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Jesse Rogers
Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, MLB’s home run leader, and American League Rookie of the Year candidate Jacob Wilson of the Athletics will be the starting lineup for the All-Star Game on Juy 15 in Atlanta, it was announced Wednesday.
Three players from the Detroit Tigers — second baseman Gleyber Torres and outfielders Riley Greene and Javier Baez — will join them in the AL’s starting lineup, while the National League starters are led by three representatives from the Los Angeles Dodgers — first baseman Freddie Freeman, catcher Will Smith and DH Shohei Ohtani, who received the most votes among NL players during Phase I of the voting.
Rounding out the starting lineup for the AL: Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez and designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn. They’ll all join New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who was the AL’s top vote-getter in Phase 1 voting.
Joining the Dodgers’ trio in the NL starting lineup will be Chicago Cubs outfielders Pete Crow-Armstrong (first selection) and Kyle Tucker (fourth), Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte, San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado and New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, who was named an All-Star starter for the first time in his career.
Despite missing the first seven weeks of the season, Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr also earned a starting nod after getting the most votes at the position during Phase 2 voting.
The MLB All-Star Game will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 15.
Raleigh, nicknamed “The Big Dumper,” earned his first All-Star selection and starting spot on the back of his 33 first-half home runs and MLB-leading 71 RBIs (through Tuesday). Wilson, the Athletics’ shortstop, was voted in after a dynamic first half in which he’s hit .339, second in all of MLB, through Tuesday’s games.
The 23-year-old Wilson is the lone rookie in either league to be voted into the starting lineup. He’s the first rookie shortstop to win a fan election and will be just the second rookie in All-Star history to start at the position.
The Tigers had three fan-elected starters for the fourth time in history, matching a franchise best also accomplished in 1984, 1985 and 2007. Meanwhile, the three fan elections for the Dodgers marks their most in a single season since the team had four fan-elected starters for the 1980 Midsummer Classic — Steve Garvey, Davey Lopes, Bill Russell, Reggie Smith.
For Torres and Baez, it marks the first time since 2019 that they are All-Stars. Baez, meanwhile, will be making his third All-Star start at his third different position, having started for the NL at second base (2018) and shortstop (2019), while with the Cubs.
Overall, 13 different MLB clubs are represented among the 18 positional starters, including seven different clubs in the AL and six different clubs in the NL.
Judge, Ramirez and Machado all earned their seventh All-Star selection, most among all players.
Pitchers and reserves for both teams — totaling 23 for each side — will be determined through a combination of player ballot choices and selections made by the Commissioner’s Office. They’ll be announced on Sunday (5 p.m. ET, ESPN).
