Hank Aaron Invitational Returns To Rickwood Field With 44 High School Stars and Annual Showcase Game

Rickwood Field, the oldest American ballpark, has become a mainstay for iconic MLB events since its major renovations and reopening in 2024, hosting numerous games primarily in tribute to the Negro Leagues. Wednesday, July 29, marked the latest display in Birmingham, Alabama, with the Hank Aaron Invitational Showcase Game, inviting 44 high school players to compete in the “44 game,” named after Aaron’s number.

This is the second year in a row that the annual showcase will be held at Rickwood Field and the second event of the 2026 MLB season. The first was the East-West Classic on Juneteenth.

The players selected were a part of the Hank Aaron Invitational’s Week 2 cohort, expected to graduate in 2027 and 2028, that ran from July 24-27 at the Jackie Robinson Training Complex in Vero Beach, Fla.

Six players are already committed to play DI college baseball, two to LSU. California (eight) and Florida (five) lead the way with the most attendees by state.

The rosters were separated into two teams, ‘Team Hank Aaron’ and ‘Team Jackie Robinson.’ Below lists each team’s coaching staff.

Hank Aaron Invitational 2022 | Where Black Baseball’s Past Meets #MLBbros Future

Team Hank Aaron

Antonio Grissom (Manager) — 1990 19th round pick; Morehouse College Head Coach; brother to two-time All-Star Marquis Grissom

Dwayne Hosey — Two-year MLB career

Craig Grebeck — 12-year MLB career

Ron Jackson — 1971 second-round pick; 10-year MLB career

Stan Kyles — 1979 fourth-round pick

Team Jackie Robinson

Tye Waller (Manager) — 1977 fourth-round pick; four-year MLB career

Mike Harkey — 1987 fourth overall pick; eight-year MLB career

Brian Hunter — 1987 eighth-round pick, nine-year MLB career

Carlos Muñoz — Former Houston Astros Bullpen Catcher

The Invitational, founded in 2015, is the premier diversity-focused baseball development experience for high school-age baseball players in the United States, according to the MLB. It is powered by the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation. Each player was selected from various programs with connections to the MLB, like the MLB Youth Academy network, Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) program, MLB Develops programming and more.

The Hank Aaron Invitational spans across the final two weeks of July, bringing in 250 kids between ages 13-18 from around the country to receive elite-level training from former MLB players and coaches. Week 1 hosts high schoolers in the Classes of 2029 and 2030, the second for the Classes of 2027 and 2028.

The main event has proven to be a successful pipeline to the MLB over the years, as multiple current MLB players participated in it.

Former All-Stars’ Reds right-hander Hunter Greene and Braves outfielder Michael Harris II are a few to name, while currently over 30 minor leaguers and more than 150 college players have played in the event. 20 players selected in the 2026 MLB Draft were alumni of the Hank Aaron Invitational, headlined by first-round picks Zion Rose (6th), AJ Gracia (9th) and Jacob Lombard (14th).