The 96th MLB All-Star Game is coming to Philadelphia on July 14, and the starting lineups are set — with the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers sending four hitters to the National League’s starting nine.
Designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, who earned the most votes among National League players to lock up his sixth straight All-Star selection last week, found out Saturday that first baseman Freddie Freeman, third baseman Max Muncy, and center fielder Andy Pages will join him in the starting lineup.
Fans and players also chose Atlanta Braves catcher Drake Baldwin, Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies, Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams, Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh, and New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto as NL starters. Baldwin, Marsh, and Pages are each appearing in their first All-Star Game.
The American League starting lineup blends longtime All-Stars with some fresh faces. The New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge, Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout, and Minnesota Twins’ Byron Buxton make up the AL outfield — though Judge, dealing with a rib stress fracture, likely won’t be able to play, and Trout, nursing a hamstring injury, may not be activated in time either.
Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers and Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Ernie Clement are both making their All-Star debuts, joining Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr., Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero, and Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez in the AL starting lineup.
Alvarez hit his league-leading 28th home run Saturday night, while Caminero launched his 11th homer over the Rays’ last 11 games to push his season total to 26.
Clement, batting .293 with a .746 OPS for the 42-47 Blue Jays, collected the most fan votes of any AL player to become the first in his league to secure a starting spot. Langeliers is the first Athletics catcher to start an All-Star Game since Terry Steinbach did it in back-to-back years in 1988 and 1989.
The AL pitching staff is headlined by 11 pitchers who have either zero or just one All-Star Game under their belts. Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman, earning his ninth All-Star nod, is the most experienced arm on the roster.
Toronto’s Dylan Cease, Cleveland’s Parker Messick, Tampa Bay’s Drew Rasmussen, Minnesota’s Joe Ryan, New York’s Cam Schlitter, Boston’s Ranger Suarez, and Kansas City’s Michael Wacha round out the AL starting pitchers. Chapman is joined in the bullpen by Tampa Bay’s Bryan Baker, Texas’ Jacob Latz, Cleveland’s Cade Smith, and Toronto’s Louis Varland.
The National League pitching staff carries a bit more experience overall. Atlanta ace Chris Sale, making his 10th All-Star appearance, is the only NL pitcher with more than three trips to the midsummer classic. He’ll be joined on the starting staff by Cincinnati’s Chase Burns, Miami’s Max Meyer, Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski, Arizona’s Eduardo Rodriguez, Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sanchez, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes, San Francisco’s Logan Webb, and Los Angeles’ Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
San Diego closer Mason Miller heads up the NL bullpen, which also includes Philadelphia’s Jhoan Duran and Atlanta’s Raisel Iglesias.
Philadelphia fans will have plenty to cheer about beyond Marsh, Sanchez, and Duran. First baseman Bryce Harper and designated hitter Kyle Schwarber were named as reserves. Harper, making his ninth All-Star appearance, received a “legend pick” designation, while Schwarber leads all of Major League Baseball with 30 home runs.
The rest of the NL bench includes catchers William Contreras of Milwaukee and Hunter Goodman of Colorado, first baseman Matt Olson of Atlanta, shortstop Otto Lopez of Miami, utility infielders Luis Arraez of San Francisco and Sal Stewart of Cincinnati, and outfielders Corbin Carroll of Arizona, Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Cubs, Jordan Walker of St. Louis, and James Wood of Washington.
The AL reserve group features catchers Dillon Dingler of Detroit and Adley Rutschman of Baltimore, designated hitter Yandy Diaz of Tampa Bay, first basemen Nick Kurtz of the Athletics and Ben Rice of the Yankees, rookie second baseman Travis Bazzana of Cleveland, rookie shortstop/third baseman Kevin McGonigle of Detroit, third baseman Miguel Vargas of the White Sox, and outfielders Randy Arozarena of Seattle, Cody Bellinger of the Yankees, and Riley Greene of Detroit.
When all is said and done, the Phillies, Dodgers, and Braves each claimed five All-Star spots — the most of any team. In total, 26 players are heading to their first-ever All-Star Game, including 15 of the 32 players on the American League roster.
