The MLB All-Star Game is back for its 92nd edition – this time from Dodger Stadium in sunny SoCal. The National League are slight favorites (-116) over the American League (-102).
The Most Intriguing All-Star Game Starting Pitching Matchup in Recent History
American League starting pitcher Shane McClanahan is still on his rookie contract and making his 1st All-Star appearance at age 25.
National League starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw is making his 9th All-Star appearance at age 34. “The Claw” has an impressive trophy case at home boasting 3 NL Cy Youngs, an MVP, a Gold Glove, and a 2020 World Series ring.
It’s a classic battle between the old, grizzled vet fighting to retain star status and the young, unknown apprentice with something to prove.
2 similarities pop out in a very juxtaposing matchup. Both pitchers are lefties. Both pitchers are making their first ever All-Star starts.
Clayton Kershaw’s legendary accumulation of accolades and the exhaustive list of superlatives that can be used to describe his 15-year career could not include “All-Star starter” until Tuesday.
Pujols Competes in Home Run Derby, Wants MLB All-Star Game Action
Albert Pujols beat out the current NL leader in home runs – Kyle Schwarber – in the first round of the Home Run Derby Monday night.
This performance should be enough to get the 42-year-old in the All-Star game – if only for one at bat. By setting foot in the batter’s box, Pujols would become just the 7th player to do so at his age.
The only player to get a hit in the All-Star Game at age 42 or older was Carlton Fisk at age 43 in 1991. His hit was … about what you’d expect from a 43-year-old man.
William Contreras to Replace Injured Bryce Harper in Historic Lineup Change
Bryce Harper of the Phillies was voted by the fans to start at DH for the National League, but a nasty thumb injury requiring surgery will prevent Harper from taking his place in the lineup.
Chosen to fill the void is Braves catcher William Contreras. Contreras will join his brother – Cubs catcher Willson Contreras – in the 2022 lineup.
“I can say a lot of things,” expresses Willson on the joy of taking the field alongside his brother Tuesday night, “but there’s not a specific word to describe how I feel and how my family feels”.
The Contrerases will be the 5th set of brothers to start the All-Star Game for the same league in the same year – the first since the Alomars (Roberto and Sandy) in 1992.
The Best Hitter in All-Star Game History is Absent in 2022
By some metrics, Mike Trout is the best hitter in All-Star Game history.
In 20 career All-Star game plate appearances, Mike Trout holds a .500 OBP and an all-time best 1.000 slugging percentage. OPS (stands for on-base plus slugging) combines these 2 stats. 1.500 is the best ever for a hitter in the All-Star game.
Trout was obviously voted in this year to start in the outfield for the AL (that will never stop until he retires), but he is sitting this one out due to back spasms.
2022 is Trout’s 10th All-Star selection. The dude is only 30.
Trout’s 10th selection by age 30 puts him in rarified air. There are only a handful of other stars who’ve done so.
Look at that! Only 4 players in MLB history have made more All-Star teams than Mike Trout by their age-30 seasons. A few others have made exactly 10 by 30.
There Will be no Extra Innings Tuesday in the MLB All-Star Game
The longest MLB All-Star game ever played was the 2008 edition which lasted 15 innings at the original Yankee Stadium. The epic battle finally concluded at 1:38am local time.
The adjective “boring” gets tossed around a lot for this game on account of 2 separate lengthy scoring droughts of 4 and 6 innings respectively.
Several old, legendary Yankees gathered around the mound in the Bronx to throw out the first pitch that night – including Yogi Berra and Goose Gossage. I doubt many fans remembered this by the end of the night, however, as the game finished 4 hours and 50 minutes after it began.
This contest set many All-Star game records, although not records typically associated with excitement. The 2008 All-Star game featured a record 28 runners left on base, record 23 pitchers used, and a record 63 total players used.
Extra innings suck in an All-Star game. The reserves end up playing longer than the starters and a few poor relief pitchers get tasked with several innings of work on what is a rest day for 95% of pitchers.
Ties suck, too. More than one MLB All-Star game has ended without a winner, the most recent in 2002. It saves wear and tear on the players, but fans leave the stadium with an unresolved need for blood.
The newest CBA bargained earlier this calendar year states that All-Star games tied after 9 innings will no longer be decided by extra innings. They will not tie, either.
A home run derby between representatives from the two leagues will ensue should the game remain tied after 9 innings. Yes, you read that correctly.
This is why most fans in 2022 will be rooting for a 9th inning tie. One derby was not enough. We want to see more home runs.
Will There Ever be Another Triple Crown Winner?
Let’s not get so tied up in Mike Trout that we forget how absolutely dominant prime Miguel Cabrera was in the mid-2010s.
The following screenshot is taken from Fox’s broadcast of the 2014 All-Star game. Recall that 2012 was Cabrera’s Triple Crown season – the first since 1967.
How did Miggy not win again in 2013? Look at these numbers … at the break?! Disgusting!
Cabrera finished the 2012 season with a .330 batting average, 44 home runs, and 139 RBIs. He narrowly edged out Mike Trout’s .326 batting average and remained just ahead of both Josh Hamilton and Curtis Granderson who finished with 43 home runs apiece.
2013 Miggy finished with a final line of .348, 44 homers, and 137 RBIs. The former led baseball. Chris Davis of the Orioles led all hitters with 53 home runs and 138 RBIs despite his 29.6% K rate.
Even with the gaudiest stat line of .365/30/95 I’ve ever seen at the All-Star break, Miggy couldn’t win the Triple Crown – a testament to how incredibly difficult (and opportunistic) the achievement is.
No hitter appears primed to win the Triple Crown in 2022, but the AL’s hopes lie in the massive hands of Aaron Judge with his .284/33/70 line at the break.
33 home runs leads baseball. 70 RBIs is 5 shy of Jose Ramirez’s league-leading mark. A .284 average is not elite, but closing a gap in batting average is easier than the counting stats.
The National League’s top candidate for Triple Crown is 34-year-old Paul Goldschmidt. Goldy’s .330 average leads his league while 20 home runs and 70 RBIs put him within striking distance of the leaders.
“Polar Bear” Pete Alonso leads baseball with 78 RBIs at the break. Kyle Schwarber leads the senior circuit with 29 bombs.
Kreighton loves sports, math, writing, and winning — he combines all of them as a writer for WagerBop. His favorite sports to review are MLB, NFL, NBA, NCAAF, and NCAABB.
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