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FIRST ON FOX: The Perfect Game All-American Classic is headed east, arsenic nan world’s largest shot scouting organization’s premier tourney will beryllium astatine Citizens Bank Park successful 2026, nan location of nan Philadelphia Phillies.
The All-American Classic will return spot connected Sunday, Aug. 16, 2026, astatine 5 p.m. ET. Perfect Game CEO Rob Ponger told Fox News Digital really excited he is for nan crippled to beryllium successful Philadelphia.
"It's besides nan 250th day of America, right? Philadelphia, Philly, it's for illustration stars, stripes and prospects, right? 1776 to 2026, America was calved 250 years agone and nan early stars of shot are calved astatine this event," Ponger told Fox News Digital.
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A wide position of Citizens Bank Park during nan nationalist anthem connected Opening Day betwixt nan Philadelphia Phillies and nan Texas Rangers. This photograph was taken successful Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, connected March 26, 2026. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
The Perfect Game All-American Classic features nan apical 60 precocious schoolhouse shot players successful nan country, galore of whom spell connected to go first-round draught picks and early large leaguers.
Phillies stars Bryce Harper and Zack Wheeler, Kansas City Royals superstar Bobby Witt Jr., Baltimore Orioles prima Gunnar Henderson, and New York Mets prima Francisco Lindor each played successful nan All-American Classic.
With nan crippled being successful Philadelphia, Ponger said location is an added value to nan crippled because of nan humanities worth of nan city. He hopes it will thief kids make a representation that lasts a lifetime.
"These kids are going to beryllium making moments that will past their lifetime. Even if they don't make it to nan fields and whatever, this is simply a infinitesimal and again, you know, erstwhile that nationalist anthem plays earlier nan game, you conscionable you return a measurement backmost and again nan relevance of it being nan 250th day of America," Ponger said.
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Charlie Manuel shakes players’ hands astatine a Perfect Game 14U Select Fest. This photograph was taken successful Fort Myers, Florida, successful August 2025. (Courtesy of Perfect Game)
"It's our PG All-American game. It's successful Philly, nan Liberty Bell successful nan background. I deliberation it's conscionable cool."
Former Phillies head Charlie Manuel, who helped lead nan squad to a World Series title successful 2008 and is nan winningest head successful franchise history, is nan honorary president of nan event.
Ponger called him a Philadelphia fable and said it’s very meaningful to person him astatine nan event.
In summation to nan All-American Classic connected Sunday, Perfect Game will besides person nan PG All-Star Game connected Friday, Aug. 14, astatine 11 a.m. ET, and nan Launch Hydrate Home Run Challenge connected Saturday, Aug. 15.
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Bryce Harper poses pinch Perfect Game players for a photograph earlier nan 2019 Perfect Game All-American Classic. This photograph was taken successful San Diego, California, successful August 2019. (Courtesy of Perfect Game)
Ponger hopes nan play successful Philadelphia will supply lifelong memories for not only nan kids, but besides their families, who person been beside them each measurement of nan measurement connected their journey.
"America is nan onshore of opportunity and dreams, right? And these kids are connected that way to it. So, it almost sounds cliche, right? But for illustration I said, stars, stripes, and prospects," Ponger said.
"But nan parents, it's each their difficult activity complete nan past (many years) since they're small kids, this is for illustration hopefully not nan climax of it because they spell to D1 and they spell to MLB, but for this infinitesimal successful time, they should besides beryllium honored, each nan parents, right? And connected apical of that, now their difficult work, it's again nan symbolism of America."
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Ryan Canfield is simply a integer accumulation adjunct for Fox News Digital.
