MLB Midsummer Classic Sports Girls Club Edition - The Only All-Star Recap You Actually Need

Baseball’s iconic Midsummer Classic wrapped up the first half of the 2025 MLB season. From stunning red carpet looks to home run history, here’s everything you may have missed during this All-Star break. 

Home Run History

Courtesy of MLB

The Home Run Derby is always an exciting way to kick off All-Star festivities, and this year' made history. Eight of the games’ best power hitters compete head-to-head and try to advance through several rounds to see who will hit the most home runs and take home the crown. All-Star teammates lined the sidelines, cheering each other on, and the vibes were always high. 

Cal Raleigh made history, becoming the first catcher to ever win the Home Run Derby. “The Big Dumper” almost didn’t make it out of the first round, escaping a three-way tie before pushing out Brent Rooker. He then continued his streak and defeated Junior Caminero in the finals to take home gold.

Raleigh is already having an incredible season, leading the league with 38 homers after the first half of the season, and this derby win only adds to his special season. With his father pitching and his brother behind the plate, the Big Dumper took home the title with his greatest supporters behind him. 

Baseball Stars Align 

Courtesy of TMZ

This year's All-Star Game was definitely one to remember. Players showed out starting at 2:00pm ET with their WAGS and families on the red carpet. From bold fashion statements to personal touches including pieces of their culture, each player brought their swagger in their looks. 

The game itself featured stellar starting pitching, mic’d up moments, and the first-ever swing-off in All-Star Game history. From National League starter Paul Skenes to the American League’s Tarik Skubal, the arms were in full display. Watching the Skubal-Raleigh pitcher-catcher duo, especially mic’d up, was something special. 

The National League quickly took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning and extended it to 6-0 going into the sixth inning. But the American league came alive in the seventh, answering with four runs of their own. Courtesy of a three-run blast by Rooker, this was a completely new ball game. The NL wasn’t able to hold onto their lead, surrendering two more runs in the top of the ninth, letting the AL complete their comeback. 

Shoot Out, but Make it MLB 

Courtesy of Sportico

With the chance for the NL to walk it off, AL closer Aroldis Chapman silenced the hot NL offense, taking this game into the first ending of its kind – a swing-off. Instead of playing extra innings, three players from both teams would be selected to participate in a derby-like swing-off. Each player got three pitches, and whichever team hit the most home runs would win the game. 

For the American League, Manager Aaron Boone selected Brent Rooker, Randy Arozarena, and Jose Aranda. For the National League, Dave Roberts chose Kyle Stowers, Kyle Schwarber, and Pete Alonso. Rooker started off hot by hitting two homers for the AL, followed up by Stowers hitting one for the NL. In the second round, Arozarena added a crucial solo home run, setting the stage for Schwarber to step up to the plate.

Kyle Schwarber pulled off the unthinkable, going three-for-three, hitting three homers on three swings for the National League. Aranda was unable to answer back in the American League’s final attempt. Alonso didn’t even need to step up, as Schwarber’s performance not only secured the win for the National League, but also earned himself the All-Star Game MVP Award. 

The 2025 All-Star Game will go down as a 7-6 win for the National League, marking this one as the first of its kind. The swing-off brought a new burst of excitement, and honestly I wish MLB implemented more fun rules such as this one. I’m sure Phillies fans were happy to see some Schwarbombs in the ASG.