Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani secured his fourth consecutive starting spot in the All-Star Game, while Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga was named an All-Star in his debut season, as revealed on Sunday when the MLB All-Star Game rosters were announced.
Fan voting decided the starting lineups for both the National League and American League teams. While fans chose the starters, players and the league office selected the pitchers and reserves. The fan vote results were released on July 4, and the complete rosters were unveiled on Sunday. The Philadelphia Phillies set a franchise record by sending seven players to this year’s Midsummer Classic, scheduled for July 16 in Arlington, Texas.
Ohtani, who was voted in as a starter on Thursday, is making his fourth straight All-Star appearance and his first in the National League after three consecutive years with the Los Angeles Angels in the American League. He leads the NL with 28 home runs and has a batting average of .316 with 65 RBIs.
Imanaga earned his All-Star spot as an MLB rookie following his eight-season tenure with the DeNA BayStars in Japan. The left-hander has a 7-2 record with a 3.16 ERA and 92 strikeouts in 92 innings over 16 starts. He made a strong start in the majors, winning his first five starts and becoming the fourth pitcher in Cubs history to achieve five or more wins in their first nine MLB starts. He also began his MLB career with an 18⅓-inning scoreless streak and was named the NL Rookie of the Month for March-April, the first Cub to win the award since Seiya Suzuki in April 2022.
Both the AL and NL rosters feature a youthful lineup, with 32 first-time All-Stars, including Pittsburgh Pirates rookie pitcher Paul Skenes, Cincinnati Reds phenom Elly De La Cruz, and 21-year-old San Diego Padres infielder Jackson Merrill.
Skenes is the first player to be voted to the All-Star Game in the season following his selection as the No. 1 overall pick in the MLB draft.
New York Yankees star outfielder Aaron Judge for the AL and Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper for the NL were determined from the first round of fan balloting, with the remaining starting lineups named in a second round. Harper leads all All-Star starters with his seventh overall start.
Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, making his sixth All-Star start, is batting .308 with 13 home runs and 13 stolen bases. He joins fellow AL starters Yordan Alvarez of Houston at designated hitter, Yankees outfielder Juan Soto, Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan and third baseman Jose Ramirez, Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vlad Guerrero Jr., and Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson and catcher Adley Rutschman.
In the NL, joining Ohtani and Harper will be Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras, Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte, Phillies shortstop Trea Turner and third baseman Alec Bohm, along with outfielders Christian Yelich of Milwaukee, and Jurickson Profar and Fernando Tatis Jr. of San Diego.
Pitchers selected for the squads include standout performers of the season: 11-win pitchers Seth Lugo, a Kansas City Royals right-hander for the AL, and Atlanta Braves left-hander Chris Sale for the NL. Additionally, 10-game winners, lefty Ranger Suarez of Philadelphia in the NL and Tarik Skubal of the Detroit Tigers in the AL, were also chosen.
