MLB Home Run Derby 2025: Jordan Walker Wins, Netflix Broadcast Criticized
The Facts
Jordan Walker of the St. Louis Cardinals won the 2025 MLB Home Run Derby, defeating Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber in the final round on Schwarber's home turf. Walker became the first Cardinal to win the event, closing out the final with six consecutive home runs. The Derby was broadcast on Netflix, which featured actor Will Ferrell as part of its commentary team.
How different outlets are framing this
ABC News and Fox News cover the same event but focus on entirely different aspects of it. ABC News centers its story on the athletic competition itself, framing Walker's victory as a dramatic comeback narrative — emphasizing the hostile crowd environment in Philadelphia, Schwarber's home-field advantage, and Walker's clutch performance to 'silence the Philly boo birds.' The piece is straightforwardly sports-focused, treating the Derby as a compelling contest with a satisfying underdog arc.
Fox News, by contrast, largely ignores the on-field result and instead leads with the Netflix broadcast controversy, using Will Ferrell's commentary as the story's hook. The framing is sharply critical of both Ferrell and Netflix, amplifying negative fan reactions from social media platform X and using charged language like 'bombs,' 'brutal,' and 'cringe.' This approach reflects a pattern common to Fox News entertainment and culture coverage, where media criticism — particularly of streaming platforms — is foregrounded over the sporting event itself.
Together, the two articles illustrate a broader split in how the Derby was consumed: as a sports story about Walker's historic win, or as a media story about Netflix's handling of a marquee broadcast. Notably, ABC News omits any mention of the broadcast criticism, while Fox News buries or omits Walker's victory almost entirely, suggesting each outlet is curating the story to match its audience's primary interests.
Source Articles
- Fox News14 Jul, 11:37Will Ferrell bombs during MLB Home Run Derby as baseball fans torch Netflix's broadcast
Will Ferrell's Home Run Derby commentary drew brutal X reactions, with fans calling his routine cringe and begging for a mute button all night.
- ABC News14 Jul, 01:51Jordan Walker spoils Philly’s Kyle Schwarber party, rallies to win Home Run Derby
Jordan Walker played spoiler in Philadelphia and homered on his last six swings to knock off Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber and silence the Philly boo birds in the final round, becoming the first Cardinal to win the Home Run Derby