RJ Hamster
The Wonka factory of ballpark foods
Tuesday, July 07
Welcome to The Pregame Lineup, a weekday newsletter that gets you up to speed on everything you need to know for today’s games, while catching you up on fun and interesting stories you might have missed. Today’s newsletter is brought to you by David Adler.
Junior Caminero has his first Home Run Derby challenger, and it’s a Bronx Bomber: Ben Rice.
Rice joined the Rays slugger today as the second player to enter the 2026 T-Mobile Home Run Derby, which is set for next Monday at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia during All-Star Week.
Six of the eight Home Run Derby contestants remain to be announced. As more names are revealed, you can keep track of this year’s participants here.
Rice will look to become the Yankees’ first Home Run Derby winner since Aaron Judge in 2017. Four Yankees have won the Derby: Judge, Robinson Canó (2011), Jason Giambi (2002) and Tino Martinez (1997).
Every year, one of the most fun storylines surrounding the Home Run Derby is who will pitch to each of the contestants. And Rice’s pitcher is a good one: his dad, Dan.
Dan Rice was actually a pitcher at Brown University back in the 1980s, and he occasionally still throws to Rice during the offseason. Now he gets to take the mound in Philadelphia to groove some Home Run Derby meatballs to his son.
Rice might not hit 500-foot Judgian blasts, but the Yanks’ breakout star is no slouch when it comes to home run hitting. He’s the Yankees’ team leader this season with 25 homers, and he’s hit 51 total over the last two seasons.
Rice’s 25 home runs this year are tied for fifth most in the Majors, behind only Kyle Schwarber (30), Yordan Alvarez (29), Hunter Goodman (27) and his fellow Derby participant Caminero (26).
Both Rice and Caminero are also 2026 All-Stars as well as Home Run Derby contestants. Rice, a first-time All-Star, is one of the American League reserves at first base. Caminero is starting for the AL at third base.
Hopefully Rice has a few more homers in his bat than the last Yankee to take part in the Derby, Jazz Chisholm Jr., who only hit three last year and was eliminated in the opening round.
THE WONKA FACTORY OF BALLPARK FOODS
If Willy Wonka made Lobstah Poutine instead of Everlasting Gobstoppers, this is where he would’ve done it.
At 2400 Market Street, Philadelphia, your wildest ballpark food dreams come to life. It’s not quite Wonka’s chocolate factory … but it is the birthplace of Schwarbomb Sundaes.
That address is the global headquarters of Aramark, which is responsible for the food at many MLB ballparks — including the craziest concoctions that go viral every season, from the Red Sox lobster poutine to the Phillies’ PB&J-topped ice cream.
Behind those doors, the ideas for the most creative ballpark foods are born. Our Matt Monagan went behind the scenes to bring you the story.
That ever-growing menu includes the signature food at next week’s All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park: “Betsy’s Banana Ice Cream Sundae,” which was the winner of a contest between four U.S. history-themed dishes in honor of the Midsummer Classic being played in Philadelphia just after America’s 250th birthday.
The Aramark team has been responsible for big league ballpark foods like:
- The Pirates’ pierogi-topped hot dog in 2024
- The Royals’ pulled pork sandwich topped with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups in 2022
- The Astros’ brisket donuts this year
Those foods might seem crazy, but they’re built on the regional specialties of Pittsburgh, Kansas City and Texas.
(“Yes, the whole idea of that one was, ‘Hmm, is that gonna taste good?'” Aramark VP of design and development Alicia Woznicki said about the Reese’s/pulled pork combo. “And then it did.”)
These delicacies go through test kitchens and tasting sessions before they finally emerge from the Aramark laboratory ready to hit ballpark concession stands and reach the mouths of hungry fans who want to try something unique.
There will always be the ballpark food classics, but as Chef Rich Grab put it (he’s Aramark’s “Director of Culinary Innovation”): “No knock to the hot dog, but not everything is about hot dogs and nachos.”
GAMES OF THE NIGHT
Three Cy Young winners highlight the action tonight.
Braves at Pirates (6:40 p.m. ET, MLB.TV)
What’s going on with Paul Skenes? The Pirates are 0-9 in Skenes’ last nine starts, and Skenes is 0-6 with a 5.36 ERA in that span. Things won’t get any easier against Matt Olson and the NL East-leading Braves, either. That said, Skenes is still an All-Star for a third straight season, joining Yu Darvish, Dwight Gooden and Tom Seaver as the only pitchers to make three straight All-Star Games to start their careers.
A’s at Tigers (6:40 p.m. ET, MLB.TV)
Every Tarik Skubal start between now and the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline will be under a giant magnifying glass. The Tigers ace is by far the No. 1 player in trade rumors. But for now, Skubal is staying steady. He’s coming off his best start since returning from elbow surgery, a dominant win over the Yankees where he easily outdueled Cam Schlittler.
Angels at Rangers (8:05 p.m. ET, MLB.TV)
We’ll be watching the radar gun in this one, because Jacob deGrom is dialing up his heater to vintage levels. In his last start against the Guardians, deGrom hit 100-plus mph five times, and he topped out at 100.5 mph. That was his highest velocity, and his most times hitting triple digits in a single game, since the 2023 season.
THE HOTTEST TEAM IN BASEBALL IS … WHO?
The Marlins — yes, the Marlins — have been the best team in the Major Leagues for over a month now.
Entering tonight’s series opener against the Mariners (6:40 p.m. ET, MLB.TV), with first-time All-Star Max Meyer on the mound, Miami is an MLB-best 23-8 since the start of June.
The Marlins hold the third NL Wild Card spot, and their postseason odds have nearly quadrupled since the start of the season.
But are they for real? Mike Petriello dives in, and it turns out there is indeed a strong case that the Marlins are contenders, not pretenders. Not only did Miami’s roster come into the season with the upside to make a jump in 2026, but the team has made real improvements across the board during the season.
The Marlins’ pitching got better. Their lineup got better. And their defense got better. So it shouldn’t shock you that they’re winning so many games right now.
PLAYED IT LIKE A TRUE BIG LEAGUER
Every so often, a foul ball gets hit perfectly into the broadcast booth, and the guys calling the game get to narrate a baseball zooming straight at them.
That made for a hilarious moment in the Dodgers broadcast booth yesterday. As the Dodgers faced the Rockies at Dodger Stadium, Colorado All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman smacked a foul ball straight back to the booth.
Luckily for the Dodgers, they had former big leaguer Eric Karros up there as their color commentator, ready to make the grab just like he did for 12 seasons as a first baseman for L.A.
Play-by-play voice Joe Davis, who ended up with the baseball, broke down the exciting sequence for the viewers at home: “EK made an awesome catch. You would’ve been so proud. And then he handed the kid the ball. Here I am.”
What’s more, Karros’ son Kyle plays for the Rockies, so Eric got to make the play in front of his kid.
“Kyle, you’d be so proud of your dad,” Davis said.
Except … none of that really happened.
Karros didn’t actually make the play. In fact, he didn’t even attempt to make the play. He actually ducked away from the ball, which bounced around the booth before Davis finally picked it up.
Davis was just spinning a yarn the whole time to chirp his partner. We just hope Kyle Karros didn’t see it …
MLB.TV ALL-STAR SALE
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