What to watch for during the 2026 MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia

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The All-Star Game is ever 1 of the astir breathtaking events connected the Major League Baseball calendar, and 2026 is nary exception.

Airing connected FOX from Citizens Bank Park successful Philadelphia connected Tuesday astatine 8 p.m. ET, with pregame sum starting astatine 7 p.m., this year's All-Star Game pits immoderate of the champion players successful shot against each other.

Derek Jeter, David Ortiz, Alex Rodriguez, Kevin Burkhardt, and Ken Rosenthal volition supply pregame sum and analysis, on with peculiar impermanent Jon Bernthal presenting a tribute to players who served successful the equipped forces voiced by Morgan Freeman. There volition besides beryllium a tribute to legendary NBA prima Julius Erving, who played the immense bulk of his vocation successful Philadelphia.

Big stage, prima players, and plentifulness of breathtaking young players getting their changeable connected a nationalist platform. Here's immoderate of the astir interesting, breathtaking storylines to follow.

Mike Trout

Trout made his past All-Star Game quality successful 2023, arsenic the 34, soon to beryllium 35-year-old has battled injuries for astir of the past fewer seasons. But a rejuvenated Trout has erstwhile again proven to beryllium backmost astatine the apical of his crippled successful a mostly steadfast archetypal half. While he's a surefire first-ballot Hall of Famer, you ne'er cognize however overmuch longer he'll beryllium capable to support his accumulation arsenic helium ages, making each accidental astatine a nationalist level must-see TV. Not to notation that the Los Angeles Angels', uh, struggles, to scope the postseason mean that the All-Star Game is the biggest showcase Trout has.

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Mike Trout wearing Los Angeles Angels azygous lasting astatine Yankee Stadium

Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels stands anterior to the crippled against the New York Yankees astatine Yankee Stadium successful the Bronx, N.Y., connected April 13, 2025. (Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire)

Young stars

Both the American and National League teams volition diagnostic immoderate of baseball's brightest young players, immoderate making their archetypal quality connected specified a ample stage.

Tampa Bay Rays prima Junior Caminero starts successful the outfield aft an outstanding archetypal fractional that proved his 2025 play was nary fluke. Playing the archetypal fractional astatine conscionable 22-years-old, Caminero deed 28 location runs successful his team's archetypal 94 games, putting him connected gait for 48 implicit a afloat season, with an outstanding 12.9% locomotion rate. Already, he's been 24 runs much invaluable connected discourtesy than the mean hitter, and the nationalist level tin assistance deservedly rise his profile.

Ben Rice, of the New York Yankees, starts astatine archetypal base, and portion he's often overshadowed by teammate Aaron Judge, he's softly been 1 of the astir productive hitters successful shot the past 2 seasons. Thus acold successful 2026, he's been 66% amended than league mean connected offense.

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The National League starting lineup features shortstop CJ Abrams and outfielder Andy Pages. Abrams has been a spot of a throwback benignant player, hitting 20 location runs and stealing 15 bases successful the archetypal fractional with a .275 batting average. Another subordinate who doesn't get the attraction helium deserves acknowledgment to playing successful Washington, DC, Abrams is inactive conscionable 25 and establishing himself arsenic 1 of the astir breathtaking young shortstops successful baseball. Pages likewise gets overshadowed, acknowledgment to playing successful LA, but he's turned into a antiaircraft unit and he's been the 2nd astir invaluable violative subordinate successful the Dodgers star-studded lineup. Not to notation that 2025 Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin, catcher for the Atlanta Braves, starts down the plate.

Both teams person a heavy seat of young players, with the AL featuring rookie Kevin McGonigle, astonishing Chicago White Sox infielder Miguel Vargas, outfielder Ceddanne Rafaela, and Japanese import Muetaka Murakami, who's deed 20 homers successful conscionable 60 games.

The National League has Sal Stewart, having an awesome play for the Cincinnati Reds, Pete Crow-Armstrong, who's turned his play astir and seems headed for different 30-30 run with the Chicago Cubs, and James Wood, rapidly becoming 1 of the astir feared hitters successful the athletics with the Nationals.

The Philadelphia Phillies volition big the 2026 MLB All-Star Game astatine Citizens Bank Park. ((Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images))

Fireballers

If there's 1 happening that's go vitally important crossed modern baseball, it's velocity. And the All-Star Game volition person plentifulness of it, peculiarly with respective pitchers knowing they'll beryllium pitching successful shortened stints.

Chase Burns, who averages astir 98 mph connected his fastball, has been outstanding for the Cincinnati Reds. Paul Skenes makes his 2nd All-Star Game quality arsenic helium establishes himself arsenic a perennial Cy Young candidate. Jhoan Duran, hometown person successful Philadelphia, volition bring his 100+ mph sinker to the mound, arsenic volition ascendant Padres person Mason Miller.

Then there's Jacob Misiorowski. "The Miz" has been astir unhittable frankincense far, with conscionable a 1.62 ERA and 167 strikeouts successful 111 innings. Not astonishing considering his fastball averages implicit 100mph, adjacent arsenic a starter, and helium acceptable a caller grounds this twelvemonth with the fastest pitcher thrown by a starting pitcher successful the Statcast era.

On the AL side, Aroldis Chapman continues to beryllium successful the high-90s adjacent successful his age-38 season, arsenic does ascendant Guardians person Cade Smith and Blue Jays reliever Louis Varland.

Hometown favourite Christopher Sanchez starts for the NL, portion Dylan Cease gets the shot for the AL.

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Another Swing-off?

The 2025 All-Star Game ended regularisation successful a 6-6 tie, starring to a caller signifier of tiebreaker: the swing-off. Three players, 3 swings, astir location runs wins. And Phillies prima Kyle Schwarber got the occupation done for the National League, going three-for-three. The format was wide praised for adding play and deciding the result successful quick, breathtaking fashion. Will we spot different 1 successful 2026?

Even with the accustomed dropouts and wounded replacements, unluckily including Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, there's plentifulness of star-power connected the tract astatine the All-Star Game. And the raucous assemblage successful Philadelphia volition person plentifulness of reasons to cheer for location stars similar Bryce Harper, Schwarber, Brandon Marsh, Duran, Sanchez, and Jesus Luzardo.

Bryce Harper stands connected the tract successful Philadelphia.

Philadelphia Phillies prima Bryce Harper is introduced up of the MLB All-Star Home Run Derby Monday, July 13, 2026, successful Philadelphia. (Matt Slocum/AP)

Here are the afloat starting lineups and reserves for some leagues:

AL: