The GIST: Somebody call Smash Mouth because MLB All-Star Week has arrived, with baseball’s best descending on Philadelphia for 48 more hours of glimmering festivities. From tonight’s Home Run Derby to tomorrow’s All-Star Game (ASG), here’s everything you need to know about MLB’s mid-summer classic.
💥 Classic Home Run Derby format returns — Tonight at 8 p.m. ET: MLB is playing the hits…literally, returning to a non-timed round format. While hitters were on the clock in recent years, this year’s batters will have a set number of swings to blast as many dingers as possible over the course of the three-round, eight-player competition.
- Hometown heroes, Philadelphia Phillies Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper will certainly have the crowd behind them, but NY Yankees slugger Ben Rice could spoil the party — he has the third-most long balls in the majors this year.
⭐ ASG features fan favorites and rising stars — Tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET: The best of the best from the American League (AL) will take on the top stars from the National League (NL), as decided by a combination of fan voting, player ballots, and selections by MLB. And while some top players will sit out due to injury (miss you already, Shohei Ohtani), there’ll still be plenty of shine.
- Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Dylan Cease gets the start for the AL in his first career ASG and could benefit from some run support from Chicago White Sox Rookie of the Year frontrunner, first baseman Munetaka Murakami.
- As for the NL, they’re rolling with two seasoned vets. Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale and LA Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman will both make their 10th career ASG appearances. Play ball, baby.