Monday night at Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia certainly brought an electric atmosphere to the 2026 Home Run Derby, but the non-Phillies players might have a different description of it. The 43,863 people in attendance booed loudly and mercilessly whenever a non-Phillies player stepped to the plate. In fact, Jordan Walker, the Derby winner, openly admitted that he was nervous because of the amount of booing directed at him. But long before this happened, Dave Roberts had already shared his expectations of the Philadelphia fans.

“Probably not a warm reception,” the Dodgers manager said, as per Philly Sports Network on X. “The Phillies are just a great organization. Obviously a tremendous fan base, very knowledgeable, passionate fan base… But yeah, I don’t think me and the Dodgers will be too well received tomorrow night… But yeah, I don’t think I am gonna be, the Dodgers and me, will be too well- received tomorrow night.”

The Los Angeles Dodgers are MLB’s current villains, thanks to their back-to-back World Series titles. They even captured the 2025 championship by eliminating the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLDS. That’s why, even before taking the field, the manager can sense some hostility.

With the number of selections initially made for the All-Star Game by both teams, it seemed like the competition was on as well. The Dodgers had six players selected, and so did the Phillies. However, Shohei Ohtani is skipping the Midsummer Classic to recover from the knee inflammation that has been bothering him for some time. Kyle Schwarber, the Home Run Derby finalist, will replace him on the NL roster as the designated hitter.

There have been some debates regarding Zack Wheeler not being eligible to pitch on Tuesday since he started for his team last Sunday. MLB eventually sent him an invitation after attracting a lot of criticism from Philadelphia fans, current players, and even veterans. However, Wheeler refused that offer, reflecting his discontent at not being selected in the first place under a controversial rule.

His inclusion would have made the NL team even more Phillies-heavy. It would have motivated their fans even further, as the showdown is set to take place in the Phillies’ backyard. However, they might still outnumber the Dodgers, given that Yoshinobu Yamamoto will only attend the game and not pitch.

But this doesn’t necessarily mean that the Dodgers and Phillies will be at each other’s throats. In fact, they will be representing the same side, which means the boos might not be as loud as they were while Jordan Walker or Willson Contreras were putting the balls out of the park this Monday. 

Hopefully, the fans will be just as Roberts described: passionate and knowledgeable. He also expressed a great deal of respect for the Phillies organization, including president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and interim manager Don Mattingly.

“Got a lot of respect for Dombo, Donnie, and obviously the players that play for the Phillies,” he said.

Now, whether the Phillies fans will cheer or boo their NL teammates remains to be seen. But one thing, confirmed by Monday’s crowd, is certain: Citizens Bank Park will be at its loudest during the All-Star Game.