MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred announced today that the Atlanta Braves will host the 2025 All-Star festivities. The 95th edition of the “midsummer classic” will be third one to take place in Atlanta but the first at Truist Park, which opened in 2017. The other instances were 1972 and 2000.
“I commend Terry McGuirk, Derek Schiller, the entire Braves organization and the Atlanta Sports Council for leading this effort,” Manfred says in a press release. “As a model of success on and off the field, the Braves deserve to host the All-Star Game. Truist Park and The Battery Atlanta will provide fans a world-class experience in 2025. We look forward to working with the Braves and local leaders to deliver a memorable All-Star Week that brings people together and benefits the community in many ways.”
The 2021 All-Star Game was originally set to be in Atlanta but the league moved it to Colorado. This was in response to changes to election laws in Georgia, which were criticized for being discriminatory.
“Over the last week, we have engaged in thoughtful conversations with clubs, former and current players, the Players Association, and The Players Alliance, among others, to listen to their views,” Manfred said in a statement at that time. “I have decided that the best way to demonstrate our values as a sport is by relocating this year’s All-Star Game and MLB Draft. Major League Baseball fundamentally supports voting rights for all Americans and opposes restrictions to the ballot box. In 2020, MLB became the first professional sports league to join the non-partisan Civic Alliance to help build a future in which everyone participates in shaping the United States. We proudly used our platform to encourage baseball fans and communities throughout our country to perform their civic duty and actively participate in the voting process. Fair access to voting continues to have our game’s unwavering support.”
Manfred made reference to that past decision today, as relayed by Evan Drellich of The Athletic. “I made the decision in 2021 to move the event, and I understand that — believe me — people had then and probably still have different views as to the merits of that decision.”
The 2024 game will be hosted by the Rangers while the 2026 game was long ago given to the Phillies in order to coincide with the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. For clubs that would like to host a future game, their next opportunity won’t be until 2027.
