96TH MLB ALL-STAR GAME

July 13, 2026

John Schneider

Dave Roberts

Dylan Cease

Cristopher Sanchez

Siera Santos

Citizen's Bank Park

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Good afternoon, and welcome to the 2026 All-Star Game from beautiful Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

This is the fifth time Philadelphia has hosted the All-Star Game. It is actually the first at Citizens Bank Park. I'm Siera Santos. I'm the host of MLB Network. Enough about me.

There are 36 first-time All-Stars and the All-Stars arrived to Philadelphia last night. And the festivities traditionally begin for the Midsummer Classic by introducing tomorrow night's starting pitchers and starting lineup, so let's get right into it.

We begin with the National League and manager of the reigning world champion Los Angeles Dodgers, Dave Roberts.

Dave. I ask you, don't forget to name your starting lineup.

DAVE ROBERTS: All right, all right. Can I go?

THE MODERATOR: It's all yours.

DAVE ROBERTS: For the National League starters, I've got this man right to my left. He is going to be taking the mound. He's the hometown hero, fan favorite. Cristopher Sanchez is making his second All-Star appearance, and I get the pleasure of naming him the National League All-Star. Cristopher Sanchez, number one.

Leading off, DH, Kyle Schwarber.

Batting second, playing left field, Juan Soto.

My guy batting third, first base, Freddie Freeman.

Playing shortstop, hitting fourth, CJ Abrams.

Fifth, playing third base, Max Muncy.

Batting sixth, playing second base, Ozzie Albies.

Batting seventh, playing right field, Phillies own Brandon Marsh.

And batting eighth in center field, Andy Pages.

And batting ninth, making his first All-Star appearance from the Atlanta Braves, Drake Baldwin, catching.

THE MODERATOR: Cristopher Sanchez, how does it feel to be starting this game?

CRISTOPHER SANCHEZ: This feels really special. Really exciting. Even more so being here at home. So I'm just super excited. So I can come here tomorrow and just take it all in, so going to lean in and just enjoy it overall.

THE MODERATOR: Let's go ahead and introduce John Snyder, manager for the AL, and Toronto Blue Jays manager. If you don't mind revealing your starting lineup.

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Thank you, Siera.

Starting with the man to my right, first-time All-Star, surprisingly, and, you know, has been a pleasure to watch every fifth day with the Toronto Blue Jays, Dylan Cease will be on the mound tomorrow. First starter since Toronto great Roy Halladay back in '09. Dylan, congratulations. We're going to build off an almost no-hitter in your last outing.

As for the lineup, leading off, playing center, hometown boy Mike Trout.

DH, batting second, Yordan Alvarez.

Shea Langeliers will hit third. He will be behind the plate.

Junior Caminero will bat fourth and play third. It will be nice to see him swing from the same dugout as opposed to the opposing dugout.

Bobby Witt, Jr. at shortstop, will hit fifth.

Cody Bellinger from the Yankees in right field, hitting sixth.

Another Yankee, Ben Rice, at first, will hit seventh.

Riley Greene is in left field, hitting eighth.

Toronto's own Ernie Clement with the fan-leading American League votes will bat ninth and play second base.

THE MODERATOR: Dylan, I'll ask the same question for you. First-time All-Star and you're starting the whole thing.

DYLAN CEASE: Yeah, it's a massive honor. I'm really excited, and I feel very grateful for it.

THE MODERATOR: We'll go ahead and take questions.

Q. I want to take this opportunity to ask, after half a season or more, what everybody thinks of ABS? How is it working for you? Your two teams, managers, have taken about the same number of challenges. Any changes you would recommend in the system? Managers first.

JOHN SCHNEIDER: I think the system has done what we had hoped as a league it was going to do. I think that there is definitely a strategy to using the challenges. I think, like anything in this game, tendencies get picked up, whether it's by players or umpires as the season goes.

The one thing I think if you are nitpicking is, you know, when part of the ball is touching the outside of the three-dimensional zone, that has been a strike for 100 years. Makes guys like this even better and guys like that even better. But that's me nitpicking.

I think that it's done what it was intended to do so far, and I'm sure there will be tweaks along the way like anything in the league.

DAVE ROBERTS: Yeah, I agree with John. I think it's been great, accomplished what we want. I think the fans have taken a liking to it, interest in it. As far as the players, just trying to navigate the leverage and when to kind of use your challenges is something we're all trying to learn.

But I do think that it's made the umpiring even better, because they've had to even bear down even more. Nothing against umpires, but I just think the system has been good.

As John said, the 0.1 on plate/off plate is tough at times for it to watch.

DYLAN CEASE: I think it's entertaining. I like it when it goes my way, and I don't like it when it doesn't. I think it's entertaining, and you know, it's just one of those where I have kind of just accepted it is what it is. Yeah, I've thought it's been kind of nice.

CRISTOPHER SANCHEZ: It's obviously a new system. You have to respect the origin of it and the intent behind it. Also, just adapt to it.

It's a process, right? You have to adapt to it, but it gives you the fairness that anyone can on their own just challenge what they think and just appeal those type of close calls.

Q. Cristopher, what does it feel like to start an All-Star game and at home? Are you nervous or any emotions behind it?

CRISTOPHER SANCHEZ: It's an honor for me. I wouldn't say I'm nervous. I feel at home. I'm at home here, and that's a point in favor for us, like being at home. The joy that the fans bring and all the energy that our fans bring to the stadium, it's something that motivates me every single day.

Q. For John and Dave. John, you mentioned Caminero. What kind of a force has he become in this league? Dave, same question to you. I know you guys just saw him, too.

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Yeah, we've seen him for a couple years. I think when you see a division opponent that much, you really kind of appreciate how good they are and how good he is. You can see him evolve as a hitter, tighten up his strike zone command with each basically time we see him, and the power is undeniable.

It's a pretty exciting young player for the Rays, pretty exciting young player for the game. I think that he works really hard to try to round his whole game out, too, on both sides of the ball.

DAVE ROBERTS: I'm just happy he's not in our division or our league, but he's a great young player. I think for me and John, it's just great to see a hitter, you know. I think that in this day there's a lot of kind of home run, strikeout. This guy has slug, but he can also hit and make a two-strike adjustment. As a fan of the game, it's fun to watch him.

Q. Both lineups are fantastic, star-studded, worthy of the All-Star Game. The National League has been much better than the American League this year. Is that flukey, cyclical, or is the National League actually better than the American League? For the managers only.

DAVE ROBERTS: I'll let John answer that one.

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Oh, come on, man. You know, I think numbers don't lie sometimes, and I'd be lying if I said the American League was in a different spot for own our standings.

So I think the season is called a season for a reason. You see where it shakes out after 162, but there's definitely some strong teams in both leagues. You know, fortunate for the Jays, we're still doing okay and treading water to get to where we want to be.

DAVE ROBERTS: I agree with John.

JOHN SCHNEIDER: I did the best I could.

Q. For both players, you've seen now a number of years the expanded playoffs in operation. Does being on teams with slow starts this year make you appreciate more having the extra Wild Cards to get to October?

DAVE ROBERTS: Yeah, I mean, I think that baseball was created with the length of the season, 162, to be a marathon. So, yeah, there are some middling teams that are potentially going to finish stronger and some teams that are front-running right now that might fall back to the pack.

But as far as expanded playoffs, I think it's kind of -- it's what the fans wanted. It keeps everyone involved through September, as many teams as possible. So if that's what the game wants, then that's good for me and for us, I guess.

DYLAN CEASE: Yeah, I think having more teams involved and more fan bases feeling like there's something to play for later in the season is always good.

Q. So this question was a little message to Cristopher's father, who is back home in the DR that couldn't make it.

CRISTOPHER SANCHEZ: You know, just sum it up, I just dedicate this performance to him and dedicate this whole event to him. You know, I love you a lot, and all that I've been able to do throughout my life, both on and off the field, it's because of you. So I love you.

Q. Question for Dave and John. Dave, you've done this a few times. John, you've been around the game for a while. Does this All-Star Game feel different when you have players that are prioritizing rest or there's injuries or just general disinterest and you look at what the rosters could be and what they're at right now? Does it feel different as an event?

DAVE ROBERTS: Yeah, I think for me I've always believed that it's an honor. It's a huge honor to be named an All-Star, to be able to participate in this game. I didn't have that. I wasn't a good enough player to be an All-Star.

This is my fourth time managing the All-Star Game. So yeah, the way the game is now where there's rest, recovery, injuries, which are certainly validated, I still try to encourage players to participate because, you know, it is for the fans. It's a fans' game.

To be able to showcase your talents in front of everyone, it's special moment. So I think for Dylan, for Cristopher, you know, I'm really excited for them.

Yeah, the landscape has changed a little bit, but it's still about playing baseball.

JOHN SCHNEIDER: Yeah, I couldn't agree more. I think that, you know, this event is so much about the players that are here now, but the players that have been here before and that will be here later, too, to where you're recognized as the best of the best. So first time for me, but I couldn't agree with Doc more.

Q. I want to ask the starting pitchers, if are you facing yourself as a hitter, which of your pitches do you think would be the hardest to hit?

DYLAN CEASE: I faced a couple of sliders back in my day, and they bounced and I swung at them. So I got to go slider.

DAVE ROBERTS: No one hits his Cambio. Nobody.

CRISTOPHER SANCHEZ: I just think I'd use my change-up and my sinker 100%.

Q. Coach Roberts, co-host of the MLB Awards the last couple times with Mookie Betts. You know Mookie is coming off the wrist issue. You need a wrist to hold a microphone. Who do you think we may need to get instead of Mookie if Mookie is not ready to go for MLB Awards 2026 this year?

DAVE ROBERTS: I like it, Roy. I think that, you know, I would love for you to get Shohei. I think he's wittier than people think. You get him out in front on the stage, I think that would be great.

We're in Philly. I think Harper would be fantastic. I think Trout would be great. My own Kiké Hernández would be hilarious. I think in Major League Baseball we got some good choices, Roy.

Q. I just want to confirm that you're saying right now that Shohei Ohtani is a better entertainer than Mookie Betts, and how would that affect clubhouse chemistry?

DAVE ROBERTS: That's a fair question, and I did not say that. You said Mookie could not do it (laughing). I don't want any clubhouse strife.

Q. My question is for you, Dylan. I know you were less than thrilled to not make the All-Star Team in 2022. Did that fuel you, and the fact that today is your first All-Star appearance to be named the starting pitcher, you know, does it feel like it came full circle?

DYLAN CEASE: Yeah, I was definitely upset in 2022. Four years later, I don't know if it was still fueling me, but I feel like, you know, getting to start my first one maybe made up for it. Yeah, that was disappointing, but this is such a cool experience.

Q. Cristopher, how have you been able to be such a good pitcher with your command and how you've been able to maintain it?

CRISTOPHER SANCHEZ: I've been working throughout this from the beginning of my career. At the early stages of my career, I was just a thrower, if you could say so. I think it's just something that you pick up through the years when you work through the years.

It's been a lot of work on that with my breathing and taking advice from the past generations. I took a lot of advice from Pedro Martinez and from other Dominican pitchers. You know, I think it's just about working, maintaining that throughout the years.

Q. My question is for Dylan. You have a unique love for another sport. I was just curious, one, if you could explain that love and how it developed, but two, would you rather strike out the side in your inning or get a hole-in-one in disc golf?

DYLAN CEASE: I think I would rather strike out the side, but that's a close second. My twin brother got me into it six, seven years ago. Back in the day when would I get home from my Minor League season, he would still be living at home. He had it on YouTube.

I gave him a hard time about it. What is this? Why are you wasting my time with this? Then he got me out there, and somehow I just really fell in love with it. It's been definitely a main activity of him and I during COVID was playing disc golf.

Q. Cristopher, you've had a great year overall first with the WBC and then a good first half and finally the All-Star now. Describe this, and do you think that this is the best moment in your career?

CRISTOPHER SANCHEZ: So far, yes, I think this could be described as the best moment in my career. And I want full credit to God for me being able to be here. Thanks to him. You know, it's just, first of all, the discipline and a lot of hard work we put in throughout the season.

Q. Dave, your Dodgers knocked the Phillies out of the postseason last year. What kind of reception are you expecting from the home crowd?

DAVE ROBERTS: Probably not a warm reception. The Phillies, just a great organization. Obviously a tremendous fan base, very knowledgeable, passionate fan base. Got a lot of respect for Dombro, Donny, and obviously the players that play for the Phillies.

Yeah, I don't think I'm going to be too -- me and the Dodgers will be too well received tomorrow night.

Q. John, what ultimately tipped the scales to choose Dylan Cease?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: I think if you look at the overall body of work this year, where he is in his career, the entire, you know, body of work over the last three years -- again, we're talking about 2026. But I think the evolution of him as a pitcher, I got to see it kind of up close and personal.

But you're talking about leading the league in strike-outs, up there in innings pitched, quality starts, WAR. There was a lot of categories that he was either at the top or second in.

I think that's what's tipped it. It was performance. Part of it was me seeing it up close every day, but we get to see a lot of guys up close, and I think Dylan's performance made him very deserving of this honor.

Q. John, what was your favorite part about the 2025 season?

JOHN SCHNEIDER: So for those that don't know, this is my 9-year-old son, Gunner, asking me. So the favorite part of the 2025 season? Gunner, there were a lot of memorable moments in 2025. Thankfully you were there for a lot of them along with Mom and Greyson.

I think winning the American League will be number one, and I think the lasting memories of an epic World Series, albeit on the wrong end of a finishing Game 7 -- Doc.

DAVE ROBERTS: My apologies.

JOHN SCHNEIDER: A few players in your clubhouse that I have to talk to later.

I think just kind of the special bond that the team had and being able to share it with you guys was probably the best part, buddy. Love you.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you all for being here today. The National League All-Stars are going to be available to media in Ashburn Alley beginning at 2:40 p.m. followed by the American League All-Stars at 3:35 p.m.