The All-Star festivities continued this weekend as the MLB draft was held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, marking the first time that Philadelphia has hosted the event.
However, for the second consecutive year, there wasn’t a single draftee in attendance. Spectators certainly showed out. Fans repping jerseys from across the league filled the space to celebrate future MLB talent.
MLB Network’s Siera Santos and Robert Flores, along with Eliza Andrus served as the draft hosts, and fans were treated to a parade of mascots, karaoke, and Home Run Derby prize tickets while teams were on the clock. The West Powelton Steppers, also known as the Phillies Bassline, also contributed to energizing the crowd.
League commissioner Rob Manfred was met with a chorus of boos as he offered his opening remarks, where he highlighted the city and America’s 250th.
“There’s no place more fitting to celebrate the games future than a city that has helped define its past,” Manfred said.
Fans cheer during the 2026 MLB draft at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on Saturday.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
“From Hall of Fame legends Dick Allen, Richie Ashburn, Steve Carlton, and Mike Schmidt, to World Series champions Cole Hamels, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, and Chase Utley, generations of Phillies greats have inspired the passionate fans in this city. [On Saturday], that historic spotlight turns to a new wave of players who may one day evoke the same type of admiration for these young men and their families. Today marks a life-changing milestone on their journey.”
Rollins was in attendance and made an appearance on stage with Greg Luzinski. Hamels was also present as one of the analysts for the draft coverage, alongside Mark DeRosa, Harold Reynolds, and Dan O’Dowd. MLB Network’s Greg Amsinger was the broadcast’s host.
Saturday consisted of the first four rounds and Sunday will conclude the remaining 16. Here’s a look at the locals who were selected on Day 1.
Texas outfielder Aiden Robbins during an NCAA baseball game against Coastal Carolina on Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke).Michael Wyke
Third round
The first area player off the board was Holy Ghost Prep graduate Aiden Robbins, a Yardley native, who was selected by the New York Mets with the 92nd overall pick.
The 6-foot-2 outfielder transferred to Texas this past season after spending his first two years of college at Seton Hall, where he led the Big East with a .422 batting average.
With the Longhorns, Robbins was among the team leaders in average (.333), OPS (1.122), runs (68), hits (79), total bases (165), and slugging percentage (.696). He also was a key contributor to Texas’ run to the College World Series. The Longhorns were eliminated by Georgia and finished fifth nationally. Robbins capped his junior season with 24 homers and was named SEC Newcomer of the Year.
Moorestown High product Ryan Lynch was drafted 97th to the San Diego Padres.
Lynch, a 6-3 right-handed pitcher, spent most of his freshman year with North Carolina in a reliever role, before earning starts in the postseason. Following his freshman season, Lynch earned freshman second team All-American honors by D1Baseball and Baseball America, along with a spot on the 2025 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.
As a sophomore, Moorestown native Ryan Lynch started in 18 of his 19 appearances, finishing the season with a 4.21 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 98⅓ innings pitched.Vera Nieuwenhuis
This year, as a sophomore, he started in 18 of his 19 appearances, finishing the season with a 4.21 ERA and 89 strikeouts in 98⅓ innings pitched. He finished his two years with a 10-5 record, 161 career strikeouts, 61 walks, and a 3.72 ERA.
During the Tar Heels’ run in the College World Series, Lynch pitched in North Carolina’s first win over West Virginia, throwing 4⅔ innings, giving up two runs. In Game 2 of the final series against Oklahoma, Lynch left the game in the fourth inning with an oblique injury after recording five strikeouts and giving up two earned runs.
DETROIT — Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler declined to be added to the National League All-Star team when approached by MLB on Friday, he said.
“Because they disrespected me, so I’m not going to participate in it,” Wheeler said. “I’m not going to be disrespected.”
Dodgers left-hander Justin Wrobleski was named a replacement instead on Saturday for Reds pitcher Chase Burns. Wrobleski has a 2.69 ERA and 1.01 WHIP over 100⅓ innings pitched this year.
Despite a 2.28 ERA in his first 14 starts, Wheeler was not named to the initial roster through the player vote. Nor was he included in the first round of player replacements for pitchers who opted out of appearing in the game. Phillies lefty Jesús Luzardo was added to the NL team on Tuesday and is set to make his first career All-Star appearance.
Wheeler was almost certainly initially excluded because of the Phillies’ rotation schedule, which has him starting Sunday’s series finale in Detroit. Typically, pitchers who start the final game before the All-Star break are unable to appear in the All-Star Game.
However, following his start Tuesday in Cincinnati, Wheeler said he would be willing to throw an inning anyway. After striking out 14 Reds over seven innings, Wheeler said the snub had been on his mind.
After his start on Tuesday in Cinncinnati, Zack Wheeler said his seven inning, 14 strikeout start was “kind of a reminder for whoever needs to be reminded.”
Carolyn Kaster
“I feel like that’s kind of a reminder,” Wheeler said, “for whoever needs to be reminded.”
But because the league didn’t approach him until three days later, Wheeler said he felt like their “fifth option,” which he found disrespectful. If the league had invited him earlier in the week, his answer would have been different.
Making the All-Star team is one of three goals Wheeler sets for himself every year, along with winning a Cy Young Award and a World Series. He has three career All-Star selections, but has only appeared in the game in 2021. He did not pitch in 2024 or 2025.
“There’s other years where they ask me to be in it, and I said no, but I was maybe struggling through some stuff or whatever it may be, but this time it’s pure disrespect,” Wheeler said.
Wheeler believes his numbers speak for themselves, and doesn’t think that his return from thoracic outlet decompression surgery less than a year ago should have factored into the league’s decision. The right-hander had a rib removed last September to treat his venous thoracic outlet syndrome.
It’s a procedure that has ended other pitchers’ careers, but Wheeler has not missed a step.
“I don’t need somebody saying, ”Oh, he’s had major surgery. Look at him now.’ No, I don’t need that. That was my plan to come back as who I was, or even better,” Wheeler said.
Zack Wheeler has a 2.28 ERA in 14 starts since his return from thoracic outlet decompression surgery.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
Although he felt disrespected by the league, his teammates made sure that he knew they valued him. Following Wheeler’s postgame interview Tuesday, catcher Garrett Stubbs had T-shirts made with Wheeler’s quote on them, which he distributed to everyone. The shirts also featured a rooster with Wheeler’s No. 45, a nod to his walk-out song, “Rooster” by Alice in Chains.
“He deserves being an All-Star. And it’s [B.S.] that he’s not,” Stubbs told The Inquirer on Friday.
While Wheeler didn’t wear the shirt himself, many of his teammates did, along with Phillies staff and coaches. Even interim manager Don Mattingly wore one during his media availability on Friday.
“I really just don’t say much. So when I do, I guess they think it’s funny and stuff,” Wheeler said. “So they just made a funny T-shirt and supported me. So I appreciate it.”
Adding to Wheeler’s overall frustration was the fact that this snub could affect him post-career. Along with other factors, All-Star selections are sometimes taken into account by some Hall of Fame voters evaluating a player post-career.
“People who vote on stuff after your career might look at that too,” Wheeler said. “And for somebody to kind of take that away from me, it doesn’t sit well with me. So that’s why I’m kind of saying what I’m saying.”
He added that he doesn’t want to hate on the All-Star Weekend festivities and hopes his six teammates attending the festivities in Philadelphia — Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Brandon Marsh, Cristopher Sánchez, Jhoan Duran, and Luzardo — enjoy it.
“I don’t want to sit here and sound like I’m just hating on the whole thing. It’s fun. It’s a privilege,” Wheeler said. “There’s something to it, especially after your career, you have those accolades next to your name. Two-time All-Star, or seven-time All-Star. Obviously, the seven sounds a lot better.
“But at the same time, it was kind of just personal. I just don’t want to be disrespected as a person or at my job. I take it very seriously, and it’s just me as a person, too. Like I said before, maybe I didn’t earn it from the get-go, but maybe the second choice. Once I feel like they kind of messed that up, I’m out.”
Extra bases
Justin Crawford (left knee soreness) was out of the Phillies starting lineup Saturday for the second consecutive game after slipping on the grass pregame Friday. He woke up Saturday feeling better and without swelling, so Mattingly said there currently isn’t a plan for him to get imaging. He could possibly be a pinch-hit option Saturday. … Andrew Painter struggled Friday for triple-A Lehigh Valley, giving up seven earned runs on eight hits over just 2⅔ innings. He walked four batters. … Wheeler (9-1, 2.28 ERA) is scheduled to start opposite Tigers lefty Tarik Skubal (5-4, 3.06) Sunday in the Phillies’ final game before the All-Star break.
The former Phillies World Series champion made his way to the Mitchell & Ness flagship store on Saturday morning to help Make-A-Wish dreams come true. Afterward, the three-time All-Star went to Dilworth Park for an All-Star rollout with Xfinity.
“I know a lot of us are doing things,” Rollins said. “Shane [Victorino] is going to be doing things. Chase [Utley] is doing a lot. … Ryan [Howard]. We’re the last team to win a championship for baseball here. So, it’s only right that we’re here representing the city the way we are.”
Fanatics hosted a private shopping experience for five Make-A-Wish kids at the new Mitchell & Ness flagship. Their families will also attend All-Star Weekend festivities.
Each child was given a $250 gift card and were surprised with a special appearance from Rollins, who was in charge of helping the children shop. For 11-year-old Braxton Ham, he had his eyes set on a classic Rollins Phillies jersey.
Fanatics hosted a private shopping experience at the new Mitchell and Ness flagship for five Make-A-Wish kids and their families ahead of attending their All-Star Weekend festivities.Fanatics
When Rollins noticed, he decided to gift Ham a separate item.
“I got Braxton over there the store exclusive All-Star basketball warmup for baseball,” Rollins said. “You can only get it at this store. He’s the only one that went for it. It’s fire, he’s wearing it right now. He got the green Phillie Phanatic hat on. And that was courtesy of me. He spent his $250 on my jersey and I couldn’t just let him walk away with one thing.
“So, I was like lets go through, lets get something. He was looking at me [with his] eyes big. I was like you bought my jersey, let me return the favor. He’s over there fitted. He’s going to look clean at the Home Run Derby.”
Throughout the hourlong shopping spree, Rollins searched the racks and got to know the kids a little more. The three-time All-Star even tried to make a few important Facetime calls.
“These events are very special,” Rollins said. “We have a chance to make an impact. … I was speaking to [one of the kids], a big Red Sox fan. Of course, I called David [Ortiz], no response. I called Pedro [Martinez], no response. But, Tuesday after the All-Star game, I told him I would be in the studio with Pedro and we’re going to Facetime him. So, little stuff that I can add on top of this experience.”
The Fanatics Foundation serves as the official sports partner of Make-A-Wish, dating back to Oct. 2023.
“In the last three years we have already granted 1,000 sports related wishes,” said Grace Farraj, the executive director of Fanatics Foundation. “And again today, we’ll have the honor to grant five more wishes. Our mission is to engage our network of athletes and teams and leagues to bring to bear some amazing experiences in our local communities around the globe.”
Rollins and Xfinity’s All-Star rollout
Nearly an hour later, Rollins greeted a number of fans at Dilworth Park. The former NL MVP climbed inside a purple Xfinity All-Star rollout truck, handing out autographs and items like iPads, baseball gloves, socks, and hats. He posed with fans in front of a purple Xfinity lowrider afterwards.
“It’s a good event for the city,” Rollins said. “Xfinity is putting on and I’m here just to bring some smiles. I’m handing out some autographs, I’m here just to put on for the city to be honest.
“I’ve been here doing a lot of things. This is another activation. So, everything I got to do to bring joy to the city. It’s been 30 years since the All-Star Game was here last. I was drafted 30 years ago by this team and it’s been a fun ride growing up in this city.”
Xfinity’s All-Star rollout truck and lowrider will continue to tour the city, making stops at FIFA Fan Fest, Spruce Street Harbor, and the Comcast Plaza. Sunday, the truck will return to Dilworth Park with an appearance from John Kruk taking place between 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity to have the All-Star game here,” said 21-year-old Eddie Mazurkiewicz. “There’s been a lot of excitement for a while now and I feel like people are ready for it.”
Numerous events will take place over the next four days in honor of the league’s All-Stars. And through all the festivities, there’s just one thing missing — or we should say, one person missing — Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler.
The right-hander has been left off the National League roster, which features six Phillies players: Brandon Marsh, Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Christopher Sánchez, and Jesús Luzardo. The snub left many voicing their frustration, including World Series champion Jimmy Rollins.
“I 100 percent believe he was snubbed from being an All-Star,” Rollins said. “We’ve seen the guys they want to make stars come up and have five starts and become an All-Star because they have a name for themselves. Zack Wheeler has been doing it for a while and part of being an All-Star is having a reputation of being a great starter, that he is. He’s been Cy Young second place for a number of years. The guy over in Pittsburgh [Paul Skenes] is pretty good so we understand that.
“But for him to not be in the All-Stars, especially in this city, coming back with nine wins in the first half, that’s a pretty tough pill to swallow. And if I’m him I would be [ticked]. But I would want to make sure if I’m him, I’m taking it out on everyone who had a chance to vote me in. And we open against the Dodgers when we start the second half. So, that’s all I’m saying. I’m going to leave it at that.”
In Wheeler’s first 14 starts of the season since returning from thoracic outlet syndrome, he posted a 2.28 ERA.
Wheeler is currently scheduled to start on Sunday against the Detroit Tigers, making him ineligible to pitch for the midsummer classic two days later.
Various MLB players are displayed at the All-Star Village at the Pennsylvania Convention Center on Saturday, and Zack Wheeler’s face is not among them.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
“Most over-hated player in baseball,” said 17-year-old Caleb Garbcht. “He should’ve been in over Luzardo. Should have a Cy Young to his name. Should be in the All-Star Game. I think this motivates him. I think we’re going to see him come back in the playoffs, throwing 97, 98. Honestly, he’s going to be more motivated than ever.”
Haley Garbcht, 22, Caleb’s sibling, added: “Yeah, Philly loves an underdog. So, Wheeler will just keep getting better and finally get the recognition he deserves.”
Following the Phillies’ 4-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday, which saw Wheeler tie a career-high with 14 strikeouts across seven innings, the 36 year old revealed he was bothered by the snub.
“I feel like that’s kind of a reminder for whoever needs to be reminded,” Wheeler said after his stellar performance.
The quote has now led to a new Garrett Stubbs T-shirt, featuring the outline of a rooster with Wheeler’s No. 45 inscribed on it, which pays homage to Wheeler’s walkout song “Rooster” by Alice in Chains.
“Stubbs always brings the energy and does everything he can to get the guys ramped up,” said 18-year-old Brian Donahue. “[Wheeler] will just prove that he deserved it during the season and in the playoffs, and people will regret not picking him.”
Ten-year-old Owen Villamayor approached the batting box with his bat held high and a determined look on his face.
As the pitching machine spat bright yellow balls across home plate, Villamayor, who plays Little League baseball in Chalfont, took a few strikes and hit a few fouls before he managed to drive a homer into the netting above left field.
“It’s a little harder than you think,” Villamayor said afterward. “The balls come in higher and you have to learn how to hit them.”
Villamayor was one of the dozens of early attendees Saturday morning inside the Convention Center at the Capital One All-Star Village, where the line for the home run derby quickly got as long as a theme park ride on a busy day. Old, young, boys, girls — everybody wanted to hit a dinger.
“This is so nice for all the families,” said his dad, Chris Villamayor, a 44-year-old nurse anesthetist. He said his family, decked out in Phillies gear, was excited for an All-Star Game where six Phillies were chosen to play.
A vintage Tug McGraw World Series jersey is seen on display in the Hunt Auction section at the All-Star Village at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pa., on Saturday, July 11, 2026.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Chris Villamayor said he was in middle school in 1996 when the All-Star Game last came to Philadelphia. So his excitement has been building since the league announced Philly would host the annual midsummer classic game that brings together some of its best players.
“Bryce Harper is definitely our favorite,” Villamayor said.
John Hoesle of Northeast Philly brought his two teenage sons to the All-Star Village, and they got in line to try their hand at a home run. When it was Hoesle’s turn, he was all business, hitting ball after ball, no big deal.
“It was fun,” Hoesle said. He said he played baseball with the Police Athletic League when he was a teen, and never lost his love of the game. Now, he coaches his sons’ team in Bensalem. That has given him countless opportunities to talk to his sons about the lessons that come with the game.
“You’re by yourself when the baseball is hit to you, you feel like you got to make the play, and your teammates are counting on you. It’s just a great feeling for kids to have,” Hoesle said.
Michael London, of Fort Washington, Pa., is at the “Home Run Robber” with his dad Stephen London, of Ambler, Pa., at the All-Star Village at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pa., on Saturday, July 11, 2026.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
At a nearby scaled-down baseball diamond, an array of children tried their best on the turf, while their parents cheered them on.
Amber Green, 40, took the train from Deptford with her family so that her 4-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter could join in the fun.
“It’s really exciting,” Green said. She and her sister were at Game 5 of the 2008 World Series, when the Phillies beat the Tampa Bay Rays at Citizens Bank Park, winning their first World Series since 1980.
Her 4-year-old son has little connection to that generation, Green said, but he recently got to meet Phillies All-Star pitcher Cristopher Sánchez, and now he’s a fan.
“The season is so long, and they can start at such a young age,” Green said. “And to live so close to a major league team, we feel lucky.”
Green said her son had turned to YouTube to prepare for the “Home Run Robber,” a fan event that puts participants in aVelcrosuit and lets them jump into a Velcro wall that looks like an outfield wall, simulating what it would be like to rob a batter of a home run.
“You just jump right up there,” said Walt Diamond, a 14-year-old high school baseball player who came to the All-Star Village with his parents.
The All-Star Village, which is broken into five sections named for areas of Philadelphia, includes tons of other activities. One of the more moving displays charts the history of the Negro Leagues from baseball’s segregated past through the mid-20th century, when Jackie Robinson became the first Black player in MLB.
The MLB All Star Brass Band provided by BD Entertainment is seen performing at the All Star Village near the South Philly section at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pa., on Saturday, July 11, 2026.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
One big draw is the autograph area and clubhouse, where retired Phillies greats Cole Hamels, Bobby Abreu, and John Kruk are set to make appearances, along with other pro players and even some mascots. With events and autograph signings scheduled through Tuesday, when the All-Star Game starts at 8 p.m., baseball fans still have plenty of time to take in the experience.
The All-Star Game returns to Philadelphia in coming days with more than baseball.
It arrives with two sprawling shopping destinations, hundreds of exclusive products, and a merchandising operation at both the Convention Center and Citizens Bank Park. Fanatics, the sports-commerce giant, will anchor All-Star Village with a flagship store, while Aramark has transformed the two-level Phillies New Era Team Store at the ballpark into a showcase of All-Star-exclusive merchandise.
Like the FIFA World Cup, Super Bowl, Formula One races, and the recent PGA Classic at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Major League Baseball treats its marquee events as multiday fan festivals. The result: The Midsummer Classic has become as much a retail event as a baseball event.
All-Star-theme baseball gloves on display at All-Star Village inside the Convention Center.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
“Commercially, it ranks in our top three events,” said Jamie Leece, a senior vice president with MLB. “From a business perspective, I’d say it’s our most important because we’re bringing every team together in one place.”
Unlike the postseason, where only a handful of teams remain, the All-Star Game draws fans from all 30 teams. MLB expects more than 80,000 people to visit All-Star Village over the four days.
“We have passionate fans who travel to multiple All-Star Games, and we also have people attending for the first time,” Leece said. “We want to make sure they have an incredible experience and can find merchandise that reflects their fandom.”
A temporary retail city
The biggest attraction inside All-Star Village may also be its biggest business.
The merchandise at All-Star Village inside the Convention Center includes posters and original art.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Fanatics, led by Philadelphia-area entrepreneur Michael Rubin, will operate a 16,000-square-foot flagship store at the Convention Center — its largest All-Star retail footprint since Los Angeles hosted the game in 2022. The company says the store, open to ticket holders, will carry more than 400 product styles from Nike, New Era, Mitchell & Ness, Homage, WinCraft, ’47 Brand, and Fanatics.
The assignment is fitting for a company with deep local roots. Fanatics traces its modern growth to Rubin’s King of Prussia-based GSI Commerce, which acquired the business in 2011. After eBay purchased GSI, Rubin bought Fanatics back and transformed it into one of the world’s largest sports-commerce companies.
Today, analysts say the privately held company expects about $13 billion in revenue this year and employs more than 22,000 people worldwide. In addition to operating licensed merchandise for the major professional leagues, it owns Topps, the baseball-card maker, and has expanded into collectibles, sports betting, live events, and media.
A Phillies throwback jersey on sale at All-Star Village inside the Convention Center.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
Under a long-term partnership with MLB and Nike, Fanatics manufactures and distributes much of Major League Baseball’s licensed fan apparel, making the All-Star Village store the public face of a merchandising operation that extends far beyond All-Star Week in Philadelphia. Most of the merchandise in the store was conceived, approved, manufactured, and shipped months before fans ever walked through the Convention Center doors.
This year’s assortment leans heavily into Philadelphia.
Shirts available at the All-Star Village at the Convention Center.Michael Klein / Staff
The company said host-city merchandise, particularly jerseys and hats, has become an increasingly important part of every All-Star collection. Philadelphia-themed offerings include Homage’s Grateful Dead-inspired Patriot T-shirt and “Always Sunny in Philly” shirt, ’47 Brand’s “Hit That Jawn” and cheesesteak-themed designs, and Sportiqe’s Elton John-inspired “Philadelphia Freedom” T-shirt.
Home-field advantage
If Fanatics anchors the Convention Center, Aramark — the Phillies’ concessionaire — is treating Citizens Bank Park as a shopping destination in its own right. Its two-story shop is open daily to the public except for Sunday.
After the July 2 home game against the Pirates, Aramark workers cleared the store of all regular Phillies merchandise and began loading in All-Star items. The store was expanded in the offseason to about 7,500 square feet.
Some of the 84 All-Star pins designed by Aramark that are for sale at Citizens Bank Park. Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Francis Winkey, Aramark’s senior merchandise manager at the ballpark, said the store has about 400 All-Star items, about 75% of them exclusive. Winkey, a pin collector himself, commissioned 84 pins, including one representing each major-league team.
Behind the displays is a manufacturing process that begins more than a year before the first pitch. MLB develops the event’s logos and branding, then works with dozens of licensed manufacturers specializing in a wide range of products — caps, jerseys, drinkware, collectibles, and other souvenirs. Companies submit designs for league approval before production begins, often months in advance, at factories overseas.
The biggest complication is that no one knows who will make the All-Star teams until shortly before the game. Most merchandise, therefore, celebrates the event or the host city rather than individual players. When player-specific products are planned, manufacturers often build in flexibility so they can be finished after the rosters are announced.
At Citizens Bank Park, Aramark’s Francis Winkey holds souvenir baseballs that were stamped with Bryce Harper’s name after he was named to the All-Star Game roster.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer
Take the commemorative baseballs that Winkey dreamed up. Last fall, he ordered Rawlings baseballs featuring bold All-Star graphics that intentionally had one blank panel.
Once the rosters were announced, Winkey had a domestic factory finish the baseballs. “When I knew Shohei Ohtani made the team, I could put Ohtani’s name on it,” Winkey said. “It’s a combination of long-term planning and a short-term reaction.”
The store carries six player editions, including Ohtani and Phillies sluggers Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, for $17 a throw.
Bigger every year
MLB executives say the retail operation has grown alongside the event itself.
“Whenever we’ve expanded the retail space, we’ve seen the business grow,” said Leece, of MLB. “It’s always a balancing act because All-Star Village is a celebration of baseball, not just a shopping destination. We want activations, interactive experiences, and things for fans to do beyond buying merchandise.”
The assortment has expanded, too. “We have more licensees creating more unique items,” Leece said. “International fandom has grown significantly, so we now have fans traveling from all over the world. As the audience has expanded, so has the variety of merchandise. One category that’s really emerged over the last several years is oversized chains and necklaces. They’re a good example of a product category that really came out of nowhere.”
A commemorative shirt from Fanatics affiliate ’47 available at the All-Star Village at the Convention Center.Michael Klein / Staff
Philadelphia’s role as host city during the nation’s 250th anniversary celebration also shaped the collection. “It always starts with the identity of the host city,” Leece said. “Philadelphia’s history aligns naturally with the Phillies’ identity.”
Across the ballpark, All-Star Village, and MLB’s online stores, about 600 products will be available during the week.
One operational change won’t be visible on the sales floor.
“We’ll have the largest on-site retail staff we’ve ever had, both at All-Star Village and the ballpark,” Leece said. “We want fans to spend less time waiting in line and more time enjoying everything else the event has to offer.”
Retail analysts say the All-Star Game occupies a unique niche in the licensed sports business.
Commemorative T-shirts on display at All-Star Village.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer
“The All-Star Game is really about on-site souvenirs,” said Matt Powell, founder of the sports retail consultancy Spurwink River. “People are there and want something to commemorate the experience because it’s essentially a one-off event.”
Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData, said demand tends to split between wearable keepsakes and collectibles.
“One is simple products like T-shirts or caps linked to the Phillies or the All-Star Game,” Saunders said. “The other is collectible items that can be more expensive. The real fans or those who love collecting are enthusiastic about these.”
The All-Star retail boom reflects the growth of licensed sports merchandise into a multibillion-dollar global business. One industry estimate valued the market at $38 billion in 2025, with North America accounting for more than half of sales. Apparel remains the largest category, helping explain why jerseys, caps, and other wearable souvenirs dominate event retail.
Unlike merchandise driven by blockbuster trades or new uniforms, Powell said, All-Star merchandise derives much of its value from the event itself.
Fans aren’t simply buying apparel. They’re buying proof they were there.
Yet for all the focus on merchandise, Leece said the larger goal is creating memories.
“I hope they slow down,” he said. “I hope they walk in, look around, and appreciate that they’re somewhere special. This is baseball’s World’s Fair. It only happens once a year, and for Philadelphia it only comes around every couple of decades.”
Mastery Cramer Hill students Joshua Medina and Alyssa Negron were feeling confident about their chances in the MLB Players STEM League regional tournament last month at Drexel.
The two 14-year-olds were competing against 24 other middle schoolers in a board game in which players use statistics to draft teams and batting lineups. MLB Players STEM League is a baseball-inspired program created by the Major League Baseball Players Association’s Players Trust that integrates the real-world game into the classroom.
“The strategies that me and Alyssa had, nobody could take it and use it for themselves,” Medina said. “We felt [empowered] to win everything. And some of the competitors were my classmates, and they were cheering us on in the final game. It was very heartwarming.”
Medina and Negron finished with a 4-1 record to take home the title, win tickets to a Phillies game, and earn a behind-the-scenes look at the All-Star Game and Home Run Derby.
“These students are two of many incredible achievers who have done great and have learned from the game,” said Amy Hever, executive director of the Players Trust. “And they are going to be seen by many. We are excited about seeing how other students and other youth are like, ‘Wow, that could be me. I could have this opportunity and also get to play this really cool, fun game. Sign me up.’”
Although the STEM League led to an opportunity for the Negron family to attend the All-Star festivities, Alyssa’s father, Jonathan, is more proud of her growth in her first year competing.
“She’s been more open to trying new things than before,” Jonathan said. “She never really wanted to before, but this was her last year at Mastery, so I was like, ‘Hey, let’s try whatever you want. I got your back. We’ll get through it together.’ And she tried this out, and she said her math wasn’t that good. But, hey, they both came out together and got through it.”
Medina and Negron met players like Brandon Marsh on the field at the Phillies game against the New York Mets that they attended. Now, they’re looking forward to meeting even more All-Stars this weekend.
“It was really fun meeting the players,” Alyssa said. “Like, you hear about them all on TV. So to meet one in person was a good experience. I’m looking forward to meeting new players and spending time with everybody who is going. I want to meet Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, and Shohei Ohtani.”
Joshua Medina, 14, and Alyssa Negron, 14, met the Phillies’ Brandon Marsh ahead of a game against the New York Mets last month.Players Trust
Medina and Negron aren’t the only ones who will be treated to a behind-the-scenes All-Star experience. Through the Players Trust’s Players Exchange program, which teaches communication skills through insight from MLB players, 12-year-old Philadelphia native Isabella Gonzales will act as an interview correspondent during media day.
Players Trust also partnered with Kyle Schwarber’s Neighborhood Heroes, which supports first responders, military personnel, and their families, to bring the family of late Central Berks Regional Police Officer Kristen Yeager for a close-up of the All-Star action.
Yeager died in a crash as she was responding to an emergency call on May 29. She left behind three children: Tanner (9), Conner (8), and Carli (5) and her husband, Dustin.
“It’s amazing, you know, the people that do this stuff behind the scenes,” Dustin said. “You don’t necessarily know that it’s going on until there’s an unfortunate event. But in my case, it’s just amazing that there’s people out there willing to do that work and give you and others that experience when you’re at a loss. For the kids to have that experience to see the park, to get that distraction, to let them know there’s good out there even when bad things happen. There’s still people that do amazing things and help you out.”
This won’t be the first time the family experiences Citizens Bank Park. A few weeks after the incident, Schwarber met with the family on the field.
“We went down and met him, and he sat with the kids for a little bit and invited us to the Home Run Derby,” Dustin said. “I think it’s still hard for them to even grasp the whole situation like how good of a player he is, how lucky they are to be able to sit with him for half an hour and talk to him. They just asked questions like ‘How many home runs he hit?’ They were interested and happy to meet him.”
Dustin, who works at FirstEnergy Stadium, and his family typically attend Reading Fightin’ Phils games. But the 10,000-seat minor league park is dwarfed by the 42,901-seat Citizens Bank Park.
“It’s cool to see their eyes open up when you walk down there and see something that big on that scale,” Dustin said. “Having them be on the field again, that’s just a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the kids. Just looking forward to their reaction and even afterward, explaining to them how lucky they are to get this experience, even though it came from a tragedy.”
There was an obvious sense of pride coursing through Citizens Bank Park Friday night as every baseball player, coach and keeper of the game opened Philadelphia’s days-long All-Star Game celebration with the annual showcase HBCU Swingman Classic, a game featuring elite players from historically Black colleges and universities.
Alongside that sense of pride was also a palpable sense of urgency, too obvious to be an undercurrent, too important to be ignored.
Certainly, former players, coaches and managers who are African American don’t ignore the conundrum that in a game that is arguably more diverse than it’s ever been yet fighting a decline in the number of Black Americans participating on the field. The sport that annually celebrates color-barrier breaker Jackie Robinson has seen the percentage of Black players dwindle from a record high of approximately 18% in 1991 to 6.8% this season.
The Swingman Classic, the brainchild of Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., was born out of a belief that a game had to recapture the hearts and minds of Black America. To succeed completely, the game once more has to convince a culture that its history and populations have not been “lost, stolen and strayed,” to borrow a civil rights term from the 1960s.
Griffey Jr., who works with Major League Baseball, the players’ union and other entities to rebuild a shrinking constituency, makes clear his intent.
“This is very important to me,” Griffey Jr., 56, said prior to the Classic clash. “I feel that I’m helping the parenting of baseball and giving these young kids an opportunity to be seen. ‘Cause I’ve lived my dream. I’ve gone out there, played 22 years. I want the same opportunity for every kid. No matter your background, as a kid, you just want to be seen and be heard.”
Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr., walks on the field during batting practice before the HBCU Swingman Classic on Friday at Citizens Bank Park.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
From early childhood, Junior had no trouble being seen or heard, while growing up in major league clubhouses and watching and learning the game as his father, Ken Griffey Sr., thrived in 19 big-league seasons. “It was always, ‘Dad, I want to be a major league player.’ Junior was always so proud to get out on the field on Father-Son Day. It was fun. And he was good,” Griffey Sr. said.
He was also a great student, blessed with talent, genes, and a thirst to learn from the plenty of icons he mingled with. The likes of Willie Mays, Henry Aaron, Willie McCovey, and other greats graced his mother’s dinner table when in Cincinnati to play Senior’s Reds. He played on the field with the children of his father’s teammates like Pete Rose and Tony Perez. He was in the presence of Johnny Bench and Joe Morgan routinely.
Getting that close-up of an era that embodied the golden age of Black American ball showed Junior the way, and the sweet-swinging, Gold Glove-fielding center fielder made the most of what he learned, using his skills through 22 seasons to build a Hall of Fame career.
Neither father nor son is willing to rest on their laurels. While both insist that their shared experiences did not lead them to ever judge teammates by color, nationality, or ethnicity, that did not mean either wanted to see the legacy built by their own culture disappear from the game.
Senior is especially too well aware of a change gone awry. “When I played in Cincinnati, I would walk into a clubhouse with Joe Morgan, George Foster, Ed Armbrister, Danny Driessen, Hal King and Tommy Hall.” And on the Yankees teams he played on? “Well, they put us altogether, on one side of the clubhouse, so it was easy to spot us,” he said, laughing. “There was Oscar Gamble, Andre Robertson, Billy Sample, Willie Randolph, Groove [Don Baylor], Big Blood [Dave Winfield]. And Rudy May was over with the pitchers.”
No major league team can point to such an abundance of homegrown players of color today. If a team has more than two or three African Americans, it makes headlines on Jackie Robinson Day. What also makes headlines is teams that have no African American players in highly publicized events like the 2022 World Series between the Phillies and Houston Astros.
Members of the National League team line up during player introductions before the HBCU Swingman Classic.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Tuesday, the Phillies will have on hand the Black players who constructed positive vibes decades after the team treated Jackie Robinson horrifically. Jimmy Rollins and Ryan Howard surely will lend their support to the All-Star Phillies’ family fest. Dick Allen memories will abound. Gary Matthews and Garry Maddox should be easy to spot. And yet that urgency about how to include African Americans in the game’s massive number of people of color will linger long after the midseason classic ends.
That is why Junior Griffey, with his father at his side, is focused not on fastballs, but on the formula that assures that Black players will be seen by scouts, teams, GMs, and eventually fan bases.
It will require work as well as events like the Swingman Classic to begin to break the mesmerizing allure of the NBA and NFL when it comes to athletes gifted enough to go in more than one direction. This the Griffeys know. This Griffey Sr. has lived, as have three grandsons who chose to play football, one — Trey — professionally with the Steelers.
“Baseball was my fourth sport, behind football, basketball and track,” said Senior. “And we were a football family. My father played college football. I was all-state in Pennsylvania. But a baseball scout watched me. He got tryouts with the Pirates, then two with the Reds. I faced Doc Medich in batting practice and hit two home runs.”
A contract followed after Cincinnati drafted Griffey Sr. in the 29th and final round of the amateur draft. Years later, he watched Junior become the first pick in the 1987 draft. “Dad was the last person picked by the Reds in his draft,” Junior said. “He spent 19 years in the big leagues because somebody took a chance.
“Some of these kids here, going to these schools, they get lost in the shuffle,” Junior added. “Scouts or someone else, they don’t go into these inner-city kids and find these diamonds in a rough. So, I can see 15 guys, but it may be this one guy that’s playing over here that is a monster. The key is you look.”
No one guarantees a Griffey will break through because of this one event. But 10 participants in past three HBCU Classics have been drafted.
Will baseball turn to its past, to a time when HBCUs used to be fonts of future baseball talents? For once Jackie arrived in 1947, the talent hunt was on, waged by forward-thinking teams that could not resist talents to be found within the Negro Leagues, on farm fields, in the factories and, yes, the nation’s HBCUs.
From Morgan State in Baltimore, Joe Black, one of Robinson’s first Black teammates in Brooklyn, and the first Black pitcher to win a World Series game. Hall of Famers Lou Brock (Southern University), Andre Dawson (Florida A&M), and mainstays such as Tommie Agee, (Grambling State), Cecil Cooper (Prairie View A&M), and Marquis Grissom and Vince Coleman (Florida A&M) followed.
“Now people say Blacks don’t play baseball anymore,” Senior said. “That’s not true. Every year I go down to Vero Beach for the Hank Aaron Invitational. Over 200 kids show up, little kids to teens. And these kids can play.”
Indeed, graduates of the Aaron annual camp and showcase include the Braves’ Michael Harris II, the Cardinals’ Jordan Walker, White Sox rookie Braden Montgomery, the Yankees’ Carlos Rodon and the Nationals’ Nasim Nuñez. They all came through one or more of baseball’s programs designed to attract American players of color to the game.
Oh, and there is one other youngster worth mentioning. Justin Crawford, son of former major leaguer Carl Crawford, now patrols center field for the Phillies.
Crawford, like Griffey Jr., is working hard in the family business, building not only on a family legacy, but one baseball is dusting off and showing off again, the Griffeys hope.
Claire Smith is the founding executive director of the Claire Smith Center for Sports Media at Temple University. She is in the writers’ wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame and a Red Smith Award honoree.
The first event at Citizens Bank Park for All-Star Weekend was held on Friday night as almost 17,000 people filled into the ballpark for the fourth annual HBCU Swingman Classic.
Created by MLB Hall of Fame player Ken Griffey Jr., the game featured former Phillies World Series champion Jimmy Rollins as the manager of the National League team. Rickie Weeks, who spent 14 seasons in MLB and had a legendary college career at Southern University, a Baton Rouge, La. based historically Black university, was the manager of the American League.
The American League rode a three-run first inning to open the game to secure a 6-1 win.
And Philadelphia local Santino Harwood helped them get there. Harwood, was one of 50 players across 19 historically Black colleges and universities selected to participate in the game. He entered in the top of the fourth inning for the American League, playing shortstop through the last out.
Harwood recently finished his sophomore year at Delaware State with a .296 batting average, third-best on the team. The Roman Catholic graduate had two at-bats, hitting a single through the five-six gap in his first plate appearance, and forcing a walk in his second.
Jacoby Radcliffe, a senior from Southern who scored the first run of the game, was named the game’s MVP.
“I feel like I took it all in because I don’t know when my last game is going to be, and to be playing in such a prestigious ballpark like this, it was just phenomenal,” Radcliffe said.
Santino Harwood of Delaware State University finished with a single and walk in two plate appearances during the HBCU Swingman Classic.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Created with the intention of giving players from HBCUs more exposure and opportunities, the Swingman Classic highlights the achievements of young Black players in baseball, while also setting an example. With the current number of Black players in the MLB decreasing, Weeks said getting more Black children involved in playing baseball again starts at home with parents.
“I think in the next five to 10 years, it should be spiking a little more because I think the parents in the household are watching more baseball because of the Black players,” Weeks said.
And while the main event was happening on the diamond, there was no shortage of entertainment surrounding the game while also honoring traditions and the people that impact HBCUs.
Roger Cador, Southern’s former legendary baseball coach and a 2022 inductee into the College Baseball Hall of Fame, was honored with a video ahead of the third inning. Before the fifth inning, former Phillies pitcher Al Holland was honored with his own video tribute. Both Cador and Holland recently passed away.
The nine historically Black sororities and fraternities, known as the Divine Nine, performed on top of the dugouts in between frames. Flyers arena host DJ Hollywood was also a part of the festivities playing music between innings.
Philadelphia’s official drum line, the West Powelton Steppers, which also performs at Phillies games as the Phillies Bass Line, had several performances before and during the game as well.
Nearly 17,000 people attended the fourth annual HBCU Swingman Classic at Citizens Bank Park on Friday night.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker threw out the ceremonial first pitch, while two-time Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter Eric Roberson performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” and Grammy award-winning vocalist Durand Bernarr sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Comedian Roy Wood Jr. was the ballpark emcee for the event.
Despite the bigger stage and fanfare that surrounded the Swingman Classic, Rollins said the game had the same feelings of joy and camaraderie that accompanied playing baseball as a child.
“I came out the dugout and I’m seeing the ball go around a diamond, guys running bases, ball coming off the bat. I’m like, ah, this [is] real baseball,” Rollins said. “And not that it’s never not, [but] it’s just to see the movements, the actions, the style on the field. It reminded me when I was a kid running out there and trying to put on a show.”
DETROIT — As soon as he heard what Zack Wheeler said, an idea started to form in Garrett Stubbs’ mind.
Despite a 2.28 ERA through his first 14 starts of the season, the Phillies right-hander had been left off the National League All-Star roster. He had not made the initial team through the player vote, and has not been added as a replacement, either. Wheeler is scheduled to pitch on Sunday, the Phillies’ final game before the All-Star break, which almost certainly led to the snub — even though Wheeler said he would still be willing to pitch an inning.
The quote was exactly the kind of thing that Stubbs likes to put on a T-shirt. The Phillies backup catcher, known as a key contributor to the clubhouse culture, has created several shirts in the past displaying the Phillies’ inside jokes, which he then distributes to his teammates.
Last season, Stubbs handed out light blue shirts with the image of former Phillie Harrison Bader and the words “What a Gift” emblazoned on them. It became a catchphrase of sorts for the outfielder after the Phillies acquired Bader at the trade deadline, and many of his teammates wore the shirts in his honor during pregame activities.
But the shirts that the majority of the Phillies players, coaches, and staff wore ahead of Friday’s series opener in Detroit were more than just a fun joke. It was a message.
After his dominant start against Cincinnati on Tuesday, Zack Wheeler said of his All-Star snub: “I felt like that’s kind of a reminder for whoever needs to be reminded.”Carolyn Kaster
The words “That’s a reminder for whoever needs to be reminded” were printed on red shirts, along with the outline of a rooster with Wheeler’s No. 45 inscribed on it. At home games, Wheeler walks out to the song “Rooster,” by Alice in Chains.
“It means what he was talking about in his interview,” Stubbs said about the shirts. “Just that he deserves being an All-Star. And it’s [B.S.] that he’s not.”
While Stubbs jumped into action creating the shirts with the company BreakingT, the team almost didn’t receive them. Bad weather delayed the shipment to Comerica Park in Detroit. But when BreakingT reached out to UPS for help, they happened to get in contact with a Phillies fan in Michigan who was sympathetic to their cause.
“She took it into her own hands to make sure that they got here in time,” Stubbs said.
He added that he’s working on trying to get the UPS worker to a game at Comerica Park in thanks for her help.
“Just testament to our fan base,” Stubbs said. “One, how big it is, and then two, the extra mile that they’re willing to go. … They’re just they’re in love with what we do here, and it’s cool to see them get involved, and especially to help us out. So hopefully we can get in touch with her and get her tickets to the game, and she can enjoy it.”
Wheeler didn’t know what Stubbs was planning, but he laughed when the catcher handed him a shirt on Friday. Stubbs didn’t expect him to wear it — “He usually sticks to his own stuff,” he said — but the majority of the rest of the team did. Even interim manager Don Mattingly had the shirt on during his pregame media availability.
“He should be an All-Star,” Stubbs said. “His numbers are incredible, he’s an incredible guy, he’s a good representation of the league, and he should be in there.”
Extra bases
About 30 minutes prior to first pitch on Friday, Justin Crawford was scratched with left knee soreness. Derek Hill drew into the lineup in his place. … Cristopher Sánchez (10-4, 2.62 ERA) is scheduled to make his final start before the All-Star break on Saturday against Tigers right-hander Casey Mize (4-5, 2.64).
