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To kick off the 2026 MLB Little League Classic, four Little League teams travelled to the Williamsport Regional Airport to greet the Milwaukee Brewers and the Atlanta Braves as they arrived.
"Being able to be here with the kids is so awesome," said Dustin May, pitcher for the Brewers.
He said he looked forward to hanging out with the Little Leaguers and answering any questions they might have.
Once the Major Leaguers departed the plane, Little League players stood on either side of the carpet, offering high fives, fist bumps and a variety of items to sign, such as baseballs, baseball cards and hats.
The Brewers were greeted by the Caribbean and the Great Lakes teams. Southeast and Australia teams showed up for the Atlanta Braves.
Hudson Vonderheide, Great Lakes outfielder, had three hats piled on his head.
"I got one hat on the bus (that brought the Little Leaguers to the airport) and a player gave me another one," Vonderheide said.
Bob Frazier, Great Lakes outfielder and pitcher, said they found out two days ago they were going to greet the Brewers.
He didn't get anything signed as the players walked by him, but he said he was looking forward to meeting the players at the stadium later.
The teams chosen to greet the Major Leaguers also rode back with them to the Little League complex.
Christian Yelich, Brewers designated hitter and left fielder, said it was great seeing all of the kids when he got off the plane. It made for a unique plane ride.
"I'm excited to head over there and check it all out, see the stadium," Yelich said. "I've never been there."
He said when he was growing up, the Classic game hadn't started yet. It began in 2017 when the Pittsburgh Pirates played the St. Louis Cardinals. He said he would have been excited to hang out with the "Big Leaguers" as a child.
"It's going to be a fun experience," Yelich said.
Another large part of the Classic arrival is the signs. Little Leaguers held signs with messages like "Play ball," "From Milwaukee to LLWS" and "Williamsport welcomes the Braves." The signs continued beyond their arrival. Some fans lined up along the street with their own signs for the players to see as they drove by on the buses.
Many more fans awaited their arrival at the Little League Complex, hoping for a chance for a picture or signature as the Major Leaguers roamed the stadium during the Little League games, including going down the hill.
Jayden Lee, second baseman and outfielder for Australia, paused players as they walked by him for a quick selfie. He said he doesn't have any plans to assemble a scrapbook with the pictures; he just wants to show off the pictures to his friends.
"I've never met any MLB player before," Lee said.
Matt Olson, first baseman for the Braves, said it was a good day because he had never been to the Little League World Series before.
His advice for anyone who wants to play professional baseball is "Keep working hard, playing the game and see how far it takes you."