Blue Jays, Cubs set to face off in 2027 Little League Classic
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The Toronto Blue Jays and the Chicago Cubs will headline the 2027 “MLB Little League Classic presented by New York Life,” in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, Major League Baseball announced on Sunday night. The announcement was made by Commissioner of Baseball Robert D. Manfred Jr., who joined the ESPN broadcast during tonight’s 2026 Little League Classic between the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers. The national game, which will be held on Thursday, August 19, 2027, will air exclusively on ESPN and in Canada on Sportsnet at 7:10 p.m. (ET)/6:10 p.m. (CT). The special event, which will mark the 10th year of the annual showcase, hosted in connection with the Little League Baseball World Series presented by T-Mobile, will also be available on the ESPN App.
In keeping with the tradition of this annual event, Major Leaguers from both the Blue Jays and the Cubs will attend Little League World Series games earlier in the day on August 19, demonstrating their commitment to helping grow the game at the youth level and engage with young fans. Later that evening, Little League World Series players and their families will fill Journey Bank Ballpark at Historic Bowman Field for the Little League Classic game. It will mark the first time that the contest will be played on Thursday, headlining ESPN’s slate of baseball that day, which will spotlight Little League all the way up to the Majors. The Blue Jays will be the home team in the matchup.
Major League Baseball launched the Little League Classic in August 2017, first featuring the Pittsburgh Pirates and the St. Louis Cardinals. The ensuing events included the New York Mets and the Philadelphia Phillies in 2018; the Pirates and Chicago Cubs in 2019; the Cleveland Guardians and Los Angeles Angels in 2021; the Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox in 2022; the Washington Nationals and Phillies in 2023; the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers in 2024; the Mets and Seattle Mariners in 2025; and the Braves and Brewers in 2026.
A bucket-list destination for fans of every age, the Little League Baseball® World Series is held each August in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, the birthplace of the organization that is trusted by millions of parents around the world. Every year, 20 teams of 10- to 12-year-old baseball players from around the globe come together to compete for the championship banner, while forging lifelong memories. More than 70 players have appeared in the Little League Baseball World Series and played in the Majors, including 10 who have appeared in a regular season game in 2026: Cody Bellinger (NYY, 2007); Brett Callahan (DET, 2013); Michael Conforto (CHC, 2004); Angel Genao (CLE, 2017); Randal Grichuk (CWS, 2003-04); Scott Kingery (CHC, 2006); Yohel Pozo (BAL, 2009); Ceddanne Rafaela (BOS, 2012); Jeferson Quero (MIL, 2015); and Matt Wilkinson (SF, 2015). Conforto, who has appeared in 87 games for the Cubs this season, is one of three players to appear in the Little League Baseball World Series, Men’s College World Series and Major League Baseball’s World Series, joining Jason Varitek and Ed Vosberg.