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MLB All-Star Game voting is complete, and starters have been announced for this year’s game in Atlanta.
The two reigning MVP Award winners, Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge, were named captains of the National and American Leagues, respectively, after winning the fan vote.
But while these two and some others were expected choices by the fans, there are other well-deserved players entering the mix this year.
In the American League, the Detroit Tigers, who own the best record in MLB at 54-32 entering Wednesday, have three representatives in the starting lineup. Second baseman Gleyber Torres, a former teammate of Judge’s on the New York Yankees, has had a resurgence in his first year in the Motor City.
Riley Greene joins Judge in the outfield with Javier Báez, who has been one of the best stories in MLB this season given his struggles since he joined the Tigers in 2022. He made his third career All-Star team, but he is considered an outfielder this time instead of a shortstop.
DODGERS’ SHOHEI OHTANI BLASTS HOMER IN WIN, ACHIEVES STATISTICAL FEAT UNSEEN SINCE WILLIE MAYS
Then, there’s Seattle Mariners slugging catcher Cal Raleigh getting the start behind the plate for the American League. He has 33 homers in 84 games, and his WAR of 5.6 is second only to Judge’s for the year.
Not only is this his first All-Star selection as a starter, but Raleigh is the first Mariners catcher to be selected to start.
Jacob Wilson’s meteoric rise for the Athletics earned him the starting shortstop job on July 15 at Triust Park in Atlanta. He has a .339 batting average entering Wednesday, second to Judge in the American League. The Orioles’ Ryan O’Hearn also earned his first-ever All-Star bid.
The remaining starters for the American League are the Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (first base) and the Cleveland Guardians’ Jose Ramirez (third base).
For the National League, Chicago Cubs phenom center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong will get his first All-Star nod after he stole 25 bases and hit 21 homers before the break.
And while it’s not his first All-Star appearance, it’s been a long time for New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor. He hasn’t played in the game since his time in Cleveland in 2019.
The Dodgers also have multiple starters behind Ohtani, with Freddie Freeman playing first base and Will Smith catching.
The remaining National League starters are the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte (2B), the San Diego Padres’ Manny Machado (3B), the Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuña Jr. (OF) and the Cubs’ Kyle Tucker (OF).
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