The magnificent six MLBbros headed to the MLB All-Star game
Next Tuesday, Major League Baseball superstars will showcase their talents in front of their families, friends and fans in Arlington, Texas at Globe Life Field for the All-Star Game, commonly referred to as the Midsummer Classic.
The full rosters for both leagues were released last weekend with 32 players making their All-Star debuts. Among those selected are six gifted Black players who are continuing the tradition of pioneers, including the great Jackie Robinson, who was part of the 1949 MLB All-Star Game, the first to include Black players.
National League Representatives:
Hunter Greene, Cincinnati Reds:
The 24-year-old hard-throwing pitcher has made only 64 starts in the big leagues and keeps adding to his resume.
“I’ve always had huge expectations for myself,” Greene said. “Sometimes it can hurt me. I like to put too much expectation on myself, but it’s good at the same time. It keeps me hungry. It keeps me motivated. It doesn’t allow me to get complacent. (This) might be validating for others who might have second guessed,” he added. “But for myself, I’m honestly not surprised.”
CJ Abrams, Washington Nationals:
Count this as another step to superstardom for Abrams. Going into last night’s game versus the New York Mets, the 23-year-old shortstop led the Nationals in hits (92) home runs (14) and RBI (46).Through 91 games, Abrams is batting .280.
Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers:
Betts, 31, will miss the game after suffering a fractured hand on June 16. He was having an MVP-caliber season, moving from the outfield where he was a perennial all-star to playing both second base and shortstop for the Dodgers. Expect Betts to round back into form when he returns later this season from the injury.
American League Representatives:
Aaron Judge, New York Yankees:
The 32-year-old Judge may be the best player in the sport. After a slow start in April, the Yankees center fielder topped all of MLB with 32 homers, 83 RBIs and a 1.103 OPS (on-base plus slugging) as of yesterday and heads into the All-Star Game as the ALs leading MVP candidate, having already won the award in 2022.
Josh Naylor, Cleveland Guardians:
Naylor should have gotten the call last year for an All-Star invite. But the 27-year-old native of Ontario, Canada didn’t pout. Instead, he’s been even better this season. At midweek, Naylor had 22 home runs and 70 RBIs.
What makes him an all-star goes beyond his impressive performance on the field. Naylor’s leadership is a major component to the team with the best record in American League (57-33) as of the writing of this article.
“I think a lot of us should be All-Stars and I’m grateful to be one and looking forward to representing this team and my teammates and coaches and this organization,” he said.
Marcus Semien, Texas Rangers
This will be the 33-year-old Semien’s third All-Star Game after being voted in by the players. The second baseman came within an eyelash of starting but the fan vote gave the honor to future Hall of Famer Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros. Still, Semien was leading the Rangers in hits (86) and RBI (50) when they took on the Los Angeles Angels last night.
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