MLB commissioner Rob Manfred designated the St. Louis Cardinals’ Albert Pujols and longtime Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera as legacy selections for 2022 All-Star Game rosters.
Pujols and Cabrera are two of the three players in MLB history with at least 3,000 hits, 500 home runs and 600 doubles. They are part of an illustrious group that includes Hall of Famer Hank Aaron.
“I am delighted that Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera have agreed to participate in the All-Star Game,” Manfred said in a statement. “Albert and Miguel are two of the most accomplished players of their generation.
“They have also represented the baseball traditions of the Dominican Republic and Venezuela with excellence for the last two decades. Albert and Miguel are two all-time greats whose achievements warrant this special recognition.”
Pujols signed a one-year contract with the Cardinals to play the final season of his career. He now has 11 career All-Star selections, with all but one coming as a member of the Cardinals. Pujols and Mike Trout share the MLB lead among active players with three career MVP Awards.
Although Pujols made his mark with the Cardinals and spent 10 seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, he was revered in a brief amount of time with the Los Angeles Dodgers as well. Pujols earned regular praise from new teammates and manager Dave Roberts for his leadership and acceptance of a bench role.
The All-Star Game selection is Cabrera’s 12th in 20 seasons. Earlier this year he became the first Venezuelan player and 33rd overall to reach 3,000 career hits. Cabrera hit his 500th home run last season, which drew a congratulatory message from Pujols.
In addition to being the only active MLB players who are part of the 500-home run club, Cabrera and Pujols are among those born outside of the United States to accomplish the feat.
Cabrera is the first Venezuelan-born player with 500 career home runs, and joined David Ortiz, Pujols, Sammy Sosa, Rafael Palmeiro and Manny Ramirez as those who were not born in the United States and reached the statistical milestone.
The 2022 All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium is scheduled for Tuesday, July 19. The 92nd Midsummer Classic joins 1949, 1959 and 1980 as years the Dodgers hosted the jewel event.
Overall, this year’s All-Star Game is the 13th to be played in California, which is the most among any state. Along with the Midsummer Classic getting played in Los Angeles, the cities of Anaheim (1967, 1989, 2010), Oakland (1987), San Diego (1978, 1992, 2016) and San Francisco (1961, 1984, 2007) have also hosted the annual showcase.
2022 All-Star Game starters
National League
C: Willson Contreras (Cubs)
1B: Paul Goldschmidt (Cardinals)
2B: Jazz Chisholm Jr. (Marlins)
3B: Manny Machado (Padres)
SS: Trea Turner (Dodgers)
OF: Ronald Acuña Jr. (Braves)
OF: Mookie Betts (Dodgers)
OF: Joc Pederson (Giants)
DH: Bryce Harper (Phillies)
American League
C: Alejandro Kirk (Blue Jays)
1B: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Blue Jays)
2B: Jose Altuve (Astros)
3B: Rafal Devers (Red Sox)
SS: Tim Anderson (White Sox)
OF: Aaron Judge (Yankees)
OF: Mike Trout (Angels)
OF: Giancarlo Stanton (Yankees)
DH: Shohei Ohtani (Angels)
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