The official starting lineup for the 2024 All-Star Game, hosted by the Texas Rangers on July 16, 2024, has been announced by MLB. The starting position players were chosen based on Phase 2 voting, which included the top two position players from each position and the top six outfielders from the Phase 1 vote, minus each league’s two top vote-getters.
Outfielder Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees and first baseman Bryce Harper of the Philadelphia Phillies secured their spots in the starting lineup after leading the American League and National League, respectively, in voting in Phase 1. Harper is currently on the 10-day IL with a hamstring injury, and his status for the All-Star Game is unknown.
For the National League, the starting lineup will include:
– Catcher: William Contreras, Milwaukee Brewers
– First baseman: Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies
– Second baseman: Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks
– Shortstop: Trea Turner, Philadelphia Phillies
– Third baseman: Alec Bohm, Philadelphia Phillies
– Outfielders: Fernando Tatis, Jr., San Diego Padres; Jurickson Profar, San Diego Padres; Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers
– Designated Hitter: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers
For the American League, the fans voted the following players to the starting lineup:
– Catcher: Adley Rutschman, Baltimore Orioles
– First baseman: Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., Toronto Blue Jays
– Second baseman: Jose Altuve, Houston Astros
– Shortstop: Gunner Henderson, Baltimore Orioles
– Third baseman: Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians
– Outfielders: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees; Juan Soto, New York Yankees; Steven Kwan, Cleveland Guardians
– Designated Hitter: Yordan Alvarez, Houston Astros
The Philadelphia Phillies have made a significant impact on the National League’s starting lineup, with three of their stars—Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, and Alec Bohm—earning starting positions. This marks a notable achievement for the Phillies, showcasing the talent and popularity of their players among fans.
Former Atlanta Braves catcher William Contreras was voted the NL starter at catcher. This will be his second All-Star Game starting assignment, as he was a 2022 All-Star while with Atlanta. Now with the Brewers, Contreras was the 2022 All-Star Game starter at Designated Hitter, replacing Bryce Harper, who was unable to participate due to injury.
While the Braves will be represented—MLB still requires one player from each club to be chosen—they will not match the eight players who were members of the NL All-Star team last season. All-Star Game reserves and pitchers will be announced on Sunday, July 7, 2024, during a selection show on ESPN at 5:30 PM Eastern.
Two of the Philadelphia Phillies’ top prospects have been selected to participate in the MLB Futures Game, set for July 13 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, the home of this year’s All-Star Game. Third baseman Aidan Miller and outfielder Justin Crawford were selected. Miller is the Phillies’ No. 2 prospect and the No. 28 prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline. Crawford is right behind him at No. 3 and 56 overall. Miller and Crawford also happen to be the Phillies’ last two first-round picks. Crawford—the son of former Major League star Carl Crawford—was the pick in 2022, while Miller was the pick last year. Crawford was also selected to last year’s game in Seattle. The Futures Game is set for 3 p.m. central. The seven-inning contest will be broadcast on MLB Network.
Per MLB.com, 88% of the players selected to the MLB Futures Game went on to play in the Majors, and 21% have made it to at least one All-Star Game. This year’s Futures Game will mark the 25th anniversary of the contest. Miller was selected No. 27 overall out of Mitchell High School in New Port Richey, Fla., last July. He played 20 games in the Phillies’ system last year and batted .303. He started this season with Class-A Clearwater and earned a promotion to High-A Jersey Shore on June 11. For the season, he is batting .245/.369/.425/.794 with 18 doubles, a triple, six home runs, and 31 RBI. He also has 13 stolen bases. He’s only batted .175 at Jersey Shore since the promotion.
Crawford was also picked out of high school at No. 17 overall, a product of Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas, Nev. He had an exceptional 2023 at the plate, as he slashed .332/.392/.467/.859 with 22 doubles, eight triples, three home runs, and 64 RBI at two different affiliates. He stole 47 bases and scored 71 runs. He has spent this season at Jersey Shore, where he’s batted .332/.392/.467/.859 with 13 doubles, three triples, five home runs, and 34 RBI. He has stolen 24 bases and scored 41 runs.
The Phillies will find out on Wednesday if they will have any more starters in the All-Star Game, set for July 16. First baseman Bryce Harper is already in the starting lineup after he received the most votes of any NL players. The other Phillies up for a starting spot in fan voting are designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, catcher J.T. Realmuto, shortstop Trea Turner, third baseman Alec Bohm, along with outfielders Brandon Marsh and Nick Castellanos. Realmuto is out until after the All-Star break due to knee surgery.
Rob Thomson became the sixth Phillies manager to direct an All-Star team Tuesday night at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park. And, if past was prologue, that boded well for the National League’s chances of ending its nine-game losing streak in the Midsummer Classic. The NL almost always wins with a Phillies manager running the game from the bench: Eddie Sawyer in 1951, Dallas Green in 1981, Paul Owens in 1984, Jim Fregosi in 1994, and Charlie Manuel in 2010. And now, after the National League’s 3-2 win in the 93rd renewal of the rivalry, Thomson can add his name to that list.
Thomson had only two of his own players on the roster, but both contributed. Right fielder Nick Castellanos was right in the middle of the winning rally in the top of the eighth. And Craig Kimbrel came in in the bottom of the ninth to earn the save after putting the tying and winning runs on base.
Kimbrel opened the ninth by retiring Wander Franco of the Rays and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Blue Jays. But Kyle Tucker of the Astros walked, bringing hometown favorite Julio Rodriguez of the Mariners to the plate. Chants of “Ju-li-o! Ju-li-o! Ju-li-o!” echoed through the stands as he also worked a base on balls to put runners on first and second. But Kimbrel reached back to strike out Jose Ramirez of the Guardians to nail down the win.
“That was a lot of fun. I hate that I walked two guys, but getting to face Rodriguez there and seeing this crowd get up and get excited, I took a moment on the back of the mound and took it in. It was pretty cool to see,” Kimbrel told Tom Verducci on the field afterward. “I’m glad I was able to get the job done. It’s been a while since the National League hasn’t gotten a win, so it feels pretty good.”
Kimbrel has over 400 career saves. He’s won a world championship. He’ll be a serious Hall of Fame candidate after he retires. But he said his first All-Star save is special. “This year has been something else,” he said. “The milestones I’ve been able to get to and surpass. The rapport I’ve had with my (Phillies) teammates. They’ve been excited for me and rooted me on all year long. I’ve got to pinch myself. It seems like it’s been one thing after another this year. Hopefully, I can keep on going and we’ll get on a good roll and play good baseball for the rest of the year.”
Castellanos, who had entered the game as a pinch hitter in the sixth and stayed in to play center, led off the eighth against hulking Orioles righthander Felix Bautista. After fouling off four straight pitches at one point, he worked a walk and then moved up to second on a wild pitch. He was getting a good lead off second, forcing Bautista to pay attention to him, when Rockies catcher Elias Diaz hit a two-run homer to left to put the National League ahead for the first time. Diaz was named the Ted Williams All-Star Most Valuable Player.
The American League had won the last nine All-Star Games. The last time the NL prevailed was 2012. Kimbrel, then representing the Braves, faced Asdrubel Cabrera and Ian Kinsler and struck them both out in the 8-0 NL win at Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium.
In their history, the Phillies have been to the World Series eight times. They’ve only won twice. But the following year, when their manager gets to go to the All-Star Game, the Phillies are darn near perfect.
In other observations from a starry, starry night:
– Rangers righthander Nathan Eovaldi has the longest scoreless streak (29 2/3 innings) of any pitcher in the big league this season, but wasn’t sharp when he pitched the second inning. He gave up two singles and was pitching behind in the count much of the time; he went 2-0 to the first two batters he faced. Maybe he was nervous. Maybe it was just one of those nights. Or maybe he was a little distracted because he was one of several players wearing a microphone and was carrying on a running conversation with the FOX broadcast booth while simultaneously facing some of baseball’s best hitters. Later in the game, San Diego’s Josh Hader also pitched while being mic’d up.
– Most of the focus, as always, was on hitting and pitching. But it was defense that stole the show in the top of the first. Ronald Acuna Jr. of the Braves led off by ripping a long drive to right against Yankees starter Gerrit Cole, but Randy Arozarena from the Rays made a leaping catch at the base of the wall to take away extra bases. Acuna’s Atlanta teammate Freddie Freeman was up next and he drilled a shot to left that Adolis Garcia of the Rangers plucked out of the air at the top of the fence. Arozarena flashed the leather again in the fourth, leaving his feet again to rob Braves catcher Sean Murphy on the warning track.
– Weird sequence in the top of the seventh. With one out, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. of the Diamondbacks appeared to tie the score at two with a long solo homer to left against Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano. After a review, however, it was ruled that the ball had been just foul. But when Gurriel came back to the plate, Tigers righthander Michael Lorenzen came out of the bullpen to relieve Romano who, apparently, was experiencing some tightness in his lower back.
The 2024 All-Star Game will be played at Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers. The ’25 site has not been announced yet, and the 2026 game will be played at Citizens Bank Park. Major League Baseball settled on that selection earlier than normal as a tribute to late Phillies president Dave Montgomery, who had made it clear that he wanted Philadelphia to host the Midsummer Classic to coincide with the country’s Semiquincentennial celebration.
Source: MLB.com, ESPN
