HR Derby Got Its Magic Back + Assembling an All-Time Astros HR Derby

Summary

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Payne & Pendergast: "HR Derby Got Its Magic Back + Assembling an All-Time Astros HR Derby"

Date: July 14, 2026
Hosts: Seth Payne & (guest host) Chris Partee, in for Sean Pendergast
Podcast: Payne & Pendergast (Audacy)

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Episode Overview

The episode dives into the renewed excitement around the MLB Home Run Derby, celebrating its revived sense of drama and fun. Hosts Seth Payne and guest Chris Partee reminisce about childhood awe for the Derby, break down the thrilling 2026 edition, and debate which Astros legends would make the ultimate all-time Home Run Derby roster. The conversation blends nostalgia, humor, and sharp Houston sports analysis, staying true to the show’s unfiltered, relatable tone.

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Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Home Run Derby: Nostalgia Meets New Format

• Chris Partee opens with childlike enthusiasm for the Derby’s drama:

  "It made me feel like I was 10 years old again. It made me feel like a kid again. Honestly, I love the Home Run Derby growing up and last night's had exactly what you would want in such a competition. It had drama, there was intrigue. It really came down to the end. Almost like a buzzer beater." (01:27)

• Seth Payne praises the tournament/bracket format and finals setup:

  "After all the experimenting with different formats, everything, I just, just like simplifying it the way they did and having a finals and all that. I like that format." (02:07)

• Discussion clarifies the structure of recent Derbies:

  "I know they made some rule changes as far as the 20 pitches, the 15 pitches, but I believe this format, they've done it maybe a couple of years now where they do. It's more like a tournament." (02:21)

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2. 2026 Home Run Derby Recap: High Drama & Iconic Moments

• Finals Drama: Jordan Walker vs. Kyle Schwarber
  Partee paints the scene:

  "It came down to the finals...Jordan Walker, he got to his last swing and needed what? Six. He needed six home runs. He needed to hit basically six in a row." (02:48)
  "As he's hitting these home runs, you can actually hear the fans in Philly...they got quieter and quieter. I mean, he literally silenced the crowd." (03:01)

• Payne highlights the Philly factor:

  "It's Philly, so it's always...it's fun to silence a Philly crowd." (03:16)

• Walker’s Storybook Path: Payne brings up classic athlete backstories:

  "Jordan Walker had some of the best, like all time cliche baseball stories. Like slept with his glove under his pillow from the time he was 3 years old, hit his first out of the park home run at the age of six and hit his grandma's car. Like, and then comes into the clutch moment and has to hit six home runs in a row. And hit six home runs in a row." (03:23)

• Athletic Challenge: Discussing the physical and mental demands:

  "The Home Run Derby is the athletic event that if I were to try to enter right now would be most embarrassing for me, just not being in the kind of physical condition to do it...you'd just be gassed." (03:57)

  Partee adds:

  "Even some of those guys were getting tired and they do it for a living. Imagine us trying to be out there." (04:33)

• Comparing Pressure:
  Payne likens Derby pressure to golf:

  "There's a little bit of that dynamic too. Almost like, you know, you never appreciate how much pressure is on golfers until you're...in some kind of...situation where all of a sudden there's a boatload of people watching you and you're just a hacker golfer." (04:38)

• NFL Analogy:
  Payne contrasts his NFL experience:

  "The nice thing about being a defensive tackle though is that you never have that kind of pressure...you're like literally protected by 21 other people." (05:25)

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3. Does Home Run Derby Performance Sway MVP Voting?

• Payne questions the subconscious impact of Derby moments:

  "I always wonder just a little bit, like, let's say if Jordan gets injured or something...if Junior Caminero had won the Home Run Derby or something. I think that that weighs into the subconscious of the voters a little bit." (07:17)

• Partee highlights the subjectivity in MVP voting:

  "There's really no, like, set criteria to vote for mvp. It's very subjective...There may be voters out there that say, oh, well, he did have a very good showing or he won the Home Run Derby. That might. Maybe that puts him over the top for me." (07:30)

• Aura and Modern Athlete Persona:
  Payne:

  "It's aura. It's all about aura...There's a little extra aura that goes with winning a Home Run Derby." (07:53)

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4. Build Your Own Astros All-Time Home Run Derby: Dream Lineups

• Partee introduces the fun hypothetical:

  "You get four Astros hitters from any era you want to put in this Home Run Derby. Who you got?" (09:45)

• Payne’s Picks:

  1. Yordan Alvarez - Payne’s emotional #1 pick
  2. Jeff Bagwell
  3. George Springer – For "pure emotion" and spectacle
  4. Jose Altuve – For underdog appeal

     "There is a shock and awe factor that comes from just him being so diminutive that I think would be awesome. That it would just be an awesome spectacle for him to...win the Home Run Derby and he'd get extra style points because he'd be the smallest guy out there." (10:45)

• Partee’s Picks:

  1. Jeff Bagwell
  2. Yordan Alvarez
  3. Lance Berkman
  4. Jose Altuve

  "He's that. I mean, he's the franchise guy. He's going to end up being a lifer here in Houston. So you gotta. Gotta throw him in there." (13:15)

• Methodology:

  • Payne acknowledges emotion and recency bias in his choices.
  • Wishes the Derby offered statcast-based bonuses for long home runs to reward power and spectacle. (11:41)

  "I think for part of it with Yordan would just be the majesty of it." (11:41)

• Other Astros Considered:

  • Partee notes other franchise greats like Jimmy Wynn and Jose Cruz but prioritizes players he’s seen in his lifetime.
  • Springer and Berkman both make lists for emotional connection as much as for stats.

• Kyle Tucker Discourse:
  Payne explains why he leaves off the talented Tucker despite his abilities:

  "There's just something about Kyle Tucker that's just always rubbed me the wrong way...He's probably lowest on the [emotional] ladder [for fans]." (14:28)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Derby Climax:

  "He literally silenced the crowd." – Chris Partee, on Jordan Walker, (03:01)

• On Childhood Wonder:

  "It made me feel like I was 10 years old again." – Chris Partee, (01:27)

• On Altuve:

  "There is a shock and awe factor that comes from just him being so diminutive that I think would be awesome." – Seth Payne, (10:45)

• On Pressure:

  "The Home Run Derby is the athletic event that if I were to try to enter right now would be most embarrassing for me..." – Seth Payne, (03:57)

• On "Aura":

  "It's all about aura...There's a little extra aura that goes with winning a Home Run Derby." – Seth Payne, (07:53)

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Key Timestamps

• 01:23–03:57 — Home Run Derby nostalgia, drama, and game format breakdown
• 03:57–06:17 — The mental and physical challenge of Derby vs. NFL positions
• 07:15–08:15 — Home Run Derby’s potential MVP voting impact, athlete "aura"
• 09:45–11:29 — Astros all-time HR Derby: initial picks and reasoning
• 13:04–15:19 — Deep dive on emotional vs. statistical picks, the Kyle Tucker debate

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Tone and Language

• The episode was enthusiastic, nostalgic, and conversational, driven by a genuine passion for baseball and Houston sports legacies.
• The hosts shared personal anecdotes, playful teasing, and candid opinions, maintaining an accessible and inclusive feel for Houston sports fans.

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For Astros fans and baseball lovers, this episode offers a heartfelt look at what makes the Home Run Derby magic—and brings back all the childhood awe, with a side of classic Houston sports debate.

Transcript

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[Lowe's Promo Host]

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[Commercial Announcer]

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[Chris Partee]

He's Seth Payne. I'm actually Chris Partee. I'm in for Sean Pendergrass this morning and we had a Home Run Derby last night and All Star Game this evening. Now we'll get into to how the Astros tie into this evening's All Star Game and whether or not you care. But Seth, last night's Home Run Derby, to me, it made me feel like I was 10 years old again. It made me feel like a kid again. Honestly, I love the Home Run Derby growing up and last night's had exactly what you would want in such a competition. It had drama, there was intrigue. It really came down to the end. Almost like a buzzer beater.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, the format is, after all the experimenting with different formats, everything, I just, just like simplifying it the way they did and having a finals and all that. I like. I like that format. I do too. I don't know how long is it, but how long have they been with this current format then?

[Chris Partee]

I think, I think this year I know they made some rule changes as far as the 20 pitches, the 15 pitches, but I believe the. This format, they've done it maybe a couple of years now where they do. It's more like a tournament.

[Seth Payne]

So brackets. So for those of you who didn't watch the highlights or see it or anything, it came down to the finals was what? Jordan Walker versus Kyle Schwaber. Right. Simple as that. And. And it came down to the final swing for both those guys.

[Chris Partee]

Yes, yes. And so Jordan Walker, he got to his last swing and needed what? Six. He needed six home runs. He needed to hit basically six in a row.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Chris Partee]

And he actually did it. And as he's hitting these home runs, you can actually hear the fans in Philly because Kyle Schwaber is the hometown player, hometown hero. They got quieter and quieter. I mean, he literally silenced the crowd.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, yeah, that, like. Yeah, yeah. And it's Philly like, so it's always. It's fun to silence a Philly crowd.

[Chris Partee]

Always.

[Seth Payne]

That was. No, that was really, really cool. I like the. I like hearing the stories around those guys too. And Jordan Walker had some of the best, like all time cliche baseball stories.

[Chris Partee]

Yes.

[Seth Payne]

Like slept. Slept with his glove under his pillow from the time he was 3 years old, hit his first out of the park home run at the age of six and hit his grandma's car. Like, and then. And then comes into the clutch moment and has to hit six home runs in a row. And hit six home runs in a row. And that was after Schwaber Schwarber's home run on his final swing. That was the first time all night that somebody hit a home run on their final.

[Chris Partee]

It was.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, it was so. It was. No, it was all like the way you'd want to try to create as much drama as possible. I thought it worked out really, really well. And it was cool. It's fun that the Home Run Derby is always that one thing that, like, as much as impressive as it is to watch people run a 4, 340 and do all that stuff, I feel like the, The Home Run Derby is the athletic event that if I were to try to enter right now would be most embarrassing for me, just not being in the kind of physical condition to do it. You know, like when you, you can imagine you're trying to hack at the ball that many times in a row and you'd just be gassed.

[Chris Partee]

It's time. I mean, even some of those guys were getting tired and they do it for a living. Imagine us trying to be out there.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah. Taking 20 swings in a row and it's. And you got all Eyes on you. It's because there's a little bit of that dynamic too. Almost like, you know, know you never appreciate how much pressure is on golfers until you're in some kind of like nothing that approaches the PGA or anything. But when you're put in those situations where all of a sudden there's a boatload of people watching you and you're just a hacker golfer, that.

[Lowe's Promo Host]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

You realize like, oh man, I'm not as mentally tough as I thought I was. And those guys are up there and like in front of a stadium full of people kind of in a golf like situation.

[Chris Partee]

Yeah. I think that's something we take for granted as fans. And I mean, you, you know this better than any of us here. Being on the field, whatever field it is, court. And just being out there in front of so many eyes watching you.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Chris Partee]

In the crowd, on television, what have you.

[Seth Payne]

You know, the nice thing about being a defensive tackle though is that you never have that kind of pressure because when you get, if you have a really bad down, there's still two other levels of the defense for it to be a genuinely highlight worthy play. Usually another couple people have to screw up or get their butts kicked too.

[Chris Partee]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

So you're kind of protected. People don't notice the good stuff you do as well. They don't notice that as much either. But you're like literally protected by 21 other people that are around you when you start off with the ball like that. So like being a cornerback or just like being an offensive tackle, when you screw up, screw up, it's a big, big deal and people see it. Defensive tackle, it's a little bit like unless you get baptized and, you know, completely trucked, you're not going to, you're not going to show up on the low light reel.

[Chris Partee]

It's crazy because, you know, playing in the trenches like you did.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Chris Partee]

You talk about how, I guess what you do can be overlooked. Yet it's probably the most important area on the field.

[Seth Payne]

What's happening in the trench negotiations?

[Chris Partee]

Did it work?

[Seth Payne]

I don't think you guys understand the value I bring to this organization. And let me tell you why you're being stupid right now. Yeah, that. No. The. No. But it's different than like, yes. Standing there at the Home Run Derby in a completely meaningless situation. The only thing. But because it's, you know, Camino Jr. Camino right now is second in the ALMVP odds for Jordan. And any voter for the MVP would tell you, like, oh, it's Stupid for you to think that this might have some kind of an effect on my voting. But I always wonder just a little bit, like, let's say if Jordan gets injured or something and the. The odds get a little bit closer. Jordan has to miss 10 or 15 games. I feel like this kind of stuff. Not that I want Yordon in the Home Run Derby. I don't want him.

[Chris Partee]

You don't.

[Seth Payne]

You wouldn't want to.

[Chris Partee]

You wouldn't want to see that.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah. But if it came down to more of the wire, I wonder if sometimes, like if Junior Caminero had won the Home Run Derby or something. I think that that weighs into the subconscious of the voters a little bit. But luckily he didn't. He wasn't in the final.

[Chris Partee]

Yeah, but that's the thing about these, about something like the Home Run Derby and voting for mvp. There's really no, like, set criteria to vote for mvp. It's very subjective. So you might be right. There may be voters out there that say, oh, well, he did have a very good showing or he won the Home Run Derby. That might. Maybe that puts him over the top for me.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah. Even if it's not conscious.

[Commercial Announcer]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

It's aura. It's all about aura. The kids, we talked last segment about how I. They didn't invent social media until I was just about done in the NFL. So. Yeah, like aura. Aura just meant what aura meant. Where now the way they. The way that the kids use the word aura, I feel like there's a little bit of aura. There's a little extra aura that goes with winning a Home Run Derby

[MLB The Show Announcer]

evening.

[Chris Partee]

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[Seth Payne]

You what?

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[Chris Partee]

So there's no.

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[Chris Partee]

I guess I'll let myself out. Congratulations. I mean it.

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[Lowe's Promo Host]

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[Chris Partee]

Exactly. So I asked you, I want to ask you this question, Home Run Derby last night and you just mentioned how you do not want to see Jordan Alvarez in the Home Run Derby. What if we did? And Astros all time Home Run Derby. Oh, you get four. You get four Astros hitters from any area you want to put in this Home Run Derby. Who you got?

[Seth Payne]

Okay, so Jeff Bagwell is the all time.

[Chris Partee]

I think everyone's going to say Jeff

[Seth Payne]

Bag Home Run Derby champion. Yeah. And not to mention just to see his swing yet again or to see his stance yet again. That part of it. And I feel like, you know, there's a younger generation of Astros fans that don't really understand Jeff Bagwell because they might only know him as his, you know, front office member color commentary.

[Chris Partee]

I don't understand how good he was

[Seth Payne]

that don't appreciate that. I honestly, I had a hard time thinking about this and I think I, I think I put, I would still put Yord on first.

[Chris Partee]

Okay.

[Seth Payne]

And. And then I would put Bagwell. I'm gonna base this on nothing but pure emotion. I think I put, I think I would put Springer third again based on pure emotion and then Altuve a fourth, if only just as a reminder that. Hey, hey everybody. I know they say it all the time and everything. Yeah, he's really tiny, but which makes it that much more impressive. It's kind of like a short guy in the dunk competition. El Tuve in the home run competition. There is a shock and awe factor that comes from just him being so diminutive that I think would be awesome. That it would just be an awesome spectacle for him to, to win the Home Run Derby and he'd get extra style points because he'd be the smallest guy out there.

[Chris Partee]

That is. Now I'm kind of surprised you went your don over Jeff Bagwell.

[Lowe's Promo Host]

Now.

[Chris Partee]

Is that more of a recency bias there or. I know you said it's emotion, but yeah, I know Jeff Begwell is the all time leading home run hitter in the franchise.

[Seth Payne]

I think this is the other thing about it That I feel. One thing I was thinking last night was I do wish they would make the stat cast part of it. Like if you get. I feel like you should get bonus points for anything over 350ft. It's like things like our. Like you get. You hit one over 400ft and you get three extra points or something for it. So I think for part of it with Yordon would just be the majesty of it. I think there's just more of a potential for just a more. More majestic home runs in Lance than Jeff Bagwell. Unfortunately we don't have all the statcast data on Jeff Bagwell's home runs.

[Chris Partee]

No.

[Seth Payne]

Unless somebody, somebody's probably gone back in time and done all these great guys and everything.

[Chris Partee]

I'm sure someone has gone back retroactively

[Seth Payne]

and you know, calculate the parabola of all of his hits based on the television broadcast.

[Chris Partee]

Yes. You know, somebody that had a lot of time on their hands. I'm sure somebody has done that. We'll have to find that one day. It won't be today. But, but, but one day. So I got some of the same guys as you. I put Jeff Bagwell first all time leading home run hitter in franchise history. Then Jordan actually put Lance Berkman up there.

[Seth Payne]

Oh yeah. You know what. Yeah. That's where. Yeah.

[MLB The Show Announcer]

Do.

[Seth Payne]

When you ask if Recency by. See, Lance Berkman is the George Springer of the the for why I might put him on there. There's just a certain lovability or emotional attachment to him aside from their actual home run hitting prowess.

[Chris Partee]

Yeah.

[Seth Payne]

But the Springer Springer vaults ahead of a couple of guys that the re. And the recency bias is probably affecting me more than it should.

[Chris Partee]

And then I put out to a fourth.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah.

[Chris Partee]

I mean he's the, he's that. I mean he's the franchise guy. He's going to end up being a lifer here in Houston. So you gotta. Gotta throw him in there.

[Seth Payne]

And he's. He's what currently how many behind Craig Vigio is he on the all time? 76, 30 something? 25 behind.

[Chris Partee]

Okay, 25. Yeah, he could get that.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah. That's where I get. But you know, and then when you talk about that I'm completely and totally biased from guys that I've watched in my adult lifehood because the guys like you know, Jimmy Wynn and others just aren't. They're the, the Jose Cruz I could have put on there. But he's not nearly as high up on the list as those guys.

[Chris Partee]

No, no. There were some other guys you could have put on there, but picking just four, you know, those are the guys that I went with. And I think everyone, you know, automatically the first two you're going to say is back well in your dawn in whatever order.

[Seth Payne]

Yeah, I tried to, I did a little. I had to test myself with Kyle Tucker. Kyle Tucker's not nearly as high on the list, but no, I thought about him too. I just, for the esthetic part of it, just for the beauty of his swing and everything. But then there's also the side of me that just, just, just, I just don't cotton to Kyle Tucker. There's just something about Kyle Tucker that's just always rubbed me the wrong way.

[MLB The Show Announcer]

Really?

[Seth Payne]

Oh, yeah. No, ever since A.J. hinch had. There's always been something about Kyle T. Tucker that in that golden era, Chris. Yeah. Like you have to remember that when Kyle Tucker was a young player, AJ Hinch just flat out said that he had to have a conversation with Kyle Tucker about being like, having a little bit more urgency to him, like being more of a, like doing things the Astros way, where he just, there was something about this is not like the others. And he just never fit into kind of just the core and the feel of what some of the golden era players had. And it's always just, it's always been a little bit of a square peg in a round hole. That's why. And I think emotionally, when you talk about the really good players that have left in recent years, I would guess if you did a power ranking of how much emotional attachment guys felt to some of the genuinely good All Star caliber players, I think he's probably lowest on the, on the ladder.

[Chris Partee]

I can agree with that. Baseball talk On Sports Radio 610 is presented by Xfinity Score, the most reliable Wi Fi 1 price 5 years guaranteed and Xfinity. Imagine that. Coming up next, we will do some headlines.

[Lowe's Promo Host]

Messi fans. Lowe's messy halftime event hits July 19th. That's coming up fast. So now's a really good time to become a Milo's Rewards or Milo's Pro Rewards member. Join for free and get access to exclusive messy moments and epic surprises. Let's just say halftime's looking different this year. Make sure to follow Lowes on TikTok and tune in to the Lowe's Messy halftime event on July 19th. Members get more at Lowe's loyalty programs subject to terms and conditions. Visit lowe's.com terms for details. Subject to change.

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[Chris Partee]

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[Lowe's Promo Host]

Yep.

[Chris Partee]

So anyways, this has Refreshing Break brought to you by Snapple Real Tea, Real Juice with Snaps and Disney Refreshing presented by T Mobile, the official wireless partner of Odyssey Sports. With an awesome network and great savings, there's never been a better time to join T Mobile. Visit your neighborhood store to make the switch today. Are you looking for a pro football

[Seth Payne]

podcast that doesn't put you to sleep with spreadsheets or insult you with mindless hot takes? Football is fun. Why shouldn't your football podcast be the same?

[Chris Partee]

Follow and listen to Heed the Call NFL Podcast with Dan Hanzas and Mark Sesler Wherever you get your podcasts.