Sometimes to look forward you have to look back. Today we know the Home Run Derby as a well-established highlight of MLB’s All-Star Week–it may even be a bigger draw than the ASG itself. This summer’s smash sesh looks to be no exception; Philadelphia’s Citizen Bank Park is known as one of the friendliest confines to hitters and there happens to be two very experienced sluggers on the Phillies roster–Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper–that are certainly capable of reaffirming that fact.
The Derby didn’t always have its lofty status on the baseball calendar, though. Once upon a time, circa 1960, it was a fledgling TV show with no live audience, nor any official MLB connection, that aired for only a single season. Simply titled Home Run Derby, the short-lived program served as the direct inspiration for the official All-Star event we know and love today.
There were 18 Major Leaguers that appeared on Derby, ten of which went on to become Hall of Famers: Eddie Matthews, Al Kaline, Willie Mays, Duke Snider, Mickey Mantle, Gil Hodges, Frank Robinson, Ernie Banks, Hank Aaron, and Harmon Killebrew. Every one of these sluggers appeared on the cover of SPORT Magazine at least once in some form.
Hank Aaron made the most appearances on Derby, with seven, each of which consisting of a single head-to-head matchup, winning six times. Mickey Mantle racked up the most home runs overall, smacking 44 into the bleachers over five episodes. In total, 26 thirty-minute episodes were produced until, sadly, host Mark Scott passed away shortly after this first season finished airing. Rather than carry on with a new lead, the show came to an end just as it was beginning.
The first “official” MLB Home Run Derby was held in 1985, a full quarter-century after the TV program it took inspiration from. Dave Parker won that inaugural competition in Minnesota’s Metrodome with only six homers, a far cry from the kind of numbers we’re accustomed to today. Last year’s winner, Cal Raleigh, hit 19 bombs in the semifinal round alone.
The growth of the Derby speaks to baseball’s modernization as a whole. We’re in a new era, one that demands fast-paced excitement—bigger, louder, and with more swagger. MLB’s 2026 Home Run Derby, streaming for the first time on Netflix, is sure to be just that.