Freeman, Altuve headline MLB All-Star rosters
Major League Baseball has announced the rosters for the 2018 All-Star Game.
The starters for both leagues were determined by the fan vote, with the reserves chosen by a combination of factors. The players, commissioner's office, and fans were all taken into account before the teams were finalized.
Both leagues feature 32-man rosters - 20 position players and 12 pitchers apiece, and every major-league team must be represented.
National League Position Players
| POS | PLAYER | TEAM |
|---|---|---|
| C | Willson Contreras | Cubs |
| 1B | Freddie Freeman | Braves |
| 2B | Javier Baez | Cubs |
| 3B | Nolan Arenado | Rockies |
| SS | Brandon Crawford | Giants |
| OF | Nick Markakis | Braves |
| OF | Matt Kemp | Dodgers |
| OF | Bryce Harper | Nationals |
| - | - | - |
| C | Buster Posey | Giants |
| C | J.T. Realmuto | Marlins |
| 1B | Paul Goldschmidt | Diamondbacks |
| 1B | Joey Votto | Reds |
| 2B | Scooter Gennett | Reds |
| 2B | Ozzie Albies | Braves |
| 3B | Eugenio Suarez | Reds |
| SS | Trevor Story | Rockies |
| OF | Lorenzo Cain | Brewers |
| OF | Christian Yelich | Brewers |
| OF | Charlie Blackmon | Rockies |
Nick Markakis is named to his first All-Star Game in his 13th major-league season. Atlanta Braves teammate Freddie Freeman led all NL players in votes as the only one to receive more than 4 million.
Neither Willson Contreras nor Javier Baez led their positions at the last vote update, but Chicago Cubs faithful stormed the gates to make sure the pair were named starters.
National League Pitchers
| Player | Handedness | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Max Scherzer | R | Nationals |
| Patrick Corbin | L | Diamondbacks |
| Jacob deGrom | R | Mets |
| Mike Foltynewicz | R | Braves |
| Jon Lester | L | Cubs |
| Aaron Nola | R | Phillies |
| Miles Mikolas | R | Cardinals |
| Sean Doolittle | L | Nationals |
| Josh Hader | L | Brewers |
| Brad Hand | L | Padres |
| Kenley Jansen | R | Dodgers |
| Felipe Vazquez | L | Pirates |
Max Scherzer will play in his sixth straight All-Star Game thanks to an electric first half on the mound.
The New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, San Diego Padres, and Pittsburgh Pirates received their lone representatives among the pitchers.
American League Position Players
| POS | NAME | TEAM |
|---|---|---|
| C | Wilson Ramos | Rays |
| 1B | Jose Abreu | White Sox |
| 2B | Jose Altuve | Astros |
| 3B | Jose Ramirez | Indians |
| SS | Manny Machado | Orioles |
| OF | Mookie Betts | Red Sox |
| OF | Mike Trout | Angels |
| OF | Aaron Judge | Yankees |
| DH | J.D. Martinez | Red Sox |
| - | - | - |
| C | Salvador Perez | Royals |
| 1B | Mitch Moreland | Red Sox |
| 2B | Gleyber Torres | Yankees |
| 3B | Alex Bregman | Astros |
| SS | Francisco Lindor | Indians |
| OF | Michael Brantley | Indians |
| OF | George Springer | Astros |
| OF | Mitch Haniger | Mariners |
| OF | Shin-Soo Choo | Rangers |
| DH | Nelson Cruz | Mariners |
Jose Altuve led all vote-getters with nearly 5 million votes en route to his sixth All-Star appearance. Mookie Betts received the second-most love from fans with 4.2 million votes.
Shin-Soo Choo, riding a Texas Rangers-record 47-game on-base streak, gets his first All-Star nod in his 14th season as a pro.
Gleyber Torres continues to make a splash in his rookie campaign with the Yankees, getting named to the Midsummer Classic with only 63 big-league games under his belt.
American League Pitchers
| Player | Handedness | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Justin Verlander (Inactive) | R | Astros |
| Trevor Bauer | R | Indians |
| Corey Kluber | R | Indians |
| Chris Sale | L | Red Sox |
| Luis Severino | R | Yankees |
| Gerrit Cole | R | Astros |
| Jose Berrios | R | Twins |
| J.A. Happ | L | Blue Jays |
| Edwin Diaz | R | Mariners |
| Joe Jimenez | R | Tigers |
| Craig Kimbrel | R | Red Sox |
| Blake Treinen | R | Athletics |
| Aroldis Chapman | L | Yankees |
Due to starting on the Sunday before the All-Star Game, Justin Verlander will not play during the game despite being named to the roster.
This year's rosters featured 29 All-Stars who are 27 years old or younger with 25 players making their first appearances at the game. Additionally, there are 21 foreign-born All-Stars.
The only things left to be determined are the starting pitchers for either side and the final player for both squads. The starters will be announced on July 16, the day before the game itself.
Meanwhile, there is a Final Vote conducted by fans to select the last reserve player. No pitchers were included for either league this year.
Related: Benintendi, Turner among Final Vote candidates
The deadline to cast votes is July 11 at 4 p.m. ET.