The American League will be bidding for its fourth straight victory in Major League Baseball's All-Star Game, set for next Tuesday in San Diego. A look at the starting lineups and reserves for the game, announced Tuesday by MLB:
Catcher: Salvador Perez, Royals
Appearance: Fourth
Age: 26
Key stat: Perez has started 472 games as a catcher and caught 4,129 2/3 innings, most of any catcher since 2013.
Why he's an All-Star: An All-Star and Gold Glove winner in each of the last three years, Perez is on pace to have career-highs in home runs, RBI and batting average this season. He easily outpointed second-place catcher Matt Wieters.
Fun fact: Perez was rewarded with a five-year, $52.5 million extension before the 2016 season.
Reserves: Stephen Vogt, Athletics; Matt Wieters, Orioles
First Base: Eric Hosmer, Royals
Appearance: First
Age: 26
Key stat: On pace for career highs in home runs, RBI and batting average.
Why he's an All-Star: Fans felt Hosmer was snubbed from last year’s All-Star selection when he finished in second in voting but didn’t make the team as an injury replacement for Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera. After finishing that season with his third straight Gold Glove, Hosmer can now add “All-Star” to his resume as he beat Cabrera to earn this year’s automatic bid.
Fun fact: On Nov. 1, 2015 Hosmer scored the tying run in the 9th inning of Game 5 of the World Series, which eventually led to the Royals to the championship in the 12th inning.
Reserve: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers
Second Base: Jose Altuve, Astros
Appearance: Fourth
Age: 26
Key stat: With a major league-leading 115 hits, he's on pace to produce his third consecutive 200-hit season.
Why he's an All-Star: In about half of the plate appearances as last year, Altuve is one home run away from matching his career-high 15 a year ago.
Fun fact: Altuve has been walked intentionally 25 times during his career, despite only 47 career home runs.
Reserve: Robinson Cano, Mariners, Eduardo Nunez, Twins
Third Base: Manny Machado, Orioles
Appearance: Second
Age: 24
Key stat: Ranks third in the majors with 4.3 WAR.
Why he's an All-Star: Machado is on pace to set career highs in doubles, home runs and RBI this season.
Fun fact: Spent seven weeks playing shortstop while J.J. Hardy was on the disabled list.
Reserve: Josh Donaldson, Blue Jays.
Shortstop: Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox
Appearance: First
Age: 23
Key stat: .333 batting average leads the majors as a shortstop.
Why he's an All-Star: The 2015 Silver Slugger has already surpassed last year’s home run total and is on pace to set career-highs in hits, doubles, RBI, runs scored and walks.
Fun fact: Bogaerts, who has a twin brother, is the fifth Aruban to play in MLB.
Reserve: Francisco Lindor, Indians
Outfield: Mike Trout, Angels
Appearance: Fifth
Age: 24
Key stat: Trout has reduce his strikeout rate to a career-best 18%. In 2014 he struck out 26.1% of the time, and last year it was 23.2%.
Why he's an All-Star: He's the best overall player in the game, is the AL MVP in 2014 and was the runner-up the three times.
Fun fact: Trout, leading the major leagues with 5.2 WAR, has accumulated the most WAR (42.5) and runs scored runs scored (516) since 2012.
Reserves: Carlos Beltran, Yankees; Mark Trumbo, Orioles; Ian Desmond, Rangers
Outfield: Jackie Bradley Jr., Red Sox
Appearance: First
Age: 26
Key stat: Batted .415 during a 29-game hitting streak from April to May.
Why he's an All-Star: Bradley has a .927 OPS and leads the AL in triples with a career-high six.
Fun fact: Bradley's batting average rose from .222 to .350 during his 29-game hitting streak.
Outfield: Mookie Betts, Red Sox
Appearance: First
Age: 23
Key stat: Batting .313 since April 20.
Why he's an All-Star: Betts is emerging as one of the best all-around outfielders in the American League, combining power (18 home runs), speed (13 steals) and hitting ability (108 hits, a major league-best 191 total bases).
Fun fact: No relation to former major leaguer Mookie Wilson, rather a nephew of Terry Shumpert, who played parts of 14 seasons in the majors.
DH: David Ortiz, Red Sox
Appearance: Tenth
Age: 40
Key stat: Ortiz leads the majors with xx extra-base hits.
Why he's an All-Star: Big Papi, on his retirement tour, may be having the greatest season by a 40-year-old in baseball history. He's also a solid candidate for the AL MVP award as he leads the major leagues with a 1.112 OPS.
Fun fact: Ortiz’s OPS would be the greatest ever for a 40-plus player, topping Stan Musial (.924, at age 41), Ty Cobb (.921, 40) and Willie Mays (.907).
Reserve: Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays
Full list of reserves:
Stephen Vogt, catcher, Athletics; Matt Wieters, catcher, Orioles; Miguel Cabrera, first base, Tigers; Robinson Cano, second base, Mariners; Josh Donaldson, third base, Blue Jays; Francisco Lindor, shortstop, Indians; Eduardo Nunez, shortstop, Twins; Carlos Beltran, outfield, Yankees; Ian Desmond, outfield, Rangers; Mark Trumbo, outfield, Orioles; Edwin Encarnacion, designated hitter, Blue Jays.
Starting pitchers:
Marco Estrada, Blue Jays; Cole Hamels, Rangers; Danny Salazar, Indians; Chris Sale, White Sox; Steven Wright, Red Sox.
Relief pitchers:
Dellin Betances, Yankees; Brad Brach, Orioles; Zach Britton, Orioles; Alex Colome, Rays; Wade Davis, Royals (injured - will not play); Will Harris, Astros; Kelvin Herrera, Royals; Craig Kimbrel, Red Sox; Andrew Miller, Yankees.
GALLERY: AL ALL-STAR GAME STARTERS
