Home Run Chaos in Atlanta: NL Wins 2025 MLB All-Star Game in Historic Swing-Off

In a game that felt like a Hollywood scriptwriter moonlighting as a baseball commissioner, the 2025 MLB All-Star Game ended not with a walk-off… but a swing-off. Yep, for the first time in All-Star history, a Home Run Derby-style tiebreaker decided the winner. And who better to deliver the final blow than Kyle Schwarber — the man built like a fridge and swings like one too. With three monster home runs on three swings, Schwarber clinched the 4–3 win for the National League and grabbed MVP honors in a game that rewrote the All-Star playbook.

A Game of Firsts, Fastballs, and Fireworks

Before we get to Schwarber’s swingfest, let’s appreciate how the night began: with flame-throwing phenom Paul Skenes starting for the NL for the second year in a row — something no pitcher has ever done in their first two seasons. His 100+ mph heaters embarrassed the AL’s top hitters, including a strikeout of Aaron Judge. And then came the emotional baton pass to 11-time All-Star Clayton Kershaw, possibly making his final Midsummer Classic appearance. If that wasn’t enough drama, the automated ball-strike system (ABS) made its debut — welcome to the future, folks.

Raleigh Rips, Schwarber Smashes

The early innings had some fireworks — Arizona’s Ketel Marte smacked a two-RBI double before Pete Alonso and Corbin Carroll launched back-to-back bombs to give the NL a 6–0 lead. But Brent Rooker wasn’t having it. The Oakland DH, fresh off his Home Run Derby win, went deep again, helping the AL tie it up in the 9th thanks to Bobby Witt Jr. and a heroic infield hustle from Steven Kwan.

That sent us to the tiebreaker — three batters from each team, three swings each. The AL landed three total. The NL only needed Schwarber. Boom. Boom. Boom.

Not Just Baseball—A Tribute to Hank Aaron

In one of the most moving moments of the night, MLB paid tribute to legend Hank Aaron with a high-tech projection mapping tribute. Fans lit up Truist Park with their phones as fireworks reenacted Aaron’s iconic 715th homer. His widow, Billye Aaron, looked on as history was honored right where it happened — Atlanta.

Why This All-Star Game Mattered

It’s easy to write off the All-Star Game as a glorified exhibition, but this one had stakes — emotional, nostalgic, and historical. The debut of ABS, a changing of the guard on the mound, a rookie flamethrower like Jacob Misiorowski tossing 102 mph, and a swing-off for the ages? That’s not just good baseball — that’s legacy-building stuff.

As the National League celebrates just its second win in 12 years, fans (and maybe a few rule-makers) are left wondering: should the Home Run Swing-Off become a regular thing?

Either way, we’ll remember Atlanta for one thing — Schwarber didn’t just hit bombs. He made history.