Perfect Game is bringing its biggest summer stage to Philadelphia in 2026, and the roster is loaded.
The organization announced Wednesday the Team East and Team West rosters for the DICK'S All-American Classic, set for Aug. 16 at Citizens Bank Park. Sixty of the nation’s top high school baseball players will take part in the annual showcase, Perfect Game’s signature summer event.
California tops the list with 12 selections, while Florida and Texas each landed seven. Georgia and Tennessee added five apiece, and Louisiana had four. In all, players were chosen from 20 states, plus Puerto Rico and Canada.
The roster breakdown reflects just how many different ways these players can impact a game: 19 infielders, 17 pitchers, 15 outfielders and nine catchers. Several are also expected to work as two-way players.
Philadelphia-area fans will have a local name to follow in Jersey City, New Jersey, outfielder Finnian O'Loughlin, who gives the event a hometown tie for the region.
The list also includes a few familiar last names from the pro sports world. Team East first baseman/outfielder Frank Thomas III, from Sarasota, Florida, is the son of Hall of Famer Frank Thomas, one of the greatest hitters in Chicago White Sox history.
Team West right-hander Striker Pence is the nephew of former Philadelphia Phillies and San Francisco Giants outfielder Hunter Pence, and outfielder Drake Hawpe is the son of Brad Hawpe, a National League All-Star with the Colorado Rockies. Team East infielder Chase Fuller is the son of former NFL defensive back Corey Fuller, who spent 10 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens.
Perfect Game’s All-American Classic has become a reliable preview of future pro talent, and this year’s edition arrives with even more evidence behind it. Earlier this month, 59 former Perfect Game All-Americans were selected in the 2026 MLB Draft, including 16 first-round picks and six of the first eight players taken.
Citizens Bank Park will host the event for the first time, and it also marks the first time the All-American Classic has been played on the East Coast since 2005.
The weekend schedule starts with the PG All-Star Game on Aug. 14, continues with the Home Run Challenge on Aug. 15, and wraps with the All-American Classic at 1:35 p.m. ET on Aug. 16.
The event also carries a charitable angle. This year’s players will support Nemours Children's Hospital, and they are scheduled to visit the hospital before the festivities begin.
Admission is free, and the game will stream live on Perfect Game’s PGTV platform.
In Other News...
National Analyst Sees Something Different In Texas Ahead Of SEC Race
Greg McElroy came away from SEC Media Days with a noticeably upbeat read on Texas, and it was rooted in how the Longhorns have handled the offseason heading into the 2026 SEC race. The former Alabama quarterback said Texas has built real momentum through transfer portal additions and upgrades at certain positions, giving the roster a different feel than the one that finished last season.
McElroy also pointed to Steve Sarkisian as a coach who seems intent on pushing the program forward with significant changes, not just incremental tweaks. For a Texas team trying to keep pace in a league that rarely waits for anyone, that kind of offseason activity suggests the Longhorns are aiming higher than simply being part of the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Just Got A Huge Cole Hutson Update Fans Needed
Texas offensive line has been waiting on clarity around Cole Hutson, and now there is at least a path forward. The veteran linemans situation has moved into the legal process, giving the Longhorns a chance to potentially regain a player who has already shown he can handle meaningful snaps up front and provide some needed flexibility across the interior.
For a team still sorting out its best combinations, Hutsons status matters because it could affect the depth chart and the competition for a starting spot on the left side. The next step will come in court, and until that plays out, Texas is left watching a process that could eventually put Hutson back in the mix this season. [Read more 🡒]
Sarkisian Sends A Blunt Message Before Texas Faces Former Longhorn
Parker Livingstones path from Austin to Norman has turned the Red River Rivalry into more than just another October measuring stick for Texas. The former Longhorn wideout made enough of an imprint in his time in burnt orange to be remembered around the program, and his move to Oklahoma only sharpened the interest around a matchup that already carries plenty of edge.
Steve Sarkisian and Arch Manning both addressed the reunion publicly this week, a sign of how quickly the storyline has taken hold inside the Texas camp. For the Longhorns, it adds a personal layer to a game that usually needs no help, even with Texas still stocked at receiver and focused on the bigger picture beyond one former teammate. [Read more 🡒]
