Bryce Harper claims Home Run Derby balls are juiced as MLB pushes back: ‘Everybody knows it’
Bryce Harper alleged that the baseballs used in the Home Run Derby are "juiced." He made the comment after hitting a 482‑foot home run during the event. Major League Baseball has responded by pushing back against the claim.
- ▪Harper said the Derby balls are juiced but did not explain how he knows this.
- ▪He hit a 482‑foot home run in the recent Home Run Derby.
- ▪Harper suggested that using altered balls would not be unfair because the Derby is an exhibition.
- ▪MLB officials have disputed the allegation and have not confirmed any changes to the balls.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
Jon Heyman Bryce Harper claims Home Run Derby balls are juiced as MLB pushes back: ‘Everybody knows it’ By Jon Heyman Published July 16, 2026, 9:30 p.m. ET Bryce Harper swings during the Home Run Derby on July 13. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Bryce Harper says he knows one reason balls were flying again at the Home Run Derby: The baseballs are juiced. He declined to say how he knows this but sounded certain off a derby that saw him launch a ball 482 feet. “I’m not going to answer that. But they’re juiced,” Harper told The Post. “Everybody knows it. They do it every year.” The Derby is an exhibition, so it wouldn’t be crazy or unfair to juice them, and even Harper himself (and Mike Trout) have advocated for metal bats to be used in the Derby.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at New York Post.
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