2026 All Star Game - Citizens Bank Park

[el-pietro]

Matt Breen is saying the 2026 All Star game will be held at CBP, announcement at Independence Hall on Tuesday. I'd imagine there is a good chance WFC gets the NBA and NHL all star games that year too given then anniversary.

Matt Breen (matt_breen)

[el-pietro]

Nightengale predictably got it wrong originally but corrected himself and is saying 2026 as well.

Bob Nightengale (BNightengale)

[andyb]

Figured they were shooting for 2026 since DC just had the game. The Vet had 1976 (and 1996 as a favor to Giles being a loyal owner).

[dcsman]

Looking forward to the game in Philly next year. Would love to see a very Philadelphia-centric time by having the Roots, Boyz-2-Men, the Hooters or someone else so the national anthem and 7th inning stretch. I’d also love to see a skills competition added.

Does anyone know how tickets will be distributed? I’m going to assume season-ticket holders, right?

Will the renovations of the tram store be completed?

Why didn’t the 76ers get awarded the NBA All-Star game? That really seems like a slight by the NBA.

No NHL all-star game in 2026? What about Philly for 2027?

It’s really a great opportunity for the City and the Bank to shine. I hope they do it right. It’s a shame that all the building stuff around Wells Fargo won’t be done.

[fish]

Looking forward to the game in Philly next year. Would love to see a very Philadelphia-centric time

A very Philly centric theme has to start with Harper in the game and doing everything from home run derby to selling sausage sandwiches. Philly can bring excitement back to all star weekend.

[zambonir]

I'm sure tickets will be tough for anyone but full season ticketholders because they are controlled by MLB not the Phillies, so a fair number get put aside for sponsors and VIPs and even a small amount for other teams. But presumably there will be opportunities and/or lotteries for other Philly people. And futures game is usually an easy ticket [or at least it was the one time I happened to be in DC when the ASG was there].

The World Cup games in Philly and the 250th stuff will have already happened, city might be pretty burned out by then! Will we have transit?

[phillychuck]

A very Philly centric theme has to start with Harper in the game and doing everything from home run derby to selling sausage sandwiches.

Not selling Cheesesteaks???

[zambonir]

Or roast pork. Though I don't think they have that at CBP [they only recently got hoagies]! I thought that was funny too but honestly sausage or hot dogs is still the better choice, whatever your cheesesteak preference the Aramark version isn't as good.

I wonder what sort of food business Bryce will end up having in Philly or the ballpark some day. Ryan Howard is part of a "Southern" fried chicken restaurant now that is available at CBP, and he's not even from the South [nor is the restaurant].

[Benchjockey]

CONSPIRACY ALERT!!! According to an article written on 7/19/22 by MLB.com reporter Anthony Castrovince (courtesy of Wayback Machine), in the event of an ASG swing-off, the MVP award is still supposed to be "based on what happened in the nine-inning game"...

If All-Star Game is tied after 9, we'll get another HR Derby

Fresh off the excitement of a first-ever swing-off, it appears MLB chose to abandon its own rule and award MVP to the game's sudden hero, Schwarber, despite the fact that he failed to record a hit in regulation. With this, Kyle became the only non-pitcher to win ASG MVP without a hit.

This oversight about the award is not particularly disturbing to me. Gimmick or not, the swing-off is a deciding factor for this event and Schwarbs clearly saved the day for the N.L. However, what is a little disturbing is the fact that MLB.com appears to have edited the original article to cover up what the league did (see article posted 7/16/25, 12:44AM EDT) while adding a note that "this article has been updated since it was originally published in 2022".

https://www.mlb.com/news/all-star-game-tiebreaker-home-run-derby

Maybe MLB changed the MVP rule sometime in the past three years and it was simply not noted anywhere public. But the situation looks so suspicious to the point that I highly doubt it. To be clear, I have am not providing an exclusive observation here. I see across the internet that others have noticed it too.

My other observation is the curiosity of awarding a glass bat to the MVP winner when pitchers are eligible to win (and have won it a fair amount of times, as recently as Shane Bieber in 2019). They would never use that piece of equipment in a game. I realize the award is named after legendary hitter Ted Williams, but a more generic type of trophy would be more fitting.

[zambonir]

Seems like the conspiracy is probably true, regardless of whether the rule was previously changed or they just forgot. Who selected the MVP?

[andyb]

I admit it was kind of ridiculous that Schwarber won it after doing little in the game.

[zambonir]

Who do you even give it to if they'd follow the rules though? Alonso, who made it 5-0 by driving as many runs as Schwarber did? Rooker, who gave the AL a chance to get back in it by doing the same? Misiorowski for the scoreless 8th that should have turned into a Robert Suarez save? Or Chapman for making sure the game ended 6-6?

Probably it should have been a three-way tie between all the guys who drove in three runs, even if Kyle's didn't exist.

[andyb]

Alonso. 3-run HR was the big blow in the actual game.

[zambonir]

Yeah I guess just purely by win prob it was the biggest hit and inning. It's just that sometimes the lower probability events occur!

I reckon someone is going to get the story on this eventually, even if it's just a note from Stark or Rosenthal.

[schillingfan]

You can get roast pork sandwiches at Tony Luke’s. Sharp provolone and broccoli rabe. It’s my go to sandwich.

[zambonir]

Yeah that makes sense, I have just never really wanted to get any of it at CBP when the original and John's are already right nearby. I haven't been to what is now called Tony and Nick's in years, I wonder if it is holding up. The one at the stadium is part of the chain owned by Tony Jr., but it's still Aramark. Some people say the newer "Uncle Charlie's" cheesesteak they make is good! Named for the pride of West Virginia.

I guess we have a separate thread for this specific food talk! It will be interesting to see if CBP makes any major changes or new things for 2026 specifically because of the All-Star Game tho [to keep it on topic].

[zambonir]

Webb checked his phone afterward and opened a group text he maintains with other players around the league. Their consensus: We should never play an extra-inning game again. We should always end games just like that.

There were three different Athletic stories today not ruling it out. Though oddly not one of them mentioned the rule, only that Schwarber's home runs still don't officially count.

Rosenthal: Historic All-Star swing-off proved impossible to resist for players,...

[LoneStarPhan]

The rules for the All Star game are now different from a regular baseball rule in that instead of extra innings, they decide the winner with the swing off. That makes the swing off a part of the game. It is the part of the game that if triggered by a tie after nine innings, becomes the most important part of the game. It is the part of the game that will determine which team wins. Schwarber won the game for the NL!

I would hate to see this rule extended beyond this exhibition game. But last night, Schwarber had a better claim for MVP than anyone.

[zambonir]

Yes but apparently that is not the rule they instituted when they put this format in the last CBA.

And Schwarber does not get credit for any HRs or RBIs in the official box score. He and the other two batters were collectively [and anonymously, as "Batter 1"] credited with a single run. Schwarber contributed 3/4 of that run.

It doesn't really bother me that they ignored or repealed the rule [we still don't really know] but hitting three batting practice home runs in a game with no pitchers or fielders doesn't really outweigh an actual three-run homer against a real pitcher.

The most impressive thing is that Schwarber let them end it before Alonso even needed to take his ABs, once the AL couldn't catch up [so technically only two batters produced that single run].

[BostonRoss]

I’m getting the impression that more people care about how the All-Star Game MVP is selected than about the game itself.