PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The 2026 MLB All-Star Game in Philadelphia is just a day away.
Six players will represent the Phillies, including Brandon Marsh (starter), pitchers Jhoan Duran, Cristopher Sánchez and Jesús Luzardo, first baseman Bryce Harper and designated hitter Kyle Schwarber.
The 2026 festivities kicked off on July 10 with the HBCU Swingman Classic.
The National League will look for a second consecutive victory over the American League after winning last year in a first-ever, Home Run Derby-style swing-off -- the tiebreaker, as the game was tied 6-6 after nine innings.
The Phillies are hosting the All-Star Game for the fourth time in their history -- but it will be the first time at Citizens Bank Park.
Follow live updates on all the excitement below:
It's always nice to see a player's dad pitching to him in the Home Run Derby, but it appeared Ben Rice's dad, Dan, had trouble throwing pitches to Rice's sweet spot.
Rice had to take a lot of pitches and couldn't get into any kind of BP groove, finishing with seven home runs with a long of 443 feet.
There was a thunderous roar at the Bank as Michael Buffer introduced Bryce Harper.
For the first time since 2015, there will be no clock element involved.
Each hitter will have 20 swings in the first round, 15 in the semifinals and 15 again in the finals.
A player who homers on the final swing of his round, however, gets to keep swinging until he doesn't hit a home run.
The big key here: Batters will be taking more pitches, waiting for the perfect pitch. As a result, we likely won't see the onslaught of rapid-fire home runs like in previous Derbies.
It probably makes for a more fair competition and will be easier to follow on TV, but we'll see if it brings the same level of energy to the in-stadium crowd.
The 2026 Home Run Derby could end up being a rematch of the 2018 showcase.
The final round of the slugfest that year was between Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber.
Harper ultimately won on what was then his home field in Washington.
Back then, Harper was playing for the Nationals while Schwarber was a member of the Chicago Cubs.
On Monday afternoon, Schwarber spoke about facing his current teammate.
"It's going to be amazing," he said. "We want both of us to have success in this thing. And hopefully it leads off to us being there at the end. But if it's not myself, I hope it's him."
