MLB All-Star Game 2025: NL Wins First-Ever Home Run Derby Finish in All-Star Game History — A Night That Honored Hank Aaron in Style

ATLANTA — In a city forever tied to the legacy of Hank Aaron, the 2025 MLB All-Star Game delivered a dramatic and fitting tribute: a Home Run Derby-style swing-off to decide the winner—the first in All-Star Game history.

And in that historic moment, the National League delivered.

With the game tied after nine innings, MLB turned to a thrilling new tiebreak format: three swings each from three players per team, with the highest home run total deciding the outcome. The American League struck early with two home runs from Brent Rooker (Athletics) and one from Randy Arozarena (Mariners). But Kyle Schwarber, the Philadelphia Phillies slugger, had other plans.

With the NL trailing 3-1, Schwarber stepped up and blasted three towering home runs, silencing the AL's chances. When Tampa Bay’s Jonathan Aranda failed to go yard, the NL walked off with a 4-3 victory—just its second win in the last 12 years.

⚾ Game Highlights: Early Fireworks and Final Drama

• Paul Skenes, the electric rookie from the Pittsburgh Pirates, kicked things off with a clean 1-2-3 inning and two strikeouts, setting the tone early for the NL.
• Ketel Marte (Diamondbacks) added two early RBIs with a first-inning double that put the AL on their heels.
• Pete Alonso (Mets) crushed a three-run homer in the 6th, followed by Corbin Carroll adding one of his own to give the NL a commanding lead.
• The AL stormed back in the 7th, tying things at 4-4 behind another Rooker home run and key plays from Bobby Witt Jr. (Royals) in the ninth.
• But in a game full of stars, it was Schwarber’s bat that stole the show.
• Kyle Schwarber is named the 2025 All-Star MVP of the game.

🌟 A Final Bow for a Legend?

Clayton Kershaw, the beloved Dodgers ace and recent inductee into the 3,000 strikeout club, took the mound in the second inning for what many believe was his final All-Star appearance. After a standing ovation, Kershaw delivered two vintage outs, including a strikeout of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., before being pulled to thunderous applause.

And yes—Kyle Tucker, usually a right fielder, made a sliding grab in left on the very first pitch of Kershaw’s outing. Talk about pressure—and payoff.

🙌 We MIss You Hank: All-Star Tribute Honors Hank Aaron’s Legendary 715th Home Run

As the National League surged ahead with back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, the spotlight shifted from the present to the past—to a moment forever etched in baseball history.

During the break between the sixth and seventh innings on July 15 (7/15), MLB and the Atlanta Braves paid tribute to the man synonymous with home run greatness: Hank Aaron.

In a powerful moment aired live on FOX, MLB recreated Aaron’s iconic 715th home run, the one that dethroned Babe Ruth as the all-time home run king. That historic swing, launched on April 8, 1974 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, not only changed the record books—it changed the game forever.

The tribute served as a fitting nod to Aaron’s legacy (who unfortunately passed away back on January 22, 2021), especially on a night when the long ball once again played the starring role. His wife was there to take the moment in.

MainEvent.News | Backstage Take

Major League Baseball couldn’t have scripted a better tribute to Hank Aaron than a night of grit, greatness, and game-changing swings. The new swing-off format not only energized the crowd but injected real drama into a game often seen as ceremonial. Schwarber’s bombs, Skenes’ poise, and Kershaw’s final All-Star moment gave this Midsummer Classic a truly historic edge. If this is the future of All-Star finishes, baseball may have just found its home run.