-
Jesse Rogers, ESPN Staff Writer
The 2023 MLB All-Star Game in Seattle will feature 42 first- or second-time selections, including 26 players making their All-Star debuts.
American and National League pitchers and reserves were announced on Sunday for the July 11 game and along with a young crop of participants is one mainstay: Dodgers lefty Clayton Kershaw. He’s making his 10th All-Star appearance, second only to Mike Trout who’s in his 11th All-Star Game.
Kershaw heads a list of NL pitchers who are all first or second time selections save for San Diego Padres closer Josh Hader. He made his fifth All-Star team. The NL leading Atlanta Braves are sending two first time All-Stars in starters Spencer Strider and Bryce Elder. The Chicago Cubs are also sending two starters, Marcus Stroman and Justin Steele. Steele was a league selection while Stroman was chosen by his peers.
The NL pitchers will be throwing to three first time All-Stars behind the plate as backstops Will Smith (Dodgers) and Elias Diaz (Rockies) joined starter Sean Murphy (Braves).
In the American League, the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles head the list of teams sending the most reserves (four) as pitcher Kevin Gausman and infielders Bo Bichette, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Whit Merrifield will represent Toronto while Felix Bautista, Yennier Cano, Adley Rutschman and Austin Hays will do the same for Baltimore.
Each team is required to have at least one representative, so the league added Seattle Mariners pitcher Luis Castillo to the AL roster while doing the same with Boston Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen, Detroit Tigers pitcher Michael Lorenzen, White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. and Royals catcher Salvador Perez who made his eighth All-Star team. The Washington Nationals are sending pitcher Josiah Gray as their lone representative after the league selected him along with pitcher Mitch Keller from the Pittsburgh Pirates. The highest payroll in MLB, the New York Mets, will only have one representative in first baseman Pete Alonso. He was also a league selection.
Rosters are expanded from 26 to 32 for the All-Star Game. They include starters voted on by the fans, along with the pitchers and reserves who were chosen in a player vote and augmented by league officials. Starters were announced earlier in the week, including the top vote getters in each league, Shohei Ohtani and Ronald Acuna Jr.