Citizens Bank Park eerily quiet with each of his first 11 homers. Only on the winning shot was there a noticeable show of support for Walker, who became the first Cardinal to win a Derby title.
Walker, who was struggling so badly this time last year that he was sent down to Double-A to fix his swing, earned $1 million for the Derby win. His salary with the Cardinals is $799,400, just slightly above the MLB minimum.
While Walker coasted into the final, not needing all 15 swings to post a 6-5 semifinal win over last year’s runner-up, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Schwarber had to sweat out his semifinal matchup. That was against top-seeded Willson Contreras of the Boston Red Sox, who trailed 9-8 as he took his first cut at the multicolored ball and popped it up. Similar to what Walker faced in the final, Contreras, always the villain, intentional or not, was booed even more lustily, especially when he got brushed back by his own pitcher.
Top 4 advance
Walker and Contreras paced the first round with 13 homers each, Contreras earning the No. 1 seed based on each hitter’s longest homer (490-470).
While some were skeptical of the new format, which focused on number of swings instead of a time element, the end result was undeniably dramatic.
JUNIOR CAMINERO491 FEET🤯
Draw Names Out Of A Hat?
Figuring out the lineup for each All-Star team is fun and also maddening. Who hits where and will someone get frustrated by where they are slotted? Anyways, here are the starting lineups for the AL and NL for tonight’s game.
2026 All-Star game lineups have been announced!
— Talkin' Baseball (@talkinbaseballbot.bsky.social) 2026-07-13T18:14:46.000Z
Cholowsky To Sign For Record $10.35M Bonus
Just two days after being taken No. 1 overall in the MLB Draft, UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky is set to officially become a member of the Chicago White Sox. Cholowsky reportedly passed his physical Monday after agreeing to a record signing bonus of $10.35 million. That is just over $1 million less than the slot value and just more than $1 million above the previous record bonus of $9.3 million given to Chase Burns by the Cincinnati Reds and Charlie Condon of the Colorado Rockies, both in 2024.
By The Numbers
48-45-2 The AL holds the lead in All-Star Game history at 48-45-2, winning 10 of the last 12 and losing just eight times since 1988.
94.7 The average four-seam fastball velocity is up to 94.7 mph, a slight increase from last year’s 94.5. If that figure holds, 2026 would mark the sixth straight year fastball velocity has risen.
11 There are 11 players on the All-Star Game rosters who are 25 years old or younger.
12 Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout is appearing in his 12th All-Star Game, the most among this year’s participants. Trout hails from nearby Millville, N.J.
5 Philadelphia is hosting the All-Star Game for the fifth time and the first at Citizens Bank Park, which opened in 2004. This is the fourth time the Phillies have hosted (1952 at Shibe Park, 1976 and 1996 at Veterans Stadium). The Philadelphia A’s hosted at Shibe Park, which they shared with the Phillies, in 1943. That 1943 game was also the first All-Star Game to be played at night.
Halladay Yeah, not a number, I know. But this is a cool factoid: What do NL starter Cristopher Sánchez of the Phillies and NL starter Dylan Cease of the Toronto Blue Jays have in common? They are the first All-Star Game starting pitchers from their franchise since Roy Halladay did it. Halladay was with the Phillies when he started in 2011 and with the Blue Jays in 2008. No pitcher for either team has started since and now both do it in Philadelphia, the two-time Cy Young Award winner’s team when he retired in 2013.
Injuries and Other Moves
⚾ Phillies star Bryce Harper offered his first statement, posted on his Instagram account, regarding a video he recorded for a fan through FanDuel who turned out to have a massive gambling debt. I have questions about parts of his statement.
⚾ In a bit of a weird situation, Houston Astros right-handed starter Mike Burrows was placed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow neuritis. Burrows had been optioned to Triple-A about a week ago, but reversed course and put him on the major-league injured list Monday.
⚾ A’s pitching coach Scott Emerson was fired, with bullpen coach Dan Hubbs taking over on an interim basis. That is how Emerson got the big job, replacing Curt Young after he was fired in June 2017. The A’s pitching staff since moving temporarily to West Sacramento is 4.91, only above the Washington Nationals and Colorado Rockies.
Articles You Should Read
Why Netflix and MLB are rolling out a back-to-basics Home Run Derby — Chad Jennings, The Athletic
All-Stars don’t like MLB’s cap proposal, say there is time for deal — Ron Blum, Associated Press
Inside the Ohtani economy driving a wild auction for his worn cleats — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times
Fantasy Baseball Coverage
