Major League Baseball and USA Baseball today announced the roster for the inaugural “High School All-Star Game” scheduled at Progressive Field on Saturday, July 6th as part of 2019 MLB All-Star Week in Cleveland. The new All-Star showcase game will feature a roster of 40 participants who competed in the Prospect Development Pipeline (PDP) League, a premier development and showcase experience for 80 of the top high school baseball prospects based in the United States. The High School All-Star Game will stream LIVE on MLB.com starting at approximately 1:30 p.m. ET.
Participating players have been randomly placed onto “American” and “National” League teams, with the home team decided by coin flip. Following are rosters for the American and National League teams:
Additionally, seven of the eight players competing in the annual “High School Home Run Derby,” scheduled for Sunday, July 7th at Progressive Field, have been selected among the active roster and alternates of the High School All-Star Game, including the following players:
Michael Brown – Vacaville, CA (Vacaville High School)
Robert Hassell – Franklin, TN (Independence High School)
Austin Hendrick – Oakdale, PA (West Allegheny High School)
**Blaze Jordan – Southaven, MS (DeSoto Central High School)
Nolan McLean – Willow Spring, NC (Garner Sr. High School)
Yohandy Morales – Miami, FL (Braddock High School)
A.J. Vukovich – Mukwonago, WI (East Troy High School)
Jordan Walker – Stone Mountain, GA (Decatur High School)
** = Not a High School All-Star Game/PDP League Player
Notably, several players featured on High School All-Star Game and All-Star High School Home Run Derby rosters have previously participated in diversity-focused development initiatives led by MLB & USA Baseball. These players include Ed Howard (2018 Elite Development Invitational; now called “Hank Aaron Invitational;” also supported by the MLBPA), Michael Brown (2018 Breakthrough Series-Compton & 2018 Elite Development Invitational), and Jordan Walker (2019 DREAM Series & 2019 Breakthrough Series-Vero Beach).
The PDP League and the High School All-Star Game will serve as the primary identification opportunity for the USA Baseball 18U National Team, which is slated to compete in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) U-18 Baseball World Cup in Busan, South Korea.
The PDP League, which was held from mid-June through early-July at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., was an invitation-based development opportunity for approximately 80 of the top high school baseball players eligible for the 2020 MLB Draft. Over four weeks, players were exposed to competitive game play, practice & training sessions with MLB Club representatives serving as on-field coaches, and evaluation using modern technologies tailoring individualized development curriculums for each player. Former Major League players, such as Hall of Famers Barry Larkin and Chipper Jones, former All-Star shortstop and Miami Marlins CEO Derek Jeter, and three-time All-Star Ryan Howard, served as team captains and stopped by to meet with participants at various points of the PDP League schedule. Additionally, all PDP League players had the opportunity to play a game at Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays.