Toronto’s long wait for another MLB All-Star Game may finally have an endpoint.
USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that the city is expected to land the Midsummer Classic in 2029, which would bring the event back to Canada for the first time since 1991. MLB has not officially announced any host cities beyond San Francisco in 2028, but Nightengale’s reporting points to Toronto in 2029 and Baltimore in 2030.
The league has already set the 2027 game for Wrigley Field in Chicago, and Manfred has also said Toronto should get another turn sooner rather than later. Speaking before the 2025 All-Star Game in Atlanta, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred pointed to the renovations at Rogers Centre and the length of the drought since Toronto last hosted as reasons the game could be headed north again. Toronto’s only previous turn came in 1991, while Montreal hosted in 1982 for the first All-Star Game ever played in Canada.
There are still moving parts, though. A 2027 lockout could alter the schedule, and if that happens, the ripple effect could change everything.
Even if there is no All-Star Game in 2027, the 2028 edition would likely stay in San Francisco because MLB wants to make life easier for players who will also be part of the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, where baseball will be in the Games for only the second time since 2008. In that scenario, Chicago could end up getting the 2029 game instead, which would push Toronto to 2030 or later.
The All-Star Game itself has grown into much more than one night. It began at Chicago’s Comiskey Park in 1933, added the Home Run Derby in 1985, brought in the Futures Game in 1999, moved the Draft to All-Star Week in 2021 and introduced the HCBU Swingman Classic in 2023.
The modern version of the event stretches nearly a full week and has delivered host cities economic boosts in the $50-$100 range, depending on the estimate. Philadelphia, for example, was expecting around 100K out-of-town visitors for this year’s Midsummer Classic.
Toronto has its own All-Star history to lean on. Jimmy Key was the winning pitcher in the 1991 game at Skydome, and Roberto Alomar was in the middle of the first of his five All-Star selections as a Blue Jay. He batted ninth for the American League that day and was beginning the second of his twelve straight All-Star appearances.
Alomar’s arrival in Toronto came through a rare trade between two future Hall of Famers. He came from San Diego in December 1990 with Joe Carter, who was also a 1991 All-Star reserve, in exchange for Fred McGriff and Tony Fernandez.
If the 2029 game does make it to Toronto, there could be another Blue Jays middle infielder in the spotlight. The recently promoted JoJo Parker could be in line for his first All-Star appearance in a Toronto uniform at his home ballpark. And if Vladdy takes part in the Home Run Derby, Rogers Centre might get another memorable long-ball show.
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