For Bryce Harper, the Home Run Derby holds a special place. Back in 2018, he won the event at his home stadium and defeated his current teammate, Kyle Schwarber. It was also the event where his father threw to him, something that won’t be the case this time. So, it was understandable why the 2026 Home Run Derby didn’t initially excite him. But then something changed, so much so that he is not only participating but also has a request for the league.

“Bryce Harper has a fun idea for the HR Derby: When the gold balls are brought into play, let the hitters swing aluminum bats. That would be a show… and you might see balls leave Citizens Bank Park,” Buster Olney wrote on X, spreading Harper’s comically odd request.

A similar something was actually done by Schwarber a few years ago. All in good fun, he bought an aluminum bat from Dick’s Sporting Goods and hit with it in a cage. While that’s one thing, the gravity of what Harper was proposing was not lost on him.

“Obviously you’d have to take some of the players off the field or some of the kids off the field that are shagging,” he said. “But, I mean, seeing a ball go way up into the third deck or over Ashburn Alley completely or off the scoreboard, it would’ve gotten a lot of eyes on it in a way they’ve never had since the steroid era.”

This year’s event is already buzzing with excitement, as there could be a rematch of sorts, given that Schwarber also announced his participation on Friday. What is more, they will be competing for the first time since 2018, when Harper seized the final round 19-18. The teammates have even joked about competing against each other.

“Having a rematch of ’18 would be pretty cool to see,” Schwarber said of Monday’s event in South Philly. “I think it would be fun for everyone — not just Philly, but the game and the people watching. But there’s a really good field of players in it, so (we’ve) got to see what happens.”

This comes after Harper took to Instagram to announce his participation just a little over 24 hours ago.

“Derby at home? Sure, why not? #HRD,” the caption of his post read, which was accompanied by a video.

The 33-year-old has picked Dodgers third-base coach Dino Ebel for throwing, and the choice came after much deliberation. Harper went as far back as his college days and the minors to see who was the right fit. But now that he has picked Ebel, who threw to him in the All-Star Game swing-off last year, it remains to be seen if he can top the 45 homers he had in 2018. Further, during the World Baseball Classic, Ebel served on Team USA, where Harper played as well.

While that is good news, the first baseman also mentioned that the two will have no time to practice before the event, so Schwarber might already have an edge.

But who all are participating beyond these two?

All about the Home Run Derby

This edition of the Home Run Derby has seen some rule changes, but more on that later. For the first time, the event will be broadcast on Netflix on July 13, and the baseball community will see the following players in action other than Harper and Schwarber.

For the event, eight hitters will take part in the first round, of which only 50% will make it to the second round. However, what is worth noting here is that the four advancing players will be seeded on the basis of their first-round homer totals. The final round would then see a battle between 2 hitters.

All eight hitters in the first round will have 20 swings, while the final two will have 15 swings in their turns at the plate. Further, if a player hits a home run on the final swing, the at-bat will continue until they fail to homer on a subsequent swing. In the event of a tie in the first round, the longest home run distance will serve as the tiebreaker. Any deadlock in the semifinals or final will be settled through a three-swing tiebreaker, which will be repeated until a winner is determined.

With the action set to unfold in Citizens Bank Park at 8 p.m. ET in just two days, the baseball community is hoping for some interesting plays.