03-07-2025
MLB All-Star starters named - who stood out?
Yahoo Sports senior MLB analysts Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman run through the list of players who will begin this year's Midsummer Classic in Atlanta. Hear the full conversation on the 'Baseball Bar-B-Cast' podcast - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts , Spotify , YouTube or wherever you listen.
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Video Transcript
Let's fly through the All-Star Game starters, which we got.
Last night, the American League will be Cal Riley behind the plate.
Vlad Junior at first base, Glaber Torres at 2nd, Jacob Wilson, former guest on this show.
At shortstop, the first rookie shortstop starter in All-Star history, I believe; Jose Ramirez at 3rd base; the outfielders Aaron Judge, Riley Green, and Javi Baez.
Ryan O'Hearn will DH in his first All-Star game appearance.
Jordan, anything from the AL?
Yeah, I think just the Tigers, the three Tigers is really awesome.
Green, well deserved; his power surge this year has been amazing.
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Glaber, well deserved; you know, it's a weak AL second base crop, but he's having an amazing season.
I think he's got like a .380 on-base percentage, a really fun season there.
And then Javi Baez is just one of the best stories of the entire season.
It is funny that he gets voted as an outfielder because he very quietly has just reclaimed his job as the shortstop, but Baez starting in center for the AL All-Star game is amazing.
The amazing thing is that he was traded for the other center fielder in this game, which is Piar Armstrong, just a delightful little nugget there.
Let's go to the NL.
Behind the dish, Will Smith, at first base, Freddie Freeman; second base, Keibert Marte, who is the highest vote-getter in round two of the voting.
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Lindor at shortstop in his first ever All-Star start, and his first All-Star game as a Met, both of which sound impossible.
Manny Machado at 3rd base in his 7th All-Star game, Ouna, Piar Armstrong and Kyle Tucker with the Cubs all in the outfield.
The DH is gonna be Shohei Ohtani.
We knew that already.
This from Opta stats about Ouna.
Ouna made a season debut in the Braves' 50th game.
The only other player in MLB history to start the All-Star game despite not making his season debut until his team's 50th game or later was Joe DiMaggio in 1949.
That is a fantastic fun fact.
And yeah, I'll just talk about Keibert Marte.
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Like last year, he finished 3rd in MVP voting with a 155 OPS plus, and I was like, wow, ... ... ... ... ... ... ...
I didn't think he'd ever get back to his 2019 levels.
This year, 175 OPS plus for Ketel Marte.
He is sensational, uh, one of the best players in baseball.