MLB All-Star Game Format Burns A's Brent Rooker Twice

Tiebreakers were the theme of MLB All-Star week, and it's a word that A's fans and Brent Rooker may never want to hear again.

Jul 15, 2025; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; National League designated hitter Brent Rooker (25) of the Athletics in the home run swing off tiebreaker during the 2025 MLB All Star Game at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The 2025 MLB All-Star Game was an action-packed affair, ending in exciting fashion with the first-ever Swing Off to determine the winner after the game ended in a 6-6 tie.

The format for the Home Run Derby the night before, also featured a tiebreaker coming into play, with none other than A's outfielder Brent Rooker somehow being involved in both. He ended the first round of the Derby with 17 home runs, as did AL home run leader Cal Raleigh.

However, after the first round was done, they projected onto the screen the distance of their longest home run, with Rooker's going 470.54 feet and Raleigh's 470.62 feet. That is a .08 difference between them. The broadcast flashed on the screen indicating the Seattle Mariner catcher would be moving on, leaving Rooker with nothing left to do but head back to the seats to watch the rest of the show.

Rooker spoke with Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle after his elimination, and was also a bit puzzled about the rules and and would like some clarification going forward, "You know, maybe if they have it to the decimal point, they should display that during the Derby and not wait till everyone's done to bring out that information. That might be helpful."

Rooker also noted that instead of the 40, he only hit 38 baseballs.

“I took two pitches that didn’t count, but when we went to do the round, there was only 38 balls remaining, so we got down to have two pitches with five seconds left and they’re out of baseballs." Those could have been a difference maker, but as Raleigh advanced and went on to be crowned the HR Derby champion, so we'll never know.

Rooker was able to sleep it off Tuesday night, but clearly didn't forget about his close loss and came back for a little redemption in the All-Star Game. He hit a three-run home run in the top of the 7th inning of the All-Star Game to put the American League on the board and spark their comeback, as they scored three more runs, leaving the game in a 6-6 tie.

There would be no extra innings in this baseball game. The new format is a "swing off" style tiebreaker round, very similar to soccer where penalty kicks are taken to decide the winner. Each manager would choose three hitters, who would then take three swings each with no time limit.

Brent Rooker was the first choice for the American League, and he hit 2 home runs with his 3 swings. He hit a 459 ft. blast to to end his round, and strutted off the field towards the third base side with his arms raised as his teammates all stood outside the dugout to greet him.

They were feeling confident, but when Kyle Schwarber stepped up to the plate, his sheer power put three home runs on the board to give the National League the lead, and his last monster home run would end up being the deciding swing. It must've felt like a bit of déjà vu for Rooker, who again came up short in a home run derby style type contest.

All of that aside it was an incredible showing for Rooker, who represented the green and gold well on the national stage, and garnered a lot of attention on social media, being so involved in the game and interacting with fans online.

Both Rooker and Wilson have made the A's organization, fans and city of Sacramento proud on Monday and Tuesday night. With the second half about to get underway, it's great that there's already a ton of excitement surrounding these two players and the A's right now.