2025 Hank Aaron Invitational Showcase Game rosters announced

BIRMINGHAM, AL – Following a memorable experience at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex (JRTC) in Vero Beach, Fla., 44 of the 112 participants from Week Two of the 2025 Hank Aaron Invitational (HAI) have been selected to play in the annual HAI showcase game also known as the “44 Game,” reflecting the number Aaron wore throughout his career. The elite showcase will take place at historic Rickwood Field for the first time in event history on Wednesday, July 30th at 5 p.m. CT. This will be the third event MLB will conduct at Rickwood Field since last June following MLB at Rickwood Field: A Tribute to the Negro Leagues and the East West Classic.

The Hank Aaron Invitational, hosted by MLB and the MLB Players Association, is powered by the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation (YDF) and is the premier diversity-focused baseball development experience for high school-age baseball players in the United States. Notably, the showcase game rosters include five players from the greater Atlanta region. All players are expected to graduate high school in 2026 or 2027. Rosters for the Hank Aaron Invitational Showcase Game at Rickwood Field are available below.

The rosters will be broken down into two teams “Team Hank Aaron” and “Team Jackie Robinson,” managed/coached by the following:

TEAM AARON (roster)

Howie Kendrick (Manager)

Ken Hill

Ron Jackson

Antonio Grissom

Stan Kyles

TEAM ROBINSON (roster)

Jemile Weeks (Manager)

Chuck McElroy

David Gallagher

Junior Spivey

Tye Waller

Admission for the showcase game is free for families and fans of Birmingham and surrounding communities. Additionally, the showcase matchup will stream LIVE on MLB.com, MLB.TV and in the MLB App, and will re-air on MLB Network on Saturday, August 2nd at 7 p.m. ET. Michael Bourn will be on the call with Sedric Granger, MLB Voices program alumnus.

FACTS ABOUT THE HANK AARON INVITATIONAL:

• The event started in 2015 as the Elite Development Invitational but was renamed at the 2018 World Series to the Hank Aaron Invitational to honor the legacy of the legendary Hall of Famer.
• The event is powered by the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation, which is a joint initiative by MLB and MLBPA to support efforts that focus on improving the caliber, effectiveness and availability of amateur baseball and softball programs across the United States and internationally.
• Over the last six MLB Drafts, more than 65 alumni of this event were selected, including 10 in 2024. These include 1st round picks Christian Moore (8th overall, LAA), Braden Montgomery(12th overall, BOS), and Cameron Smith (14th overall, CHC); 4th round pick Ty Southisene (Chicago Cubs); 8th round picks Tyler Wilson (New York Yankees) and Cameron Hill (Philadelphia Phillies); 11th round pick Christian Little (Seattle Mariners); 15th round pick Erik Parker (Los Angeles Dodgers); 16th round pick TJ McCants (Seattle Mariners); and 17th round pick Jacoby Long (New York Mets). Previous HAI alumni selected in the first round include Dillon Head, George Lombard, Termarr Johnson, Elijah Green, Justin Crawford, and Cam Collier.
• In total, more than 200 alumni of the program are playing baseball at the next level, either professionally or on the collegiate level.