MVAP Sports: MLB All-Star Game Preview
It’s time for the 95th Major League Baseball All-Star game. This year’s game is being held Tuesday 15 July at Truist Park in Atlanta GA.
Here’s the way the standings look as we head into the mid-season classic. Toronto is leading the AL East by 2 over the Yankees. The dominant Detroit Tigers are up 13.5 over the Twins in the AL Central. The Tigers are also leading the AL with a .615 win percentage. The Astros are leading in the AL West. They are up 6 games on the Mariners.
The NL East is being led by our Publishers fav NY Mets. It’s a dogfight though with the junior NY team up by a half game over the Phils. The central had the Cubbies up by a game over the Brew Crew. Out west the Dodgers are up 4.5 over the Padres.
Paul Skenes, the Pirate starter leads the league with a 2.01 ERA, while Padres closer Robert Suarez leads baseball in saves with 28. Seattle Catcher Cal Raleigh leads the league in homers and RBI. Yankee slugger Aaron Judge leads in batting average, slugging percentage and OPS, all by a wide margin.
The first All-Star game happened on 16 July of 1933 at Comiskey Park on Chicago’s South Side. You’ll know the names of some of those who played. Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Lefty Gomez, Bill Hallahan and “Bucketfoot” Simmons were among those who were selected to the rosters. When Babe Ruth came to bat in the third inning with Charlie Gehringer on first base, he belted a home run into the right-field seats. It was the first homer in All-Star game history and the delighted crowd roared as “the Babe” rounded the bases.
This year’s festivities are a bit more involved than the premier edition. There is a futures game – where Minor leaguers get to showcase their talents, a celebrity softball game, the MLB draft, the Home run competition on Monday and then the All-star game.
Monday’s home run derby will kick off at 2000 ET from Truist park in Atlanta. Here are the players competing and their teams.
| Byron Buxton Minnesota Twins |
| Junior Caminero Tampa Bay Rays |
| Jazz Chisholm Jr. New York Yankees |
| Oneil Cruz Pittsburgh Pirates |
| Matt Olson Atlanta Braves |
| Cal Raleigh Seattle Mariners |
| Brent Rooker Athletics* |
| James Wood Washington Nationals |
*Athletics do not have a city this year, or next for that matter, while their new stadium is being built in Las Vegas. They are playing in a Minor league stadium in Sacramento this season.
The first pitch for Tuesday’s All Star game is scheduled for 2000 ET.
AL All Star selections:
Starters
C: Cal Raleigh (SEA)
1B: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (TOR)
2B: Gleyber Torres (DET)
3B: Junior Caminero (TB) +
SS: Jacob Wilson (ATH)
OF: Aaron Judge (NYY)
OF: Riley Greene (DET)
OF: Javier Báez (DET)
DH: Ryan O’Hearn (BAL)
Note: José Ramírez (CLE) was elected as the AL’s starting third baseman but opted out of the game.
Reserves
C: Alejandro Kirk (TOR)
INF: Jonathan Aranda (TB)
INF: Alex Bregman (BOS)
INF: Jazz Chisholm Jr. (NYY)
INF: Maikel Garcia (KC) +
INF: Brandon Lowe (TB)
INF: Zach McKinstry (DET) +
INF: Isaac Paredes (HOU) +
INF: Jeremy Peña (HOU)
INF: Bobby Witt Jr. (KC)
OF: Randy Arozarena (SEA) +
OF: Byron Buxton (MIN)
OF: Steven Kwan (CLE)
OF: Julio Rodríguez (SEA)
DH: Brent Rooker (ATH)
Starting pitchers
RHP: Hunter Brown (HOU)
LHP: Kris Bubic (KC)
LHP: Garrett Crochet (BOS)
RHP: Jacob deGrom (TEX)
LHP: Max Fried (NYY)
LHP: Yusei Kikuchi (LAA)
RHP: Casey Mize (DET) +
RHP: Drew Rasmussen (TB) +
LHP: Carlos Rodón (NYY) +
RHP: Joe Ryan (MIN) +
LHP: Tarik Skubal (DET)
RHP: Shane Smith (CWS)
RHP: Bryan Woo (SEA)
Relief Pitchers
LHP: Aroldis Chapman (BOS)
RHP: Carlos Estévez (KC) +
LHP: Josh Hader (HOU)
RHP: Andrés Muñoz (SEA)
NL All Star Selections:
Starters
C: Will Smith (LAD)
1B: Freddie Freeman (LAD)
2B: Ketel Marte (AZ)
3B: Manny Machado (SD)
SS: Francisco Lindor (NYM)
OF: Ronald Acuña Jr. (ATL)
OF: Pete Crow-Armstrong (CHC)
OF: Kyle Tucker (CHC)
DH: Shohei Ohtani (LAD)
Reserves
C: Hunter Goodman (COL)
INF: Pete Alonso (NYM)
INF: Elly De La Cruz (CIN)
INF: Brendan Donovan (STL)
INF: Matt Olson (ATL)
INF: Eugenio Suárez (AZ)
OF: Corbin Carroll (AZ)
OF: Kyle Stowers (MIA)
OF: Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD)
OF: James Wood (WSH)
DH: Kyle Schwarber (PHI)
Starting pitchers
LHP: Andrew Abbott (CIN) +
LHP: Matthew Boyd (CHC)
LHP: MacKenzie Gore (WSH)
LHP: Clayton Kershaw (LAD) — Legend Pick
RHP: Jacob Misiorowski (MIL) +
RHP: Freddy Peralta (MIL)
LHP: David Peterson (NYM) +
LHP: Robbie Ray (SF)
LHP: Chris Sale (ATL)
RHP: Paul Skenes (PIT)
RHP: Logan Webb (SF)
RHP: Zack Wheeler (PHI)
RHP: Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD)
Relief pitchers
RHP: Jason Adam (SD)
RHP: Edwin Díaz (NYM)
RHP: Trevor Megill (MIL) +
RHP: Randy Rodríguez (SF)
RHP: Robert Suarez (SD) +
LHP: Adrian Morejon (SD) +
+ Named as a replacement
