Ohtani and Acuña lead the National League All-Star Game
Shohei Ohtani, star of the Los Angeles Dodgers, will bat first as the designated hitter for the National League in Tuesday night’s All-Star Game at Truist Park. He will be followed in the batting order by left fielder Ronald Acuña Jr., of the Atlanta Braves. Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte will bat third in the lineup announced by Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. He will be followed by Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado, Dodgers catcher Will Smith, Chicago Cubs right fielder Kyle Tucker, New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, and Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong. Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes will open his second consecutive All-Star Game, as announced by MLB last week. Detroit Tigers left-hander Tarik Skubal will make his first All-Star Game start for the American League.The Detroit Tigers’ second baseman, Gleyber Torres, will lead off the game for the American League, followed by Tigers left fielder Riley Greene, New York Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge, Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Baltimore Orioles designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn, Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero, Tigers center fielder Javy Báez, and Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson. Ohtani led the American League in the 2021 All-Star Game, when the two-way sensation was also the American League’s starting pitcher. He batted first in 2022, then was the second batter for the American League in 2023 and for the National League last year after leaving the Los Angeles Angels to join the Dodgers. Skenes and Skubal lead in average four-seam fastball velocity among those who have thrown 1,500 or more pitches this season, Skenes with 98.2 mph and Skubal with 97.6 mph, according to MLB Statcast. Skenes, a 23-year-old right-hander, has a 4-8 record despite having the league’s best ERA, 2.01, for the Pirates, who are last in the National League Central. The 2024 National League Rookie of the Year has 131 strikeouts and 30 walks in 131 innings. Skubal, a 28-year-old lefty, is the current winner of the American League Cy Young Award. He has a 10-3 record with a 2.23 ERA, striking out 153 and walking 16 in 121 innings.“I think when you talk about the game, where it’s at, these two guys… are guys you can get behind, they have a lot of talent, they’re going to be the faces of this game for years to come,” Roberts said.
Dave Roberts
