When the Phillies lost 19 of their first 28 games and the whole summer felt imperiled, some corners of the organization wondered if the first All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park would showcase anything good about the local team. Turns out, the first All-Star Game in Philadelphia in 30 years will have a strong Phillies presence.Five Phillies were named All-Stars in Saturday night’s announcement by Major League Baseball. One of them, outfielder Brandon Marsh, will start the game. Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper were selected as reserves. Pitchers Cristopher Sánchez and Jhoan Duran are also on the National League’s roster.It’s a large contingent for a second-place team, but the Phillies have been powered by their stars to this point. Schwarber leads the majors in homers. Harper and Marsh are top 10 in OPS in the NL. Sánchez is a front-runner for the NL Cy Young Award. Duran has been one of the most dominant relievers in MLB.Zack Wheeler, who has a 2.36 ERA in 13 starts since returning in late April from surgery to correct thoracic outlet syndrome, was not selected. He is scheduled to pitch Tuesday in Cincinnati, then Sunday, the last day before the break, in Detroit. That would make him ineligible to pitch in the All-Star Game, so he can’t be named as a replacement.For Marsh, the honor is a formal affirmation of his progress over the last 15 months. He began the 2025 season with four hits in his first 42 at-bats, including a streak of 31 at-bats without a hit. He was a platoon player who always seemed to fall short of his potential.Ever since, he’s been one of the most productive outfielders in the sport. He is hitting .315/.348/.523 this season. He has seven extra-base hits against lefties, equaling his total from the previous two seasons combined.Marsh is the first Phillies outfielder elected as a starter since Raúl Ibañez and Shane Victorino in 2009.Kyle Schwarber, MLB’s home run leader and last year’s All-Star Game MVP, could participate in this year’s Home Run Derby. (Jamie Squire / Getty Images)Schwarber and Harper won’t start in the All-Star Game, but they could take center stage the night before in the Home Run Derby. Neither player has been announced as a participant, but both have said they could do the Derby if they were selected as All-Stars.They would be the first teammates to compete in the Derby since Aaron Judge and Gary Sánchez in 2017.“The last time I did it, I won,” Harper said earlier in the week. “I said I’d never do it again. So, we’ll see how I’m feeling.”Harper, as the hometown guy in 2018 with the Derby at Nationals Park, defeated Schwarber in the final round. Harper’s father, Ron, threw to him that night.“My dad hasn’t thrown in a long time, so I don’t really want to do it without him,” Harper said. “It’s more for me and him, but we’ll see. Obviously, I know the fans want me to do it, so I’ll take that into account, but we’ll see how much pump I have behind me going out there and doing it.”Sánchez is a candidate to start the game for the National League. Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski and Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes might pitch on the Sunday before the All-Star break, which would make Sánchez a logical choice. Shohei Ohtani is another possibility; his Los Angeles Dodgers manager, Dave Roberts, is running the NL team.Sánchez was a snub last season, but he has pitched at an All-Star level for three seasons now. He’s elevated his game yet again in 2026 with a higher strikeout rate, a lower walk rate and more innings per start. He is one of the best lefties in the sport.The 28-year-old Duran is an All-Star for the first time. He features some of the nastiest stuff in the game, and if the Midsummer Classic is all about entertainment, Duran will appear late in the game with his trademark entrance at Citizens Bank Park.The last time the Phillies hosted the All-Star Game, in 1996, they had one representative: reliever Ricky Bottalico. It’ll be a little different in 2026.Jul 5, 2026Connections: Sports EditionSpot the pattern. Connect the termsFind the hidden link between sports terms