The Mets and Phillies will play in the second iteration of the MLB Little League Classic at renovated Historic Bowman Field in Williamsport, Pa., on Aug. 19, 2018, the league and the Major League Baseball Players Association announced Friday.
"All of us at Major League Baseball are excited to return to Williamsport," said MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred. "This year's event in Williamsport was a special experience."
Successfully launched in August 2017, the MLB Little League Classic gave big leaguers and Little League players a place to meet and learn from one another during MLB's first annual Player's Weekend. The Cardinals and Pirates competed in the first Classic, with Pittsburgh winning, 6-3.
"The interactions throughout the day between the Major League Players and Little Leaguers was something that those involved will remember forever," Manfred said. "We are pleased to once again have the opportunity to help create these special memories next August."
As it was in 2017, the 2018 version of the game will take place at Bowman Field, the home of the Phillies' Class A Williamsport Crosscutters. Once again, participating players, coaches and families of the 2018 Little League Baseball World Series, as well as local Williamsport youth baseball and softball organizations, will fill a significant portion of the capacity at Bowman Field.
Big league players from the Phillies and Mets will attend Little League Baseball World Series games earlier in the day, as part of MLB and MLBPA's continuing effort to help grow the game at the youth level.
"It's experiences like the 2018 MLB Little League Classic that create baseball fans for life, and we are honored to be a part of it.," Phillies executive vice president David Buck said.
"This is a great opportunity for our club to participate in a game that brings so many Little Leaguers and their families together," said Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon. "We support the Commissioner's Play Ball initiative to reach the next generation of players and fans and our entire organization is looking forward to the experience."