Each year, the Major League Baseball All-Star festivities puts some of the game’s best talent from around the league on display, and many of those All-Stars got their start playing on local fields in their community’s Little League® program.
This year’s Mid-Summer classic will feature 17 Little League graduates competing in the 2018 MLB All-Star game while nine of the game’s top talent competing in the Futures Game got their roots in Little League. The United States Futures Team will also have a strong connection to Little League Baseball and Softball with 2016 Little League Hall of Excellence Enshrinee, Torii Hunter, leading the way as the team’s manager this year.
At this year’s Home Run Derby on Monday, July 16, former Little Leaguers® Alex Bregman (Eastdale Little League (Albuquerque, N.M.)) and Freddie Freeman (Long Beach (Calif.) Little League) will also have a chance to compete for the title.
Last year, then-rookie power hitters Aaron Judge (Linden (Calif.) Little League and Cody Bellinger (Chandler (Ariz.) National Little League) lit up the Home Run Derby, with Judge slugging his way to the title; and veteran pitcher Zack Greinke (Conway (Fla.) Little League) impressed during MLB’s 88th All-Star Game extravaganza played at Marlins Park. The 2017 Futures Game also highlighted some impressive talent out of Philadelphia Phillies’ infielder Scott Kingery (Ahwatukee (Ariz.) Little League – 2006 LLBWS), who earned a spot on the Phillies roster this year and will be returning to Williamsport this summer for the 2018 MLB Little League Classic.
In addition to the excitement from the All-Star Game, the 2018 MLB All-Star Festivities will once again feature Play Ball Park, an interactive area dedicated to providing fun, engaging, and educational activities for youth baseball and softball players and their families, that is also featured during the Little League Baseball® World Series in August.
Here is a list of Little League graduates participating in the 2018 MLB All-Star Festivities, with each of their confirmed local Little League programs provided, when available:
American League All-Stars
- Jose Berrios (Minnesota Twins)
- Alex Bregman (Houston Astros – Eastdale Little League (Albuquerque, N.M.))
- Gerrit Cole (Houston Astros)
- Edwin Diaz (Seattle Mariners)
- J.A. Happ (Toronto Blue Jays – Peru (Ill.) Little League)
- Joe Jimenez (Detroit Tigers)
- Aaron Judge (New York Yankees – Linden (Calif.) Little League)
- Charlie Morton (Houston Astros – Trumbull (Conn.) Little League)
- Blake Snell (Tampa Bay Rays – Richmond (Wash.) Little League)
- George Springer (Houston Astros – Walicki Little League (New Britain, Conn.))
- Justin Verlander (Houston Astros – Tuckahoe Little League (Henrico, Va.))
National League All-Stars
- Ozzie Albies (Atlanta Braves – Pariba Little League (Willemstad, Curacao))
- Nolan Arenado (Colorado Rockies – Lake Forest (Calif.) Little League)
- Brandon Crawford (San Francisco Giants – Pleasanton (Calif.) Little League)
- Freddie Freeman (Atlanta Braves – Long Beach (Calif.) Little League)
- Kenley Jansen (Los Angeles Dodgers – Pabao Little League (Willemstad, Curacao))
- Christian Yelich (Milwaukee Brewers – Thousand Oaks (Calif.) Little League)
Home Run Derby
- Alex Bregman (Houston Astros – Eastdale Little League (Albuquerque, N.M.))
- Freddie Freeman (Atlanta Braves – Long Beach (Calif.) Little League)
Futures Game
- Peter Alonso (New York Mets – Tampa Bay (Fla.) Little League)
- Miguel Amaya (Chicago Cubs – Cocle (Panama) Little League)
- Shaun Anderson (San Francisco Giants – Coral Springs (Fla.) American Little League)
- Bo Bichette (Toronto Blue Jays – Maitland (Fla.) Little League)
- Danny Jansen (Toronto Blue Jays – Appleton Kiwanis Little League )
- Kieran Lovegrove (Cleveland Indians – Mission Viejo (Calif.) North Little League)
- Heliot Ramos (San Francisco Giants – Rosario and Cardona Little League (Maunabo, Puerto Rico))
- Justus Sheffield (New York Yankees – Tullahoma (Tenn.) National Little League)
- Forrest Whitley (Houston Astros – Alamo Heights (Texas) Little League)
- U.S. Manager: Torii Hunter (National Little League (Pine Bluff, Ark.), 2007 William A. “Bill” Shea Distinguished Little League Graduate Award Recipient, and 2017 Little League Hall of Excellence Enshrinee)
NOTE: If you know of a player that we have missed, please e-mail the information, including name, current Major League team and the name of the city or town where they played Little League, to [email protected].