The All-Star Commissioner’s Cup and Jennie Finch Classic, youth-oriented tournaments featuring members of MLB Youth Academy Network, will return to the Midsummer Classic in Cleveland, Ohio. Competitive play will begin on Friday, July 5th and continue until Monday, July 8th, when the Champions for both tournaments are recognized on-field prior to the T-Mobile Home Run Derby at Progressive Field. In addition to the on-field excitement, players will be treated to unique experiences during MLB All-Star week, including PLAY BALL PARK and All-Star Sunday. Rosters and schedules are attached.

The All-Star Commissioner’s Cup is a competitive baseball tournament featuring 10 teams of youth baseball players (ages 17 and under) from MLB Youth Academies from around the country and Puerto Rico. The games will be played at both Cleveland's Historic League Park and Case Western Reserve University, which will lodge the players throughout the tournament.

The following MLB youth baseball teams are participating in the All-Star Commissioner’s Cup:

• Cleveland Indians Youth Baseball, Cleveland, Ohio
• MLB Youth Academy, Compton, Calif.
• New Orleans MLB Youth Academy, New Orleans, La.
• Houston Astros MLB Youth Academy, Houston, Texas
• P&G MLB Cincinnati Reds Youth Academy, Cincinnati, Ohio
• Philadelphia Phillies MLB Urban Youth Academy, Philadelphia, Pa.
• Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy, Dallas, Texas
• Kansas City Royals MLB Urban Youth Academy, Kansas City, Mo.
• DREAM, Harlem, N.Y.
• Elite Development Training Program, Gurabo, Puerto Rico

The Jennie Finch Classic, named after the legendary Olympic Gold Medalist and MLB Youth Softball Ambassador, is a competitive softball tournament featuring 10 teams of youth softball players (ages 17 and under) from MLB Youth Academies and Jennie Finch programming. Both Finch and Natasha Watley, also an Olympic Gold Medalist and MLB Youth Softball Ambassador, will be in attendance during various portions of the tournaments.

Games throughout the tournament will be played at both Berea-Midpark High School and Baldwin Wallace University, which will lodge the players throughout the tournament. The championship game will be held at Mather Park at Case Western University.

The following youth softball teams are participating in the Jennie Finch Classic:

• Cleveland Indians Youth Softball, Cleveland, Ohio
• MLB Youth Academy, Compton, Calif.
• New Orleans MLB Youth Academy, New Orleans, La.
• Houston Astros MLB Youth Academy, Houston, Texas
• P&G MLB Cincinnati Reds Youth Academy, Cincinnati, Ohio
• Philadelphia Phillies MLB Urban Youth Academy, Philadelphia, Pa.
• Texas Rangers MLB Youth Academy, Dallas, Texas
• Kansas City Royals MLB Urban Youth Academy, Kansas City, Mo.
• DREAM, Harlem, N.Y.
• Finch’s Aces, Flemington, N.J.

Over the last eight years (2012-19), the first round of the MLB Draft has featured 63 players out of 312 selections (20%) coming from diverse backgrounds, including a large percentage of alumni from MLB-led programming. Among the alumni are JP Crawford (Seattle Mariners), Dominic Smith (New York Mets), Hunter Greene (Cincinnati Reds), Corey Ray (Milwaukee Brewers), Dillon Tate (Baltimore Orioles), all of whom participated in MLB Youth Academies and/or RBI programs.

Located in underserved communities, MLB Youth Academies provide low-/cost-free, year-round baseball and softball instruction. In addition to on-field instruction, Academies also offer educational (e.g., SAT/ACT Prep) and vocational opportunities that could lead to various baseball-oriented careers. The network includes MLB Youth Academies in the Bronx, Cincinnati, Compton, Dallas, Gurabo (Puerto Rico), Houston, Kansas City, New Orleans, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.