After a wildly entertaining Home Run Derby, the 2019 MLB All-Star Game now takes center stage at Progressive Field, home of the Cleveland Indians. The best of the National League and American League will be on display, all sharing a single field for one night only.
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts leads the NL for the second straight year. This time around, he has tabbed a member of his own rotation to start the All-Star Game.
Hyun-Jin Ryu, coming off a spectacular first half for the Dodgers, will make his Midsummer Classic debut as the NL’s starting pitcher. Ryu leads the Majors with a 1.73 ERA. He also owns a 10-2 record, 2.88 FIP and 0.908 WHIP in 109 innings pitched.
Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora, Roberts’ former teammate with the Dodgers, will manage the AL. Justin Verlander, enjoying a prolonged career resurgence for the Houston Astros, gets the start for that team.
The 36-year-old righty has a 10-4 record with a 2.98 ERA, 4.19 FIP, 0.813 WHIP in 126.2 innings pitched.
Fan voting for the All-Star starters underwent a massive change this year. Instead of one prolonged general election, voters chose three finalists per spot in “The Primary,” then voted among the finalists in a two-day “Starters Election.”
The Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger and Joc Pederson were both finalists among NL outfielders in the Starters Election, but only Bellinger was elected to the lineup.
Their teammate Max Muncy is the only replacement for the NL position player reserves, as he takes the place of the Washington Nationals’ Anthony Rendon.
On the pitching staff, Felipe Vazquez, Brandon Woodruff and Sonny Gray replace Zack Greinke, Josh Hader and Max Scherzer, respectively.
The AL roster suffered some unfortunate injuries to Tommy La Stella and Hunter Pence, the latter of whom was elected to start at designated hitter. Gleyber Torres will replace La Stella while Xander Bogaerts replaces Pence on the roster.
Bogaerts’ Red Sox teammate J.D. Martinez starts at DH in Pence’s place.
Additionally, Jose Berrios replaces injured Minnesota Twins rotation mate Jake Odorizzi on the AL’s pitching staff. Joining Berrios are Shane Bieber, Liam Hendriks and Masahiro Tanaka, who replace Mike Minor, Charlie Morton and Marcus Stroman, respectively.
The AL All-Stars have won six years in a row.
NL starting lineup
LF: Christian Yelich (Brewers; second)
SS: Javier Baez (Cubs; second)
1B: Freddie Freeman (Braves; fourth)
RF: Cody Bellinger (Dodgers; second)
3B: Nolan Arenado (Rockies; fifth)
DH: Josh Bell (Pirates; first)
C: Willson Contreras (Cubs; second)
2B: Ketel Marte (D-Backs; first)
CF: Ronald Acuna Jr. (Braves; first)
NL reserves
C: Yasmani Grandal (Brewers; second)
C: J.T. Realmuto (Phillies; second)
1B: Pete Alonso (Mets; first)
2B: Jeff McNeil (Mets; first)
2B: Mike Moustakas (Brewers; third)
SS: Paul DeJong (Cardinals; first)
SS: Trevor Story (Rockies; second)
3B: Anthony Rendon (Nationals; first)
3B: Kris Bryant (Cubs; third)
OF: David Dahl (Rockies; first)
OF: Charlie Blackmon (Rockies; fourth)
3B: Max Muncy (Dodgers; first)
NL pitchers
SP: Mike Soroka (Braves; first)
SP: Jacob deGrom (Mets; third)
SP: Max Scherzer (Nationals; seventh)
SP: Clayton Kershaw (Dodgers; eighth)
SP: Hyun-jin Ryu (Dodgers; first)
SP: Walker Buehler (Dodgers; first)
SP: Zack Greinke (Diamondbacks; sixth)
SP: Luis Castillo (Reds; first)
SP: Sandy Alcantara (Marlins; first)
RP: Will Smith (Giants; first)
RP: Kirby Yates (Padres; first)
RP: Josh Hader (Brewers; second)
RP: Felipe Vazquez (Pirates; second)
SP: Brandon Woodruff (Brewers; first)
SP: Sonny Gray (Reds; second)
AL starting lineup
RF: George Springer (Astros; third)
2B: D.J. LeMahieu (Yankees; third)
CF: Mike Trout (Angels; eighth)
1B: Carlos Santana (Indians; first)
DH: J.D. Martinez (Red Sox; third)
3B: Alex Bregman (Astros; second)
C: Gary Sanchez (Yankees; second)
LF: Michael Brantley (Astros; fourth)
SS: Jorge Polanco (Twins; first)
AL reserves
C: James McCann (White Sox; first)
1B: Jose Abreu (White Sox; third)
2B: Brandon Lowe (Rays; first)
2B: Tommy La Stella (Angels; first)
SS: Francisco Lindor (Indians; fourth)
3B: Matt Chapman (Athletics; first)
OF: Mookie Betts (Red Sox; fourth)
OF: Austin Meadows (Rays; first)
OF: Joey Gallo (Rangers; first)
OF/2B: Whit Merrifield (Royals; first)
DH: Hunter Pence (Rangers; fourth)
DH: Daniel Vogelbach (Mariners; first)
2B: Gleyber Torres (Yankees; second)
SS: Xander Bogaerts (Red Sox; second)
AL pitchers
SP: Justin Verlander (Astros; eighth)
SP: Gerrit Cole (Astros; third)
SP: Lucas Giolito (White Sox; first)
SP: Mike Minor (Rangers; first)
SP: Jake Odorizzi (Twins; first)
SP: Marcus Stroman (Blue Jays; first)
SP: John Means (Orioles; first)
SP: Charlie Morton (Rays; second)
RP: Ryan Pressly (Astros; first)
RP: Shane Greene (Tigers; first)
RP: Brad Hand (Indians; third)
RP: Aroldis Chapman (Yankees; sixth)
SP: Jose Berrios (Twins; second)
SP: Shane Bieber (Indians; first)
RP: Liam Hendriks (Athletics; first)
SP: Masahiro Tanaka (Yankees; second)
