The Blue Jays haven't hosted an MLB all-star game since 1991. That could soon change

Hamilton Spectator

15-07-2025

It's been 34 years since the
Blue Jays
hosted an all-star game but that might soon change.
Toronto is a 'front-runner' to win the bid for the 2028 game,
according to report from USA Today national baseball columnist Bob Nightengale
. The same report suggests the club's top competition is Baltimore, which hasn't hosted since 1993.
When asked to comment, a Jays spokesperson said the club didn't have any information to share. That's not surprising. The Chicago Cubs are expected to be in charge of the 2027 all-star game, but that has yet to be announced by Major League Baseball.
The Jays have been trying in recent years to host one of MLB's signature events. Team president Mark Shapiro previously announced a bid for the 2027 all-star game and, after reportedly missing out, applying for 2028 would be the logical next step.
'We're working on that,' Shapiro said last spring. 'The commissioner is coming at the end of the month for a visit, not by mistake because we want to show him what we've done here and (we) feel like there's a good chance of that happening in the next four or five years.
'I'm feeling optimistic on that. I'm not exactly sure what the year will be ... but we're on the list.'
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred previously acknowledged the Jays' efforts to bring the game to Toronto as well. Atlanta is the host city for this week's festivities while Philadelphia has been announced for 2026.
The Jays last hosted the all-star game in 1991, when Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. stole the show. Ripken became the first player to win the home run derby and all-star MVP in the same year. He also became the first derby winner to hit a home run in the game.
The Orioles have been waiting their turn almost as long as the Jays. The last time they hosted, the Jays were on their way to winning back-to-back World Series titles. That game is remembered most for Jays manager Cito Gaston deciding not to use Baltimore right-hander Mike Mussina, then 24 years old.
Even though it was pre-planned, Mussina began warming up on his own during the eighth and ninth innings, which prompted 'We want Mike' and 'Cito sucks' chants from the crowd. Baltimore responded later in the season by
flying the Jays' pennant upside down
.
Now those same two cities appear to be competing against each other to host in 2028. An additional selling point for Jays fans is that 2023 home run derby champion
Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
told Sportsnet earlier this year that he would compete in the event again if Toronto was the host city.
'I am strongly influenced by two things,'
Manfred said last year.
'One, when did you last have a game? Toronto stacks up pretty well on that variable ... And two, the city. Our all-star (festivities), what's become most of the week, we need certain facilities and certain types of support.'
The Jays line up well there. MLB notoriously likes to reward teams that build a new stadium or undergo extensive renovations with an all-star game. It's considered a perk to entice clubs and their host cities to invest additional resources into upgrading their infrastructure.
Shapiro recently oversaw an
investment of approximately $400 million to modernize Rogers Centre
and the Orioles are expected to spend a similar amount next year.
New seats and social areas were installed throughout Rogers Centre while the bowels of the ballpark saw extensive changes to the home clubhouse and the addition of state-of-the-art training facilities for players. It's worth noting, however, that the visitor's clubhouse was relatively untouched and remains small compared to other stadiums.
Manfred is set to meet with members of the Baseball Writers' Association this week in Atlanta. He figures to be asked about the 2028 all-star game but an official decision likely won't come until after the 2027 host is announced.
Toronto pitcher was serving a 75-game suspension for violating MLB's domestic violence policy