Baseball’s mid-season fun is the best
The MLB all-star game outshines other North American sports’ mid-season events, offering true competition and fan excitement.
July 24, 2025
key points from this story:
- Schwarber hit three home runs in tie-breaker
- MLB all-star event outshines other leagues
- NBA and NFL all-star games lack competition
- NHL sometimes holds special mid-season formats
- Home Run Derby draws strong fan interest
- MLB players compete seriously in the all-star
When Kyle Schwarber blasted three home runs on three swings in the mini home-run derby to break a tie in Major League Baseball’s annual all-star game in mid-July, it just confirmed that of all the major sports in North America, baseball does it best when it comes to mid-season (or end-of-year) classics. Baseball may no longer be the most popular professional sport in North America, but its mid-season all-star game is by far better than the exhibition efforts put forth by the National Hockey League, the National Basketball Association and the National Football League.
Most sports fans would probably agree that if they could pick only one sport’s mid-season exhibition — the NHL or NBA All-star game, baseball’s Home Run Derby and all-star game; and the NFL’s Pro Bowl, which happens not at mid-season but following the Super Bowl — baseball’s version would win hands down.
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