Soto Earns Nod on Third Team in Three Years
The MLB All-Star Game starters are penciled in; it’s a star-studded lineup. While it was no surprise to see the likes of Aaron Judge, Bryce Harper, and Shohei Ohtani make the cut, this year’s Midsummer Classic will feature eight first-time starters. The American League will have starting debuts from Baltimore Orioles teammates Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman, the Houston Astros’ Yordan Alvarez, and outfielders Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Indians and Juan Soto of the New York Yankees. Soto made history with the nod, becoming the ninth player to make the All-Star Game in three straight seasons with three different teams.
For the National League, Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras joins Alec Bohm of the Philadelphia Phillies and Jurickson Profar of the San Diego Padres as first-time starters. Profar in particular is a feel-good story, earning a starting nod 12 years after making his MLB debut.
Joining Profar in the outfield is his teammate Fernando Tatis Jr., who along with Harper will be the 14th and 15th players in MLB history to have won a starting spot in both the infield and outfield during their career. The NL outfield is rounded out by Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich, making his first start since 2019.
Reserves for both teams will be announced this Sunday at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.