How young players are getting an All-Star spotlight in Philly
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Steve Frias at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday. Photo: Isaac Avilucea/Axios
He's not on the All-Star roster. But Steve Frias played at Citizens Bank Park on Wednesday like he was.
Why it matters: As MLB legends and some of the sport's top prospects descend on Philly for All-Star weekend, dozens of young players are getting a shot at the spotlight.
Driving the news: Frias, a 21-year-old Rowan College of South Jersey freshman, was one of them. He filled in for former Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins during a rehearsal for a new 3-on-3 competition, treating the practice like a personal audition.
- "Today we're here, but tomorrow we don't know," Frias tells Axios. "You don't know when it's time to hang up the cleats. You don't know when it's your last game. So, because of that, I'm always hustling."
The big picture: While fans will flock to Philly to see the Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani and the Phillies' own Brandon Marsh, All-Star weekend is also a showcase for baseball's future.
- The Futures Game on Sunday stars talented prospects expected to reach the majors soon, while the HBCU Swingman Classic introduces lesser-known college talent to a national audience.
- And new events like the MLBx: 3-on-3 aim to draw in younger fans.
What they're saying: Frias, a New Jersey native, says his college coach flexed some connections and recommended him to participate in the MLBx: 3-on-3 dress rehearsal.
- Frias says he was recruited as a youngster to play baseball in the Dominican Republic, spending most of his childhood working on his craft with pro-level dedication.
"I didn't really have a childhood, because I was always playing baseball," he says, recalling "training on Sundays, on holidays, on birthdays."
- "I was always overseas playing when my family was here, so it was a big sacrifice. But it definitely worked out."
How it works: The MLBx: 3-on-3 game, which kicks off Sunday at 3pm, teams up former Phillies superstars Rollins, Ryan Howard and Shane Victorino with professional softball players and celebrities like former Eagles wide receiver Terrell Owens and current wideout DeVonta Smith.
- Batters' main goal? For three two-minute rounds, they try to smash as many home runs as they can. They can tag each other in and out, depending on who has the hottest bat.
- And a hot-streak button makes things more exciting. Players can smash it whenever they want and, for five pitches, home runs and defensive catches by the other team count for twice the points.
Behind the scenes: Wednesday's test run felt like the real thing.
- The Liberty Bell rang to start each two-minute round, a play-by-play announcer narrated every swing, and pyrotechnics sizzled.
- Frias did his part, knocking in homers and snagging balls in the outfield when his team was on defense.
Context: When he returned to the U.S., Frias spent time as an "uncommitted" player selling himself to college coaches before landing at Seton Hall.
- Because of a hang-up with NCAA eligibility rules, he says, he had to transfer to Rowan, where he hopes to make a name for himself.
Frias has big dreams, hoping one day he'll be taking the field at the Bank for the Phillies.
- He has a little help: he can always hear the words of his "prayer warrior" mother, Jasmine, urging him on.
"She said, 'You want to play baseball, make it happen, my son.'"
- "It's not so much a dream anymore, because it's gonna happen," Frias says, brimming with confidence. "I know for sure it's gonna happen."
