Stars Shine at the MLB All-Star Game
The highly anticipated MLB All-Star Game has already defined its starting lineups. Cal Raleigh, home run leader for the Seattle Mariners, and Jacob Wilson, Rookie of the Year candidate for the Athletics, will lead the offense.
The event promises to be a spectacle full of talent and excitement, with the participation of prominent figures from the league.
Three Detroit Tigers players, Gleyber Torres, Riley Greene, and Javier Baez, will join them in the American League starting lineup. For their part, the National League will be led by Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, and Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Ohtani, who received the most votes among National League players during the first phase of voting, is one of the most anticipated stars.
The All-Star Game will take place at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 15.
Raleigh, known as “The Big Dumper”, achieved his first All-Star selection and a starting position thanks to his impressive 33 home runs in the first half of the season. Wilson, the Athletics’ shortstop, was voted in after a dynamic first half where he batted .339.
Wilson, 23, is the only rookie to be voted into the starting lineup in both leagues. He is the first rookie shortstop to win a fan election and the second rookie in All-Star history to start in that position.
The Tigers managed to have three starters chosen by the fans for the fourth time in their history, matching their best mark achieved in 1984, 1985 and 2007. On the other hand, the three Dodgers selections mark their highest number in a single season since the team had four starters chosen by the fans for the 1980 Summer Classic.
For Torres and Baez, this is the first time since 2019 that they are All-Stars.
Completing the American League’s starting lineup will be Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays, Jose Ramirez of the Cleveland Guardians, and designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn, who will join Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees, the most voted player in the American League in the first phase of voting.
Alongside the Dodgers trio in the National League starting lineup will be Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker of the Chicago Cubs, Ketel Marte of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Manny Machado of the San Diego Padres, and Francisco Lindor of the New York Mets, who was named an All-Star starter for the first time in his career.
Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Atlanta Braves also earned a starting spot after receiving the most votes among outfielders during the second phase of voting, despite missing the first seven weeks of the season.
In total, 13 different MLB clubs will be represented among the 18 position starters, including seven different clubs in the American League and six in the National League.
Judge, Ramirez, and Machado achieved their seventh All-Star selection, the most among all players.
The pitchers and reserves from both teams, totaling 23 on each side, will be determined through a combination of player selections and selections made by the Commissioner’s Office. They will be announced on Sunday, July 6th.
The likely starting center fielders, Crow-Armstrong and Baez, were traded for each other in 2021.
