Latest news with #MLBAll-StarGame
Newsweek
a day ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Three Biggest National League Snubs From First Round of All-Star Game Voting
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The first stage of voting for this season's MLB All-Star Game wrapped up Thursday afternoon and there were certainly some surprises. Some of the obvious superstars like Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge were the top two vote getters and the All-Star Game regulars like Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and Juan Soto were all atop the voting leaderboards. There were, however, quite a few players that did not advance into the second round of voting due to the flawed fan voting process. SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 23: James Wood #29 of the Washington Nationals hits a three-run home run against the San Diego Padres during the eighth inning at Petco Park on June 23, 2025 in... SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 23: James Wood #29 of the Washington Nationals hits a three-run home run against the San Diego Padres during the eighth inning at Petco Park on June 23, 2025 in San Diego, California. MoreJames Wood of the Washington Nationals may be the most clear and obvious snub, and it is truly unfortunate that he was not one of the top six vote-getters in the outfield. At just 22 years old, Wood is having a monster year with a .277 average, 22 home runs, 63 RBIs and a .926 OPS. All of those numbers are top two for qualified outfielders but because of the market he plays in, Wood did not get the recognition he deserved. Instead, it was Teoscar Hernandez of the Los Angeles Dodgers who has eight fewer home runs, 10 less RBI and an OPS more than 120 points lower than Wood. The good news for Wood and Nationals fans is that he will almost certainly be chosen as a reserve when the final rosters are set and the entire baseball world will get to see his talent put on display in Atlanta. James Wood did not make the cut as a finalist to start in the OF at the ASG. The slept on superstar didn't get enough fan support. Not even close. Absolute shame. He will get in as a reserve when the baseball people look over the numbers. — Grant Paulsen (@granthpaulsen) June 27, 2025 Eugenio Suarez is tied with Seiya Suzuki for the National League RBI lead and has 16 more RBI than any other third baseman in the league. Unfortunately for him, he fell victim to the fan voting and was left out of the second round of voting. Instead of Suarez advancing, it was Max Muncy, who has six fewer doubles, 13 less home runs, 16 less RBIs and a slugging percentage of .829 compared to Suarez's' .892. It is yet another unfortunate case of one of the best players in baseball this season having a chance to start the All-Star Game stolen from him due to a flawed system. Baseballs should be very afraid of Eugenio Suárez 😮 — MLB (@MLB) June 22, 2025 Elly De La Cruz has put together an excellent season for the Cincinnati Reds and he will ultimately have to wait until the reserves are announced to hear his name selected for the game. He leads all shortstops in runs scored (64), home runs (18), RBI (55) and slugging percentage (.511). Just like the other players mentioned above, he fell victim to playing in a smaller market, as the Mets' Francisco Lindor and Dodgers' Mookie Betts were chosen over him in the fan vote. As will likely be the case with Wood and Suarez, De La Cruz will be selected as a reserve prior to the game, meaning one of the most electric players in baseball will make the All-Star Game in consecutive seasons. Elly De La Cruz in 28 games since May 24th: .337/.415/.731 10 HR 19 XBH 22 RBI 30 Runs 📺 @Reds vs Yankees at 7pm ET on MLB Network — MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 25, 2025 More MLB: Padres Legend States Rivalry With Dodgers 'Good For Game'
USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Mariners' Cal Raleigh to participate in MLB Home Run Derby amid historic 2025 pace
Cal Raleigh's storybook first half to the 2025 MLB season just received another uplifting twist. The Seattle Mariners catcher, who leads all major league players with 32 home runs, will be taking part in the Home Run Derby on July 14 as part of the MLB All-Star Game festivities at Truist Park outside Atlanta. Raleigh announced the development on June 27 on social media, writing in a post on Instagram 'See you in Atlanta!' A post shared by Cal Raleigh (@calraleigh_) REQUIRED READING: MLB at the midway point: Cal Raleigh's HR pace could deny Aaron Judge a Triple Crown It's the first derby appearance for the 28-year-old Raleigh, who is two homers away from matching his career high for a season. Known affectionately as 'Big Dumper,' Raleigh became the first switch-hitter and first catcher in MLB history to hit 30 home runs before the All-Star Break. If Raleigh were to win, he would also become the first catcher and the first switch hitter to win the Home Run Derby outright (as noted by switch-hitter Ruben Sierra tied with Eric Davis in 1989). He becomes the second player in the event, joining Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuña Jr., who committed to participate on June 25. Once in Georgia, he'll look to become the first catcher to ever win the derby, which began in 1985. The moment will carry some extra personal significance for Raleigh. His father, Todd, will be throwing to him and Raleigh, according to is hoping that his 15-year-old brother Todd Jr. will be catching behind him. Raleigh, a North Carolina native who went on to star at Florida State, grew up only about 150 miles from Truist Park and regularly played in the Atlanta area as a child and teenager. NIGHTENGALE: MLB's best catcher Cal Raleigh smashes records. His biggest fan? The GOAT backstop. This season, Raleigh is batting .275 with 69 RBIs, 15 doubles and 47 walks. He will be the eighth Mariners player to take part in the derby, though Ken Griffey Jr. was the only one of that group to win it. "I'm excited to represent the Mariners and our fanbase," Raleigh said in a statement. "It will be extra special for me getting to do it in Atlanta, where I spent a lot of time playing baseball as a kid."
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cardinals Back on the Road Following Split with Cubs
Cardinals Back on the Road Following Split with Cubs originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Vibes couldn't have been higher for the Cardinals following an 8-7 win over the rival Cubs on Tuesday night. The win put them just 2.5 games out of first place in the NL Central. Advertisement The final two games of the four-game set went nothing like the first two, though, as the Cubs picked up two shutout victories to split the series. With that, the Cardinals find themselves in the same spot they were in prior to the Cubs series, 4.5 games out of first place. The Cardinals (44-38) will now travel to Cleveland for a three-game series with the Guardians, who are 40-39 and currently occupy second place in the AL Central. Cardinals outfielders Lars Nootbaar, Alec Burleson, and Victor Scott II celebrate a Curry-Imagn Images Friday, June 27, 6:10 p.m. CT How to watch/listen: Apple TV+, KMOX 1120 AM/104.1 FM Probable starters: Cardinals: Sonny Gray (7-2, 3.72 ERA) Guardians: Luis L. Ortiz (4-8, 4.30 ERA) Advertisement Saturday, June 28, 3:10 p.m. CT How to watch/listen: FanDuel Sports Network Midwest, KMOX 1120 AM/104.1 FM Probable starters: Cardinals: Miles Mikolas (4-5, 4.31 ERA) Guardians: Slade Cecconi (3-3, 3.38 ERA) Sunday, June 29, 11:05 a.m. CT How to watch/listen: Roku, KMOX 1120 AM/104.1 FM Probable starters: Cardinals: Matthew Liberatore (5-6, 3.96 ERA) Guardians: Logan Allen (5-5, 4.25 ERA) What to watch for: 1. Is Lars Nootbaar healthy? After connecting for a two-run homer in each of the first two games against the Cubs, Nootbaar sat out for the remainder of the series after receiving an anti-inflammatory shot to help ease some pain he was having in his rib cage. The Cardinals went scoreless over the next 18 innings without him in the lineup. Nootbaar is expected to be available for tonight's game. Advertisement 2. Future Hall of Fame third basemen square off Nolan Arenado and José Ramírez are two of the premier third basemen in baseball and have been for a long time. Arenado has been one of the best defenders in baseball this year and seems to have figured things out at the plate as of late. Meanwhile, Ramírez appears to be headed to his fifth straight MLB All-Star Game, as he's having another incredible year on both sides of the ball. 3. Sonny Gray faces familiar foe Sonny Gray is no stranger to facing Cleveland. The veteran right-handed pitcher, who spent two years in the AL Central with the Twins, has faced the Guardians 19 times in his career. In those 19 starts, he's 6-5 with a 3.47 ERA and 100 strikeouts. Friday night's game will mark Gray's first start against the Guardians as a Cardinal. Advertisement Related: Cardinals Escape With Win After Pete Crow-Armstrong Mental Blunder Related: Cardinals' Prospect Joins MLB Pipeline's Top 100 Amid Breakout Season This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
The Mainichi
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Mainichi
Baseball: Ohtani, Judge earn automatic All-Star starting spots
DENVER (Kyodo) -- Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star Shohei Ohtani is set to start as the National League's designated hitter at the July 15 MLB All-Star Game in Atlanta. Ohtani and New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge were the National and American League's top overall vote-getters, with 3,967,668 and 4,012,983 votes, respectively, the results of Phase 1 of the All-Star vote showed Thursday. That gives the two reigning MVPs automatic spots in their leagues' starting lineups. Ohtani led a league in overall votes for the first time since he topped the AL in 2023, his final season with the Los Angeles Angels. The Japanese slugger will make his fifth consecutive All-Star appearance as the starting DH. Voting to determine the other starting position players will start Phase 2 on Monday and conclude on Wednesday.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
MLB star Wander Franco found guilty in minor sex abuse case: How much prison time is Rays shortstop seeing?
Major League Baseball shortstop Wander Franco has been guilty of sexually abusing a minor in his home country of the Dominican Republic. Dominican professional baseball player Wander Franco attends his trial for sexually abusing a minor, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic June 26, 2025. REUTERS/Erika Santelices(REUTERS) A Puerto Plata court passed a unanimous sentence against convicting a 24-year-old on the charge of having an illegal relationship with a 14-year-old girl. ALSO READ| Fan banned by MLB after heckling Dbacks' Marte to tears with barb about late mother, AP source says Will the MLB star face any prison time? Despite prosecutors pushing for a five-year prison sentence, the Tampa Bay Rays shortstop was handed a two-year suspended sentence instead. Three judges of the Puerto Plata Collegiate Court made the ruling, so Franco will not spend time in prison unless and until he breaks certain court-ordered conditions. 'Do not approach minors for sexual purposes. If you don't like people very close to your age, you have to wait your time,' Judge Jakayra Veras García told Franco, according to the Associated Press. Charges against Wander Franco explained Franco had faced multiple charges, including sexual and commercial exploitation of a minor as well as human trafficking. However, the judges ruled he was not guilty of those more severe allegations. Still, the court found enough evidence to convict him of sexually abusing the underage girl, with whom he reportedly had a months-long relationship when he was 21 years old. Prosecutors alleged that Franco also paid off the victim's mother to obtain her consent for the relationship. The mother was convicted as well, on charges of sexually trafficking her daughter, and sentenced to 10 years in prison. Authorities have ordered the seizure of all assets she received in connection with Franco's actions, per ESPN's Juan Arturo Recio. ALSO READ| Rays beat Red Sox 10-8 in 11 innings, spoil top prospect Roman Anthony's MLB debut 'The court has understood that this minor was manipulated,' Judge Veras said, after reviewing the prosecution's evidence. Speaking earlier this week before the verdict was announced, Franco maintained his innocence, telling the judges, 'We expect justice.' Franco's lawyer, Irina Ventura, called the outcome unfair and said she plans to appeal the ruling. 'Justice was not done,' she said. The verdict comes nearly two years after the first allegations against Franco appeared on social media in August 2023. He's been on MLB's restricted list since July 2024 and has not played professional baseball since the charges surfaced. 'Major League Baseball is proud to have a collectively bargained Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy that reflects our commitment to these issues,' Major League Baseball said in a statement. ALSO READ| MLB All-Star Game voting: How does it work and when will final team be announced? 'We are aware of today's verdict in the Wander Franco trial and will conclude our investigation at the appropriate time.'
