The 2026 MLB Little League Classic will bring the Braves and Brewers to Williamsport, Pa., on Sunday night, with first pitch set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. Before that, the two clubs will spend the day around the Little League Baseball World Series, watching today’s kids chase the same dream every big leaguer once had.
When the lights come on at Journey Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field, the matchup will also close out MLB Players’ Weekend. The game will be played at the same ballpark that has hosted the event since the inaugural Little League Classic in 2017, after Bowman Field was renovated to meet Major League standards. It is the home of the Williamsport Crosscutters of the MLB Draft League.
For fans who want a different look, ESPN2 will carry an alternate “Alumni-cast” broadcast featuring special guests and commentators with Little League World Series ties, including former Major Leaguers Todd Frazier and Devon Travis.
The Braves will send Tyler Mahle to the mound, and he has been everything they wanted after landing from the Giants at the Trade Deadline. Mahle has posted a 1.45 ERA over his first three starts with Atlanta, and he comes in off 6 2/3 innings against the Twins, when a two-run homer in the first inning was the only damage before he shut Minnesota down the rest of the way. Sunday will be his fourth start with the Braves.
Milwaukee counters with Robert Gasser Drohan, who arrived from the Red Sox with Kyle Harrison and David Hamilton just before Spring Training. Drohan did not break camp with the Brewers, but he has become a key piece for a young rotation that has leaned heavily on depth.
When Jacob Misiorowski needed a reset and Harrison was hurt in July, Drohan led the club with 36 innings that month. After this start, the Brewers are expected to move him into a hybrid long-relief role to manage his innings.
For now, though, he gets the start he has pictured since childhood.
“Every 12-year-old’s dream is to go to Williamsport,” said Drohan, “and it’s still cool to do it at 27.”
Atlanta’s lineup brings plenty of star power. Michael Harris II starts in center, Ronald Acuña Jr. is in right, Matt Olson is at first, Ozzie Albies at second, Drake Baldwin at DH, Lane Thomas in left, Mauricio Dubón at short, Austin Riley at third and Sean Murphy behind the plate. Olson and Riley have been especially hot lately, with Olson leading the Braves in both home runs and RBIs and Riley driving in both runs in Thursday’s 2-0 win over the White Sox.
Milwaukee’s order starts with Jackson Chourio in left, followed by Brice Turang at second, William Contreras catching, Jake Bauers in right, Andrew Vaughn at first, Christian Yelich at DH, Joey Ortiz at short, Garrett Mitchell in center and David Hamilton at third. The Brewers may not hit many homers - no team has fewer - but they keep producing because of their plate discipline, speed and an aggressive style that has pushed them into the top five in the Majors in on-base percentage and runs scored.
Bauers has been a big part of that, leading the team with a career-high 23 homers while also setting personal bests in runs, hits, RBIs and walks. Ortiz has also been on a tear, hitting .327 with five homers and 18 RBIs over his last 31 games.
There are a few health questions for Milwaukee, too. Right fielder Sal Frelick could return as soon as Sunday after a rehab assignment with Triple-A Nashville, though the club wanted to make sure his strained right shoulder could handle right field before activating him.
The Brewers are also without setup man Abner Uribe, who is sidelined with a forearm strain and is not eligible until Wednesday at the Mets at the earliest. Left-hander JoJo Romero, added from the Cardinals at the Trade Deadline, threw live batting practice Friday and is close to a rehab assignment, but he is still not ready to pitch.
The Little League Classic has become a familiar stop in Williamsport, with the Mets beating the Mariners in 2025. Previous editions featured the Pirates and Cardinals in 2017, Mets and Phillies in 2018, Pirates and Cubs in 2019, Guardians and Angels in 2021, Orioles and Red Sox in 2022, Phillies and Nationals in 2023, and Yankees and Tigers in 2024. The home team has won the last five games, and Milwaukee will be the home club this time - the first time the Brewers have hosted a game at a venue outside their regular home stadium.
This will also be the first Little League Classic for both teams.
The 2026 Little League Baseball World Series runs in Williamsport from Aug. 19-30, and this year’s Classic will honor Hank Aaron, who spent his 23-year career with Milwaukee and Atlanta. The event will lean into his “Keep Swinging” mantra, with a pregame pledge inviting kids watching at home and in the ballpark to carry that message into baseball, school or life. The telecast and social media coverage will also feature more celebration of Aaron and his famous words.
In Other News...
Brewers Will See A Familiar Face In Atlanta For This One
The Braves added a familiar name to their roster for the matchup with Milwaukee, recalling outfielder Brewer Hicklen as the extra player for the Little League Classic. For Hicklen, a nine-year minor league veteran who reached the majors in 2022, the assignment carries a little more meaning than most. He grew up rooting for Atlanta, so getting a chance to suit up for his favorite team in a showcase setting gives the game an extra layer beyond the usual late-summer backdrop.
Atlanta could use the lift, too, with the club still searching for steadier footing. Hicklens arrival gives the Braves another option as they prepare to face a team he knows well, and the setting in Williamsport only adds to the unusual feel of the moment. For Milwaukee, it is the sort of twist that comes with baseball's calendar, a reminder that even a neutral-site event can bring a little personal history back into the picture. [Read more 🡒]
Luis Lara Is Becoming A Brewers Spark Fans Can Feel
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Laras key catch against Atlanta was the kind of play that fits what the Brewers saw in him long before his major league debut, when they locked him into a seven-year extension. He is still early in his big-league run, but the way he is already showing up in big moments gives Milwaukee another reason to like where this is headed, even as the bigger question is how much more of that spark he can keep providing as the games get tougher. [Read more 🡒]
DL Hall Is Giving Brewers A Bullpen Question They Need Answered
The Brewers have built a reputation for making difficult trade decisions before players reach the end of their control, a habit that only got more scrutiny after the Josh Hader deal changed the way the front office talked about roster timing. Corbin Burnes was the next major name to go, shipped to Baltimore in February 2024 for Joey Ortiz, DL Hall and a draft pick, and Hall has since become one of the more interesting pieces in that return.
Originally developed as a starter, Hall has been pushed into a bullpen role because of injuries, and the move has taken on real meaning in 2026 as his performance has improved. With salary arbitration eligibility getting closer, the Brewers now have to sort out whether he profiles as a long-term relief answer, a possible future trade chip or something in between, and that kind of decision tends to say as much about their roster direction as it does about the pitcher himself. [Read more 🡒]