Atlanta will finally get its MLB All-Star game.
Two years after the league rescinded the 2021 Midsummer Classic from the city due to Georgia enacting controversial election laws, the league announced the Braves and Truist Park will host the 2025 edition of the game.
“As a model of success on and off the field, the Braves deserve to host the All-Star Game,” commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement on Thursday. “Truist Park and The Battery Atlanta will provide fans a world-class experience in 2025. We look forward to working with the Braves and local leaders to deliver a memorable All-Star Week that brings people together and benefits the community in many ways.”
In 2021, Georgia’s GOP-backed legislation restricted voting by mail and increased legislative control over elections in the state.
MLB joined Atlanta-based Delta and Coca-Cola in citing concerns over the law, with Manfred opting to move the All-Star Game to Denver’s Coors Field, citing “restrictions to the ballot box.”
The league also pulled the amateur draft from Atlanta that same year.
The Braves went on to win the World Series in 2021, their first since 1999.
Now, Atlanta will get to host the game for a third time — it took place at Atlanta Stadium in 1972 and returned to the city in 2000, when Derek Jeter took home MVP honors at Turner Field.
“We are thrilled that Major League Baseball has awarded the Atlanta Braves the 2025 All-Star Game,” team chairman Terry McGuirk said, per the Associated Press. “Time and time again, Atlanta has proven to be a world-class destination for the most exciting entertainment and sporting events.”
“It’s exciting to see what the Braves have built and it should be celebrated,” said CC Sabathia, who serves as a special assistant to the commissioner. “They are leading the way in baseball culture, fully embracing all of Atlanta’s music and food scenes.”
The 2024 All-Star Game will be hosted by the Texas Rangers in Arlington, and then will head to Philadelphia in 2026 to help commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of Declaration of Independence.