2026 Home Run Derby bats, winner’s chain and special autographed balls explained
The art, history and food of Philadelphia are consistent themes throughout all things tied to the MLB All-Star festivities and that holds true for many of the items created for the Home Run Derby. Here’s what you need to know about the bats, winner’s chain, and special baseballs being used in the event.
The Bats
Bryce Harper’s meat bat. (Photo: Caleb Mezzy)
Bryce Harper was equipped with two Philly-centric bats by Victus. One represents the slabs of meat Rocky Balboa famously trained with. The other bat sticks with the boxing theme, this time incorporating Harper’s pal, the Phillie Phanatic. Pushing the Phanatic as a boxer with a black eye, Apollo Creed-esque shorts, a Liberty Bell chain around his neck, and the word “Jawn” in the style of the city’s Love statue.
Three more of Bryce Harper’s bats for the Home Run Derby. (Photo courtesy of Marucci)
Harper also received bats from Marucci. One featuring Harper: King of Steaks (a reference to Philly landmark Pat’s Cheesesteaks) depicting him dressed in Revolutionary war garb and chowing down, another with a bald eagle and Liberty Bell and a commemorative All-Star Game bat featuring red, gold, and blue with stars on the handle along with his date and his name on the barrel.
Jordan Walker’s Iron Man bat (left) and Munetaka Murakami’s dragon bat. (Photo: Caleb Mezzy)
Jordan Walker’s lumber from Victus introduces the world to Walker Industries with an Iron Man theme. Munetaka Murakami has a fire-breathing dragon from Victus (although he used a standard game bat during the first round).
Willson Contreras will be swinging a Bowser special model bat tonight. He joked that his teammates said he looked like the Mario Bros villain and he has leaned into it. pic.twitter.com/a1DVXtYkEP
— Chris Ryan (@ChrisRyan603) July 13, 2026
Willson Contreras has a Bowser bat, a reference to the nickname is teammates gave him back in his St. Louis Cardinals days.
Junior Caminero’s bat depicts his lucky No. 13 on a blinged-out chain and Jac Caglianone’s is centered around his faith with a crown of thorns and a John 3:16 reference.
Ben Rice’s bat (left) and Kyle Schwarber’s bat both utilize city skylines. (Photos courtesy of Louisville Slugger)
Ben Rice’s Louisville Slugger represents New York City with the skyline, Statue of Liberty and his name written as a graffiti tag, while Kyle Schwarber’s incorporates the Philadelphia skyline and his jersey number.
Autographed balls
Baseballs autographed by Jac Caglianone for the Home Run Derby. (Photo courtesy of MLB)
Similar to previous years, each player participating in the derby has signed one to two dozen balls that will be dumped into the basket of those pitched to them. These signed balls will be mixed in with the usual unsigned balls, which means there’s no guarantee that the balls used will be the special autographed ones. What happens if one is hit but it doesn’t reach the stands? Anyone shagging balls in the outfield has to return them. The plan on what happens to any autographed balls that don’t end up with fans during the derby is still to be determined, according to MLB.
The Chain
The 2026 Home Run Derby winner’s chain. (Photo: Caleb Mezzy)
Dreamed up in 2019, MLB added the winner’s chain to compliment the existing Home Run Derby trophy.
John Luongo, now creative director with MLB, then designer with their social media team, got involved in 2022 from his interest in fashion and culture and prior work as a designer. He was tasked with the project and that is when he found New York-based jewelry designer Kenny Hwang. When it was decided in 2019, Luongo said, “It was very close (to the derby) so we needed a talented and trustworthy designer and jeweler who could work quickly and skillfully. Kenny had prior relationships with our colleagues and expressed interest with a knack for moving quickly.”
For the 2026 Home Run Derby in Philadelphia, Hwang designed the Liberty Bell chain, complete with a functional clapper that makes the bell ring and swing. It features a lining of rubies and sapphires and ,on the lower banner, the text reads “Ring the Bell” in a clear nod to the Phillies’ Home Run Celebration at Citizens Bank Park. In this detail, 250 custom-cut rubies signify America’s 250th anniversary with a resemblance to Philadelphia’s cobblestone streets. In total, the chain has 41 carats of diamonds, 41 carats of rubies, and 10 carats of sapphire.
The 2024 and 2025 chains are currently in the American Museum of Natural History as part of an “Objects of Sports Excellence” exhibit, but each chain is normally kept by the winner to whom they’re awarded.
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