Prince Fielder named to 2015 American League All-Star team
Fielder tops A.L. player voting at DH
Arlington, Texas-Texas Rangers designated hitter Prince Fielder has been selected to play for the American League in the 2015 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, which will take place on Tuesday, July 14 at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. The reserves and pitchers for the American and National League teams were announced this evening by Major League Baseball.
Fielder, who finished first in the A.L. player voting among designated hitters, will be making his sixth All-Star appearance. Seattle's Nelson Cruz won the fan voting and will be the A.L. starter at designated hitter.
Fielder was selected to three N.L. All-Star teams with the Milwaukee Brewers, being elected in fan voting as the starter at first base in 2007 and 2011 while being named a reserve in 2009. This will be his third appearance on the A.L. All-Star team as he was the elected starter at first base in 2012 and a reserve in 2013 as a member of the Detroit Tigers. With his selection as a Ranger, he becomes one of 79 players all-time to be selected for the All-Star Game with at least three different teams.
He is batting .429 (3-7) with a double, triple, home run, and four RBI in his five All-Star appearances. Fielder was the Most Valuable Player of the 2011 ASG, when his three-run homer off C.J. Wilson in the fourth inning helped lead the National League to a 5-1 victory at Arizona's Chase Field. He also joins Ken Griffey, Jr. as one of just two players to win multiple All-Star Home Run Derby crowns, in 2009 at St. Louis and 2012 at Kansas City.
For the season, Fielder is batting .347 with 13 home runs and 50 RBI in 81 games. He leads the majors with 36 multi-hit games and tops the A.L. in hits while also ranking among the league leaders in batting (2nd), on-base percentage (3rd, .413), total bases (T4th, 168), and slugging (7th, .530).
This is the first time that the Rangers have had only one player selected to the A.L. All-Star Team since Michael Young was the club's lone All-Star representative in 2007.