Six members of the National League West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers and five players from the second-place San Diego Padres have earned recognition as Major League Baseball All-Stars.
Dodgers catcher Will Smith, first baseman Freddie Freeman, shortstop Mookie Betts, outfielder Teoscar Hernández, and starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow were among those named Sunday as reserves for the July 16 All-Star Game in Arlington, Texas. They joined teammate Shohei Ohtani, who was selected by fans to be the National League’s starting designated hitter. Betts, however, will not play because of a broken bone in his left hand.
Padres infielder Luis Arraez, relief pitcher Robert Suarez, and rookie outfielder Jackson Merrill were named as reserves, joining previously named San Diego starting outfielders Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jurickson Profar. Tatis Jr., however, will miss the game because of a stress reaction in his right thigh bone.
The San Francisco Giants will be represented by two players, starting pitcher Logan Webb and young outfielder Heliot Ramos. Called up by the Giants from Triple-A Sacramento, Calif., in early May, Ramos becomes San Francisco’s first home-grown outfielder to be named an All-Star since Chili Davis in 1984.
Fire-balling relief pitcher Mason Miller of the Oakland Athletics and starting pitcher Tyler Anderson of the Los Angeles Angels were among those named to the American League team.
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Paul Skenes gained a spot on the National League squad just eight weeks after making his major-league debut, and the major league-leading Philadelphia Phillies had a big league-high seven selections.
Skenes, who turned 22 in May, was selected by the Pirates as the top pick in last year’s amateur draft, two days before the All-Star Game in Seattle. He made his first big-league start on May 11 and is 5–0 with a 2.12 earned-run average in 10 starts, with 78 strikeouts in 59 1/3 innings. He has thrown 74 pitches of 100 mph or more.
Philadelphia pitchers Zack Wheeler, Ranger Suárez, Jeff Hoffman, and Matt Strahm were picked to join three starting Phillies position players: first baseman Bryce Harper, shortstop Trea Turner, and third baseman Alec Bohm.
Philadelphia has seven All-Stars for the first time, though Harper’s availability depends on when he returns from a hamstring strain that has sidelined him since June 27. Wheeler is lined up to pitch for the Phillies next weekend and the team told Major League Baseball he won’t be available for the All-Star Game.
Cleveland topped the American League with five selections after first baseman Josh Naylor, closer Emmanuel Clase, and designated hitter David Fry joined two starters: third baseman José Ramírez and outfielder Steven Kwan.
Atlanta pitcher Chris Sale earned his eighth All-Star selection, the first for the 36-year-old left-hander since seven straight from 2012–18. The gap is the longest for an All-Star since Albert Pujols earned his 11th trip in his final season, 2022, his first since 2015.
“It is definitely satisfying. I appreciate it for sure,” said Sale, acquired by the Braves from Boston in December. “They took a chance, and I’m happy to be able to do this for them.”
Texas closer Kirby Yates, at 37, is the oldest All-Star, and will be joined by second baseman Marcus Semien of the host World Series champion Rangers.
Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez was picked for the ninth time, matching Houston second baseman Jose Altuve for the most among the 67 players on this year’s rosters.
Merrill, at 21, is the youngest All-Star, and among 32 first-time picks.
Skenes is scheduled to have one more start for Pittsburgh before the All-Star Game, and his 11 games put him on track to have the fewest for a player in an All-Star Game, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Detroit’s Mark Fidrych in 1976, the Dodgers’ Hideo Nomo in 1995, and Florida’s Dontrelle Willis in 2003 each had 13.
While Boston’s Don Schwall had 11 at the time of the first All-Star Game in 1961, he did not appear, and he had 15 when he pitched three innings three weeks later in that year’s second All-Star Game.
Cincinnati’s 22-year-old speedster, Elly De La Cruz, got Betts’ spot after finishing second to him on the player ballot. Skenes and Ramos were picked by Major League Baseball to replace Wheeler and Tatis Jr., respectively.
Starting pitchers Corbin Burnes of Baltimore, Garrett Crochet of the Chicago White Sox, Tanner Houck of Boston, Seth Lugo of Kansas City, and Tarik Skubal of Detroit were voted to the American League staff by players, managers, and coaches, along with Clase, Yates, and Miller.
American League reserves picked by players included Fry, Naylor, Perez, Semien, shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. of Kansas City, third baseman Rafael Devers of Boston, and outfielders Jarren Duran of Boston, Riley Greene of Detroit, and Kyle Tucker of Houston.
Major League Baseball used four of its American League picks on players whose teams weren’t already represented: Anderson, pitcher Logan Gilbert of Seattle, shortstop Carlos Correa of Minnesota, and third baseman Isaac Paredes of Tampa Bay. Pitchers Clay Holmes of the New York Yankees and Cole Ragans of Kansas City also were selected.
Glasnow, Sale, Ranger Suárez, and Wheeler were voted to the National League staff along with fellow starter Reynaldo López of Atlanta, while Hoffman, Strahm, and Robert Suarez won bullpen balloting.
National League reserves voted by players were Betts, Freeman, Hernández, Merrill, Smith, Arraez, third baseman Ryan McMahon of Colorado, outfielder Bryan Reynolds of Pittsburgh, and designated hitter Marcell Ozuna of Atlanta.
All six of Major League Baseball’s National League selections were for players on teams still without All-Stars: pitchers Ryan Helsley of St. Louis, Webb, Imanaga, and Tanner Scott of Miami, along with shortstop CJ Abrams of Washington and first baseman Pete Alonso of the New York Mets.
Notable players left off include three Orioles: first baseman Ryan Mountcastle, second baseman Jordan Westburg, who finished second in the final round of fan balloting, and outfielder Anthony Santander, fourth in fan voting.
Catcher J.T. Realmuto and designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, both of Philadelphia, and San Diego third baseman Manny Machado were omitted despite finishing second in the last stage of the fan balloting. Schwarber has a strained groin.
