ATLANTA, Ga. – The annual All-Star Week during Major League Baseball’s regular season concluded on Tuesday, July 15th, as the National League took down the American League for the first time since the 2023 Midsummer Classic in Seattle, Washington. The first of many festivities on this action-packed week began on July 12th with the All-Star Futures Game, showcasing the prospects of the league. Following the All-Star Futures game was the Home Run Derby, where a new champion and recent 2026 World Baseball Classic (WBC) Team USA commit, Cal Raleigh, was crowned as derby champ. Meanwhile, in the middle of the spectacular week of All-Star festivities, the MLB Draft welcomed a new generation of talent, many of whom are Team USA alumni, as 17 alums were taken in the first round of the draft. Finishing the week strong, the All-Star Game showed off the superstars of today. In total, the All-Star Futures Game, the Home Run Derby, and the All-Star Game saw 42 total USA Baseball Alumni represented across all events.
All-Star Futures Game
On July 12th, the All-Star Futures game showcased top young talent from each organization within the MLB Pipeline. On the way to their second win in as many years, the National League (NL) took down the American League (AL), 4-2, with 15 USA Baseball alums represented across both teams. Alums such as Max Clark (DET), JJ Wetherholt (STL), Trey Yesavage (TOR), took the field Saturday night in Atlanta.
Scoring the opening run of the game and giving the AL an early 1-0 lead was Braden Montgomery (CWS) with an RBI groundout. The RBI groundout from the 2023 Collegiate National Team alum scored one of two runs for the AL in the game. Picking up one of the three hits for the AL, Clark (DET) singled on a groundball to the second baseman and put a runner in scoring position. In the bottom of the first, Wetherholt led off for the NL and blasted a double from a line drive to center, setting the tone for the team. Later in the game, Konnor Griffin (PIT) recorded a single on a soft groundball to the pitcher.
Starting on the mound for the AL was Parker Messick (CLE), a 2021 Collegiate National Team alum, who worked a scoreless first inning and picked up a strikeout. Coming out of the bullpen for the AL was Yesavage, who faced one batter and picked up a quick strikeout on four pitches before being relieved. Getting the ball in the top of the seventh was 2021 Collegiate National Team alum Carson Whisenhunt (SF), who went 0.2 innings and retired both batters he faced on the way to an NL victory.
Home Run Derby
Going for the title, two USA Baseball alumni competed with the hometown slugger, Matt Olson (2016 16U) of the Atlanta Braves, who aimed to win in front of his home fans in his second attempt at the Home Run Derby, his first since 2021. Alongside Olson was Brent Rooker (2019 Pro) of the Athletics, who competed in the first Home Run Derby of his career.
Rooker found himself in a game of inches during his round at the derby. Finishing his round with 17 home runs and tied with Cal Raleigh for the fourth most among the competition, eventually pushed the competition to a tiebreaker. Although both Raleigh and Rooker registered a longest home run of 470 feet, ultimately a decimal point saw Raleigh edge out Rooker by .08 of an inch and sent Raleigh to the next round of competition in dramatic fashion.
In his first round, Olson was off to a slow start with just four home runs at the halfway mark. As time expired, Olson added 10 more homers and one big fly from his bonus round, putting his total at 15 where he finished just outside the cutoff line to advance.
Raleigh, who verbally committed to Team USA for the 2026 WBC earlier Monday afternoon on MLB Network, went on to surpass Junior Caminero in the finals and win the 2025 Home Run Derby, becoming the first catcher to do so in Home Run Derby history.
All-Star Game
Twenty-five USA Baseball alumni were featured on this year's All-Star Game rosters, with seven players set to play in the starting lineups of the game. Plenty more USA Baseball alumni found spots as reserves for the Midsummer Classic. Of the 25 players set to compete, 16 were with the NL, while the other nine suited up for the AL.
Finding himself in the same position as last year, three-time Team USA alum Paul Skenes (Pittsburgh Pirates) was named the starting pitcher for the NL. Making history by being the first player in MLB history to be named starting pitcher of the All-Star Game in his first two seasons in the majors. Skenes lit up the mound in the top of the first, picking up two strikeouts on 14 pitches and retiring the side in order during his only action of the game.
Coming after Skenes was the Legend Pick – Clayton Kershaw (Los Angeles Dodgers) – the southpaw made his 11th All-Star Game appearance and retired both batters he faced, including one strikeout. Summoned out of the bullpen to replace Kershaw was Jason Adam (San Diego Padres), the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) alum who recorded the last out of the inning by way of a strikeout with a nasty slider and retired the side.
Two-time Collegiate National Team alum Carlos Rodon (New York Yankees) came in for the second inning. Working a scoreless second inning, Rodon avoided any danger caused by a fellow USA Alum, Pete Crow-Armstrong (Chicago Cubs) who roped a two-out double to right field. Rodon then retired the side by getting the reigning NL MVP, Shohei Ohtani, to ground out to first.
David Peterson (New York Mets) was called on for the fourth inning, where he got two quick outs. Peterson worked out of the jam by getting a groundout back to himself, ending his day with a scoreless frame and a punchout. Working through a quick bottom half of the fourth, Joe Ryan (Minnesota Twins) used 10 pitches to go three-up, three-down and conclude his day of work with a pair of strikeouts. Andrew Abbott (Cincinnati Reds) of the NL worked a three-up, three-down inning of his own on 13 pitches, keeping the NL lead at 2-0.
One of the biggest plays of the night came from 2023 WBC alum, Pete Alonso (New York Mets), who delivered a backside three-run blast. This was followed by 2018 18U alum Corbin Carroll (Arizona Diamondbacks), who smacked a solo home run to right and gave the NL a 6-0 lead.
The six-run lead would be cut down to two in the seventh with Home Run Derby participant and 2019 Pro alum Rooker, who hit a three-run homer and was followed by an RBI groundout from two-time alum Bobby Witt Jr. (Kansas City Royals) to put the score at 6-4. In the top of the ninth, Witt Jr. stayed hot and delivered an RBI-double to right where he would eventually score on an infield single by Steven Kwan, tying the game at 6-6.
After nine complete innings, the score remained tied and three USA alums were set to compete in the swing-off tiebreaker: Rooker (Athletics), Kyle Schwarber (Philadelphia Phillies), and Alonso (New York Mets). Rooker led off the swing-off with two home runs for the AL. After the NL was down 3-1, Schwarber went 3-for-3 with his swings and gave the NL the lead going into the last set of batters. Schwarber became the hero of the game for the NL with the three most clutch swings of the night, earning himself the Ted Williams All-Star Game MVP.
MLB Draft
On Sunday, July 13th, USA alums were all over the first round, with 17 of the first 43 picks having suited up for the stars and stripes.
The first overall pick was owned by the Washington Nationals, who drafted Eli Willits, a member of the 2024 18U National Team. Willits only kick-started the Team USA party, as picks one through four were USA Baseball national team alums. Going second overall to the Los Angeles Angels was Tyler Bremner (2024 Collegiate National Team), who was followed by a pair of 18U National Team alumni in Kade Anderson and Ethan Holliday. Anderson went to the Seattle Mariners while Holliday followed his father, Matt, and his footsteps to play on Blake Street with the Colorado Rockies.
Brady Ebel (Milwaukee Brewers) and Holliday were the two 15U National Team alums drafted in the first round, as both played on the 2022 squad.
Eight 18U National Team alumni were drafted in the first round, including Willits, Anderson, and Holliday. Next to hear their names were Gavin Fien (Texas Rangers), Gavin Kilen (San Francisco Giants), 2024 USA Baseball Richard W. “Dick” Case Player of the Year Kayson Cunningham (Arizona Diamondbacks), Josh Hammond (Kansas City Royals), and Slater de Brun (Baltimore Orioles).
Among the Collegiate National Team alums, eight were able to hear their names called on Sunday. Bremner (Los Angeles Angels), Jaimie Arnold (Athletics), Kyson Witherspoon (Boston Red Sox), Marek Houston (Minnesota Twins), Jace LaViolette (Cleveland Guardians), Patrick Forbes (Arizona Diamondbacks), Caden Bodine (Baltimore Orioles), and Luke Stevenson (Seattle Mariners).
For a more in-depth breakdown of how the first round of the draft played out for the 17 USA Baseball alumni who were drafted in the first round, visit here.
