MLB All-Stars: Things you should know about each starter
Contreras’ .300 batting average, .395 on-base percentage, .586 slugging and .981 OPS are career bests. Here, Contreras rounds the bases after hitting a home run against the White Sox at Wrigley Field June 19.
(John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune/TNS)Tribune News Service
Jorge Castillo covers the Dodgers for the Los Angeles Times, and here he offers stats and insights on each of the All-Star starters for the game Tuesday, July 9, in Cleveland.
Freeman had the smallest margin of victory of any All-Star, but with 100 hits and 22 home runs, he is deserving. Here, he hits an RBI triple against the Pirates June 13 in Atlanta.
(Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS)An All-Star starter with the Rockies in 2015, LeMahieu now will start in his first season as a Yankee. He’s leading the AL with a .336 batting average. Here, he celebrates a home run against Toronto June 25 at Yankee Stadium.
(Jim McIsaac/Getty Images North America/TNS)Marte’s 20 homers are as many as he hit in the previous three seasons, and he is tied with Freeman with 100 hits. Here, he reacts after hitting a home run against Philadelphia June 10 at Citizens Bank Park in Philly.
(Mitchell Leff/Getty Images North America/TNS)2018 All-Star MVP Bregman’s 10th-inning home run helped the AL to an 8-6 victory in last year’s All-Star game. His 22 homers this year lead all third basemen.
(Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times/TNS)Polanco got 93% of the vote from Minnesota, as high a share as any All-Star candidate got from a hometown. Here, he celebrates a road home run June 20 against Kansas City at Kauffman Stadium.
(Ed Zurga/Getty Images North America/TNS)Baez, whose 19 homers leads NL shortstops, was an All-Star starter last year at second base. Here, he hits a two-run home run June 4 against the Rockies at Wrigley Field.
(Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune/TNS)Trout’s seven years in a row as an All-Star starter is a record for an Angels player. He received 993,857 votes, the most of any finalist. Trout was All-Star game MVP in 2014 and 2015. Here, he grimaces after striking out against Oakland June 27 at Angel Stadium.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/TNS)Springer, an All-Star starter in 2017, has 18 home runs in 51 games, and no one has more leadoff home runs than Springer’s 29 since 2016. Here, he reacts after hitting an RBI double in April against the Twins at Target Field in Minneapolis.
(Carlos Gonzalez/Minneapolis Star Tribune/TNS)Yelich leads baseball with 29 homers and has 54 since last year’s All-Star game. He also leads baseball in slugging percentage (.719) and his 930,577 votes led all NL finalists. Here, he fails to catch a home run hit by Chicago Cub Jason Heyward in April at Miller Park in Milwaukee.
(Dylan Buell/Getty Images North America/TNS)Bellinger, a second-time All-Star at age 23, leads the majors with a .354 batting average and 1.163 OPS. His 26 home runs are second only to Christian Yelich. Here, he’s congratulated by Alex Verdugo after hitting a two-run dinger June 19 against the Giants at Dodger Stadium.
(Luis Sinco/Los Angeles Times/TNS)Last year’s NL Rookie of the Year will become the first player to start an All-Star game at age 21 or younger since Trout and Bryce Harper in 2013. Here, with Ozzie Albies, he celebrates a 15-1 blasting of Philly June 16 in Atlanta.
(Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution/TNS)