Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The 2026 Home Run Derby features star talent including two Philadelphia Phillies players but one record appears safe.
- The park's longest home run record stands at 505 feet and was set in a real game, not under derby conditions.
- Participants focus more on quantity than distance, making a 500-plus foot blast highly unlikely under the pressure of the event.
The 2026 Home Run Derby is loaded with star talent, including two players of the hometown Philadelphia Phillies, Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber. Yet, while there could be plenty of records that fall on Monday night (both good and bad, see Jazz Chisholm in 2025), one that appears safest is the longest home run in Citizens Bank Park history.
That record is held by Ryan Howard, former Phillies World Series champion and longtime slugger. Howard finished his career with 382 home runs, all of which came in a Phillies uniform. Don't be surprised if he's in attendance on Monday night, and if he leaves the stadium with his record still in tact.
The longest home run in Citizens Bank Park history
Howard holds the record for the longest home run in Citizens Bank Park history. That blast came in a real game against the Cincinnati Reds, when Howard hit a towering 505-foot homer off Aaron Harang.
On this day in Philly sports history, June 27, 2007
— Mismatch Philadelphia (@MismatchPhilly) June 27, 2026
Ryan Howard hit the 100th home run of his career.
The blast off Aaron Harang made Howard the fastest player in MLB history to reach 100 career home runs, accomplishing the feat in just his 325th career game.
Howard’s mammoth… pic.twitter.com/0RhaNuD9zA
While a 505-foot home run could very well be within reach considering the Home Run Derby is just glorified batting practice (yeah, I said it), participants like Schwarber and Harper aren't necessarily trying to hit the ball as far as possible. Rather, they're more considered with the number of home runs they can hit in a predetermined number of pitches.
As Pete Dwyer pointed out in his Home Run Derby predictions piece, the vast majority of home runs will go to left and right field, where a 329-foot or 330-foot blast can clear the wall, respectively. Citizens Bank Park has a 101 park factor in 2026, which puts it just above league average. The six visiting participants have hit a combined two home runs at Citizens Bank Park since 2023.
Why Ryan Howard's record is likely safe at the 2026 Home Run Derby
The longest home run hit at the 2025 Home Run Derby was 513 feet, courtesy of Pittsburgh Pirates slugger Oneil Cruz. That would obviously break Howard's record if one of the eight participants were to replicate Cruz's success.
ONEIL CRUZ 513 FEET pic.twitter.com/v4TK6GEXjR
— Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) July 15, 2025
Yet, the longest home run in the 2024 Home Run Derby was just 473 feet from Marcell Ozuna of the then-Braves. The longest home run in the 2023 Home Run Derby went 484 feet, courtesy of Luis Robert Jr. of the then-White Sox. All three of the longest home runs in Derby history occurred in 2021 when the event was held at Coors Field. You get the picture.
Essentially, hitting a ball over 500 feet, even in batting practice, is tough to do. This is doubly true given the pressure that players are under in the Home Run Derby with millions of baseball fans watching them live.
That makes Howard's achievement all the more impressive. His home run went over 500 feet in live action, and should stand the test of time, even with multiple hitters — two of whom are the best in Phillies history — taking aim on Monday night.
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