The Midsummer Classic lands in Philadelphia with Mike Trout playing in front of his own backyard and Kyle Schwarber trying to become the first repeat Ted Williams Award winner since himself, well, ever.
Bush’s PicksPicks madeJul 12, 1:38 PM CT
+120LeagueLeague-135
-183League +1.5League -1.5+156
-115Over 7.5Under 7.5-102
Best BetLeague -135
The NL is priced as the clear favorite here, and the roster explains why — Ohtani, Freeman and a home-field-stacked group of Phillies, Braves and Dodgers give the lineup continuity the AL's more scattered roster can't match. The AL price still offers plenty of juice given the star power in Judge, Trout and Witt Jr., but the market's lean toward NL talent depth looks fair.
League
+Judge, Trout, Witt Jr., Alvarez anchor a loaded lineup
+Trout's hometown-area return adds emotional juice
−Several marquee AL names reportedly sidelined this year
−Roster leans on late injury replacements for depth
League
+Ohtani (top vote-getter) and Freeman's 10th selection headline
+Phillies, Braves, Dodgers each send five, boosting chemistry
−Priced as the favorite, leaving little margin for error
−All-Star outcomes are wildly unpredictable — see last year's swing-off
This one's less about a rotation and more about a roster full of names that sell out ballparks on their own. Ohtani leads all vote-getters, Freeman is in for his 10th trip, and Schwarber gets to defend his MVP in the building he calls home. On the other side, Judge, Witt Jr. and Alvarez give the AL a lineup that doesn't need to apologize to anybody.
The made-for-TV subplot: Trout, a Millville, New Jersey kid, gets his 12th All-Star nod a short drive from where he grew up idolizing this exact event. It's also worth remembering last year's game didn't even need extra innings to get memorable — it got settled by a Home Run Derby-style swing-off, with Schwarber going deep three times in three swings. Philadelphia is fully aware the sequel could be even weirder.
Show fees
7:00 PM CT
Spread
ML
Total
American League
National League
Roster churn is part of the deal here. Fox Sports has noted a handful of marquee names are sidelined or unavailable this year, opening the door for injury replacements like Willson Contreras and a wave of first-time All-Stars looking to make an impression in limited at-bats. That's the nature of an exhibition roster — the names on the lineup card by first pitch won't be the same names playing the late innings.
American League
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
National League
(0)
Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Injury report — info via ESPN.
Home-field bragging rights matter a little more than usual this year given the Phillies, Braves and Dodgers are tied for the most selections at five apiece, so the NL side has real chemistry advantages built in from guys who play together 162 times a year. The AL, by contrast, is leaning harder on individual star power to carry an unfamiliar lineup.
None of that guarantees anything in a game where starters get pulled after an inning or two and bullpens turn over by the batter. But with this much talent on both sides and a crowd in Citizens Bank Park that's going to be loud for its hometown guys, this is exactly the kind of low-stakes, high-entertainment night the All-Star Game is built for.
