JJ Wetherholt was not the name on the banners, but Philadelphia still leaked enough to turn an All-Star rollout into a guessing game. Photos of banners around the city made their way onto social media before the official roster announcement, and one of them showed Paul Skenes.
That matters because the MLB All-Star rosters were set to be announced on Saturday evening, with the official reveal scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX. The 2026 MLB All-Star Game is set for Citizens Bank Park on July 14, so the city hosting the Mid-Summer Classic wound up showing some of the names early.
Paul Skenes banner draws attention
The most notable banner featured the Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher. Another showed Atlanta Braves first baseman Matt Olson, a sight that stood out because the banners were up in Philadelphia and appeared before the roster release.
The directions said not to hang the banners until July 5, which makes the early appearance harder to brush off as normal timing. Photos of the banners surfaced before Saturday evening, putting the city’s display ahead of the league’s own announcement window.
Matt Olson in Philadelphia
Olson’s banner added another wrinkle. Philadelphia was already expected to draw attention around the MLB All-Star Game, but the early display suggested at least part of the roster artwork had moved ahead of schedule.
That leaves one practical question for readers and fans watching the reveal: which players were actually shown on the banners before the official announcement, and which names were still waiting to be named when the city’s light poles were already doing the leaking for them.
