Major League Baseball is replacing the All-Star Week celebrity softball game with an unusual co-ed 3-on-3 competition that almost no one has ever heard of called MLBx.
The reasoning behind the introduction of MLBx during All-Star Week in Philadelphia in 2026 is to build on the success of the Home Run Derby X (HRDx) Tour, where the Dodgers beat the Yankees 72-71 this past October.
What is MLBx? What are the rules and how is it played?
According to an announcement made on Tuesday by Major League Baseball, MLBx is 3-on-3 baseball. It is a “fast-paced format built around power and athleticism.” MLB also described it as co-ed teams that “unite male and female athletes alongside MLB legends and special guests.”
Sports Business Journal explains that MLBx will consist of semi-finals and a final, with each game lasting 30 minutes. According to SBJ’s report, the teams will include MLB All-Stars, softball superstars, and the aforementioned “special guests.”
The MLBx games will take place after the Futures Game on July 12 at Citizens Bank Park. It replaces the annual Celebrity Softball Game, which had been played during every MLB All-Star Week since 2021.
BettorEdge reports that the MLBx games will be broadcast live on Peacock. Assuming it follows similar rules to Home Run Derby X, the teams, which consist of three players and one designated batting practice pitcher, will compete under a point-based system with unique rules, such as a 45-degree field layout.
Every player has two and a half minutes to bat. Home runs and hitting certain targets both inside and outside the fence earn points. On defense, the other team positions themselves in the outfield and scores points for each catch they make.
“It combines the most exciting elements of the 9-inning game into a 30-minute format that’s fast, exciting, and lots of fun to watch and play,” Major League Baseball said about HRDx.