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WASHINGTON -- Bryce Harper walked up the first-base line, carrying his bat in both his hands and then tossing it into the air as his furious rally to win the T-Mobile Home Run Derby was complete on Monday night.

Harper swatted nine home runs in the last 50 seconds of the finals, including one at the horn, to tie Kyle Schwarber of the Cubs at 18, before launching the final home run in bonus time to send Nationals Park into a frenzy.

It was a historic Derby: The eight participants combined for 221 dingers -- the most in T-Mobile Home Run Derby history. Schwarber finished with 55 overall while Harper finished with 45.

:: Complete Home Run Derby coverage ::

Harper gave the 43,698 fans that packed into the ballpark the show they had so eagerly anticipated. They roared when he was introduced before the start of the Derby. Then again as he stepped to the plate and pointed to the D.C. flag bandanna around his head. As he started crushing the ball into the stands, Nationals Park became electric.

Video: Harper, father on winning Derby in front of home fans

"That's the kid you see out there tonight," Harper said as he got emotional at the podium after the event. "I was fortunate to share that and show that to the fans. That wasn't only for me and my family and everybody like that, but this is for the cook, the guy who that works the front and the people that work upstairs.

Video: HRD Rd3: Harper hits 9 HRs in final minute to tie it

"I mean, this is [for] the whole city of D.C. I was very fortunate to be able to bring this back to them and do it here."

• Bryce shows off amazing Home Run Derby style

With his father, Ron, pitching to him, Harper became just the third player to win the Home Run Derby in his home ballpark. He joined Todd Frazier for the Reds in 2015 and Ryne Sandberg of the Cubs in 1990, and Harper did so in front of a crowd he repeatedly called "incredible."

Video: HRD Rd3: Harper on winning HRD in front of home fans

It has been a while since Nationals fans have rallied behind Harper this passionately, and he received such mutual admiration and emotion from both sides. As the 89th All-Star Game arrives in D.C. with Harper at the center of it all, the conversation surrounding him usually begins at a first half not quite up to his usual standards followed by talks about his impending free agency this winter.

Tweet from @Nationals: How can you not be romantic about baseball? pic.twitter.com/oyWZJlyIY6

• Round-by-round recap of HR Derby

It also coincided with a more serious demeanor from Harper around the clubhouse and on the field, but it was evident how much fun Harper was having on Monday night as he created one of the most memorable moments in Nationals Park history.

Video: HRD Rd1: Harper downs Freeman in Round 1 with 13th HR

"It's unbelievable," Harper said. "I think just having the crowd out there and really feeding off them. We have some of the best fans in all of baseball, and to be able to do that with my family out there, that's an incredible moment, not only for me but for the organization and the Nationals fans. I'm very blessed and humbled."

• Harper forgot he won a Home Run Derby as an 11-year-old

Harper dispatched Freddie Freeman of the rival Braves and Max Muncy of the Dodgers in the first two rounds, each by the score of 13-12, before squaring off against Schwarber in the final round. Schwarber launched 18 home runs in the final round and Harper faced an uphill battle when he got off to a slow start, with just four homers at his first timeout with 2:38 left on the clock. Then, after a second timeout, Harper found a groove with his father.

Video: HRD Rd2: Harper belts 13 homers to advance to finals

"He flipped a switch," Nats left-hander Sean Doolittle said. "His swing, you could tell he was getting tired. He went somewhere else. That was unbelievable."

That ability to go "somewhere else" is what separates Harper and why despite his struggles in the first half he is still widely considered one of the top players in MLB. He belted 45 homers overall, including the second, third and fourth longest homers on the night. Fifteen of those home runs went at least 440 feet and 12 left his bat with an exit velocity of at least 110 mph, the most in the Derby.

Video: HRD Rd3: Harper crushes a pair of 470-ft. home runs

And with each Harper moonshot home run, the crowd grew louder in anticipation of the coming moment. His fellow All-Stars from the Nationals -- Doolittle, Max Scherzer and manager Dave Martinez -- all rallied behind him as well and Harper even got a pep talk from former Nats catcher Wilson Ramos, now of the Rays.

Tweet from @kschwarb12: What a show by @Bharper3407! @Nationals Park was rockin! Ran out of gas at the end but hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did! Thank you for the opportunity and see you in Chicago!

It was the perfect moment for the Nationals and Harper, a union that began when Harper was drafted at 17 years old, as he once again shined on a bright stage at his home ballpark.

Video: HRD Rd3: Harper rallies to win HRD with 19 home runs

"You could tell this was on his radar," Doolittle said. "He came here to win. He wasn't just having fun with the hometown crowd. I don't know, maybe the roll he got on tonight, that confidence you get from winning something like this in the way that he won it in front of the hometown fans. … I mean, yeah it's a silly competition, but at the end of the day, that could be something that really jump-starts a guy."

It was a memorable, record-breaking night in the nation's capital as eight competitors battled it out in the T-Mobile Home Run Derby at Nationals Park.

In the end, the home favorite triumphed. Washington's Bryce Harper, buoyed by the crowd, walloped 19 final-round home runs -- the last during a 30-second bonus period -- to take a dramatic walk-off victory over Kyle Schwarber of the Cubs.

When the dust settled, 221 homers had been launched into the humid D.C. air, setting a Derby record. The previous mark was 203 in 2016, and last year's event at Marlins Park saw 195 dingers. All of that added up to more than 16 miles worth of homers, according to Statcast™ -- or nearly half the distance from Nationals Park to Baltimore's Camden Yards.

Here is a look at some of the notable facts and figures from Monday's competition:

HARPER RISES TO THE OCCASION
• Harper hit six home runs over the final 29 seconds of the final round (prior to his 30-second bonus period) to tie Schwarber at 18 homers. Those included three straight with distances of more than 440 feet -- 452 feet (112 mph exit velocity) with 23 seconds remaining, 444 feet (106 mph exit velocity) with 18 seconds left, and 478 feet (111 mph exit velocity) with eight seconds left.

• Harper had no problems earning himself the bonus 30 seconds at the end of each round -- he led the Derby field in home runs of 440 feet or longer, with 15. That was one more than Schwarber's total of 14 blasts of 440-plus feet. To put that in context, the Rangers' Joey Gallo leads MLB with five homers of 440 feet or more during games this season, and the Rockies lead all teams with 15.

• While Javier Baez had the longest home run of the night at 479 feet in the first round, Harper was responsible for each of the next three longest: 478, 473 and 467 feet. Since Statcast™ began tracking in 2015, Harper has hit one homer longer than 461feet in a game -- a 473-foot blast at Nationals Park on May 4.

Video: HRD Rd3: Harper crushes a pair of homers over 470 ft.

• Harper also led the eight participants in home runs that exceeded the 110 mph exit-velocity mark (even though those didn't win him any bonus time). He had 12 of those rockets, again one more than Schwarber, who had 11.

• Harper appeared to get stronger as the Derby went on -- over the first two rounds, he hit a combined five homers of 450 feet or more. He equaled that in the final round.

• Harper became the first player in Nationals/Expos history to win the Home Run Derby. He is also the only player in Nationals/Expos history to finish runner-up, doing so in 2013 at Citi Field, when the Athletics' Yoenis Cespedes took home the trophy.

• Harper became the third player in Derby history to win in his home ballpark, joining the Cubs' Ryne Sandberg at Wrigley Field in 1990, and the Reds' Todd Frazier at Great American Ball Park in 2015.

A STELLAR SHOWING FOR SCHWARBER
• Although Schwarber ultimately came up short in the final, he did launch 55 homers over the three rounds, the most of anyone in the field.

• Schwarber's longest home run of the first half was tracked at 439 feet, but he popped 14 of 440 feet or longer in the Derby, one shy of Harper for the most of any hitter.

Video: HRD Rd2: Schwarber crushes 462-foot homer in Round 2

• It looked like Schwarber's night might be over in the second round, when Rhys Hoskins went first and ripped 20 homers. Schwarber then started slowly, homering just once out of his first eight swings. But he put on an impressive display from there, including a pair of streaks in which he homered on five consecutive swings. Then, in about the final 30 seconds, Schwarber parked his final five big flies to edge out Hoskins at the buzzer.

• One of Schwarber's last home runs was an absolute laser -- in the final round against Harper, he hit one 112 mph off the bat with a launch angle of just 18 degrees. The Cubs have not hit a lower home run than that in an official game since Statcast™ started tracking in 2015. They've hit six at 18 degrees, including one by Schwarber on April 24. That was a 117.1-mph screamer that set the Cubs' record for exit velocity on a home run.

THE BEST OF THE REST
• The trophy for longest home run of the night went to Baez. The Cubs' electric infielder sent a baseball a projected 479 feet into the seats in the first round, and no one topped that mark. (Harper was the only other player to break the 470-foot mark, hitting home runs of 478 feet and 473 feet in the final round.)

Video: HRD Rd1: Baez crushes homer 479 ft., longest of Derby

• The next longest home runs belonged to Hoskins, the only other player in the field to break the 460-foot mark on any of his homers. The Phillies' sophomore slugger did so twice, with a 463-foot shot as the first hitter of Round 1 and a 466-footer in Round 2, his longest of the night.

Video: HRD Rd2: Statcast™ measures Hoskins' 466-ft. dinger

• Max Muncy has been hitting plenty of moonshots in his breakout season for the Dodgers, and he carried that tendency into the Derby. Muncy had the highest launch angle on his home runs of any participant -- 31.7 degrees, just ahead of Jesus Aguilar's 31.5-degree average.

• Aguilar hit one real skyscraper of a home run, sending one deep with a launch angle of 40 degrees. For all the home runs Aguilar has treated Brewers fans to this year, none have been as high as that one. Aguilar's career-high launch angle on a home run in a Major League game is 39 degrees (on May 27).

• There was only one Derby participant who averaged less than 100 mph and 400 feet on his home runs. That was the Astros' Alex Bregman, with an average home run exit velocity in the Derby of 98.4 mph and an average projected home run distance of 397.3 feet. He still hit 16 homers -- whatever gets them over the fence.

• Freddie Freeman is known for his all-fields power, and he stayed consistent to his in-game approach. Five of the lefty slugger's 12 home runs in his first-round defeat went to the left of center. And the Braves first baseman stayed mostly in the middle of the field, not resorting to any dead-pull hitting.

On the strength of an electric run late in the final round, the Nationals' Bryce Harper came out on top among a field of eight participants in Monday night's T-Mobile Home Run Derby at Nationals Park in Washington D.C., outslugging the Cubs' Kyle Schwarber in the final round to become the third player in Derby history to win the event on his home turf. The 221 homers hit in the Derby were the most in the history of the event.

Harper mashed 45 homers in all (13 in each of the first two rounds and 19 in the final) to outperform a field that also included Rhys Hoskins (Phillies), Jesus Aguilar (Brewers), Alex Bregman (Astros), Javier Baez (Cubs), Max Muncy (Dodgers) and Freddie Freeman (Braves).

• Home Run Derby history

Final: Harper (19) def. Schwarber (18)
HARPER (No. 2 seed): The hometown favorite came through in dramatic fashion. Faced with Schwarber's big total, Harper got off to a relatively slow start, with just four homers before calling his first timeout with 2:38 to go. As the clock ticked under a minute, Harper did have a 30-second bonus in the bag, but he still had an uphill battle in front of him. All of a sudden, he flipped the switch. The Nats star demolished nine homers in the final 50 seconds of regulation to pull even with Schwarber. Then came the 30-second bonus, and Harper took advantage, launching the walk-off bomb to dead center field on his second swing, then lifting and tossing the bat in celebration as the home crowd went nuts.

TOTAL: 19 HRs
LONGEST HR (EXIT VELO): 478 feet (111 mph)
HARDEST-HIT HR (DISTANCE): 112 mph (473 feet)
AVERAGE HR DISTANCE: 428.3 feet
AVERAGE HR EXIT VELOCITY: 107.2 mph

:: Complete Home Run Derby coverage ::

SCHWARBER (No. 5 seed): Schwarber did his best to give himself some breathing room with another breathtaking performance. He started off with a 453-foot blast into the upper deck for his first homer of the final round and kept right on going. Schwarber crushed three big flies in a row to get to 13 with a little less than a minute to go, eventually reaching 17 at the end of regulation. His seven shots of at least 440 feet easily bought him an extra 30 seconds, which he used to tack one more onto his total.

Video: HRD Rd3: Schwarber muscles 18 home runs in Finals

TOTAL: 18 HRs
LONGEST HR (EXIT VELO): 453 feet (110 mph)
HARDEST-HIT HR (DISTANCE): 112 mph (393 feet)
AVERAGE HR DISTANCE: 430.4 feet
AVERAGE HR EXIT VELOCITY: 107.1 mph

Round 2: Harper (13) def. Muncy (12)
MUNCY (No. 3 seed): Muncy couldn't quite match his first-round output, but he didn't make it easy for Harper, either. Muncy opened Round 2 by smacking seven homers, then took a timeout with 1:53 to go, then hit two quick homers coming out of the break. However, after getting to 11 dingers with one minute to go, Muncy seemed to run out of gas and ripped just one more the rest of the way.

Video: HRD Rd2: Muncy launches 12 home runs in Round 2

TOTAL: 12 HRs
LONGEST HR (EXIT VELO): 429 feet (107 mph)
HARDEST-HIT HR (DISTANCE): 107 mph (429 feet)
AVERAGE HR DISTANCE: 408.7 feet
AVERAGE HR EXIT VELOCITY: 104.4 mph

HARPER (No. 2 seed): Would the pressure of expectations get to Harper in the second round? It seemed like that might be the case, as he went deep just three times in the first minute and a half. Then, he caught fire. Harper crushed homers on five straight swings in one stretch -- earning a 30-second bonus in the process by going longer than 440 feet multiple times. But after calling timeout with 10 big flies and 1:33 to go, Harper made that bonus time irrelevant by popping three more quick homers to advance to the final with 1:11 still left on the clock.

Video: HRD Rd2: Harper crushes 13 homers to advance to Final

TOTAL: 13 HRs
LONGEST HR (EXIT VELO): 454 feet (109 mph)
HARDEST-HIT HR (DISTANCE): 113 mph (448 feet)
AVERAGE HR DISTANCE: 414.8 feet
AVERAGE HR EXIT VELOCITY: 107.6 mph

Tweet from @darenw: Great Home Run Derby tonight... Here's every home run hit tonight. #HRDerby pic.twitter.com/tqFxZFPQz2

Round 2: Schwarber (21) def. Hoskins (20)
HOSKINS (No. 8 seed): Hoskins became the first player in this year's Derby to reach the 20-homer mark in a round, and several of his home runs were crushed. He drilled three 440-plus-footers in the first half of the round to lock down the 30-second bonus, including a 466-footer that was his longest of the round. And after taking his timeout about halfway through the round, he again went on a tear, just as he did in Round 1. Hoskins launched 12 homers after his timeout, plus a 453-footer in bonus time -- only to be bested by Schwarber, who hit a dramatic walk-off 21st homer as time expired on his own turn.

TOTAL: 20 HRs
LONGEST HR: 466 feet
HARDEST-HIT HR (DISTANCE): 108 mph (453 feet)
AVERAGE HR DISTANCE: 412.5 feet
AVERAGE HR EXIT VELOCITY: 102.6 mph

Video: HRD Rd2: Hoskins destroys a 466-ft. homer in Round 2

SCHWARBER (No. 5 seed): When Schwarber cleared the wall just once out of his first eight swings, it didn't seem like he would be able to catch up to the big number Hoskins had put on the board. So much for that. The Cubs slugger strung together multiple streaks of five consecutive homers to get to 12 before taking a timeout with 1:32 to go. Schwarber earned a 30-second bonus with five homers of 440-plus feet, but it turned out he didn't need it, going deep five times in the final 30 seconds of regulation to get to 21. A 425-foot shot down the right-field line, right at the regulation buzzer, punched Schwarber's ticket to the final round.

TOTAL: 21 HRs
LONGEST HR (EXIT VELO): 462 feet (109 mph)
HARDEST-HIT HR (DISTANCE): 111 mph (454 feet)
AVERAGE HR DISTANCE: 426.0 feet
AVERAGE HR EXIT VELOCITY: 106.6 mph

Video: HRD Rd2: Schwarber crushes 20th, 21st HRs to advance

Round 1: Harper (13) def. Freeman (12)
FREEMAN (No. 7 seed): Freeman is known for his all-fields power, and he showed it off in the first round of the Derby. Five of the lefty-swinging slugger's 12 home runs were hit to the left of dead center field. He didn't qualify for the 30-second time bonus, as his longest homer was 437 feet, but Freeman put on a more-than-respectable showing. But he was bested by the hometown superstar -- Harper walked him off with home run No. 13 as the last batter of Round 1 of the Derby.

TOTAL: 12 HRs
LONGEST HR (EXIT VELO): 437 feet (105 mph)
HARDEST-HIT HR (DISTANCE): 107 mph (399 feet)
AVERAGE HR DISTANCE: 404.1 feet
AVERAGE HR EXIT VELOCITY: 102.8 mph

Video: HRD Rd1: Freeman crushes 12 homers in Round 1

HARPER (No. 2 seed): Harper used the whole field, homering to left, center and then right field for his first three big flies. Then there was the 467-foot blast that nearly cleared everything in right field. Harper called timeout to collect himself with 1:36 to go, sitting on nine homers. With the crowd behind him, he cruised from there, crushing the winning dinger with 26 seconds remaining. Harper finished with six homers of 440 feet or longer.

TOTAL: 13 HRs
LONGEST HR (EXIT VELO): 467 feet (113 mph)
HARDEST-HIT HR (DISTANCE): 113 mph (467 feet)
AVERAGE HR DISTANCE: 425 feet
AVERAGE HR EXIT VELOCITY: 107.0 mph

Video: HRD Rd1: Harper downs Freeman in Round 1 with 13th HR

Round 1: Muncy (17) def. Baez (16)
MUNCY (No. 3 seed): The out-of-nowhere Dodgers star continued to show the power that he's put on display since making it back to the Majors. Muncy came out of the gate hot, smacking seven homers in a span of nine swings early in the round. He called timeout with eight homers -- halfway to Baez -- and with just under two minutes to go. Muncy then cranked things up even more after the break. He went deep on seven straight swings to tie Baez with 45 seconds remaining, then crushed a "walk-off" shot with 32 seconds still on the clock.

TOTAL: 17 HRs
LONGEST HR (EXIT VELO): 435 feet (103 mph)
HARDEST-HIT HR (DISTANCE): 108 mph (428 feet)
AVERAGE HR DISTANCE: 409.5 feet
AVERAGE HR EXIT VELOCITY: 103.0 mph

Video: HRD Rd1: Muncy launches 17 homers to down Baez

BAEZ (No. 6 seed): Baez wasted little time earning himself the 30-second bonus, crushing a pair of homers greater than 440 feet a little more than a minute into his round. The first of those was a monster 479-foot shot that was the first in the Derby to exceed the 470-foot mark. Baez finished with 16 home runs, but unfortunately for the electric Cubs infielder, it wasn't enough. Muncy belted a walk-off 17th homer to advance to Round 2.

TOTAL: 16 HRs
LONGEST HR (EXIT VELO): 479 feet (107 mph)
HARDEST-HIT HR (DISTANCE): 108 mph (402 feet)
AVERAGE HR DISTANCE: 422.1 feet
AVERAGE HR EXIT VELOCITY: 103.3 mph

Video: HRD Rd1: Baez connects for 16 home runs in Round 1

Round 1: Schwarber (16) def. Bregman (15)
SCHWARBER (No. 5 seed): Schwarber became the first player to qualify for the bonus 30 seconds, crushing several home runs farther than 440 feet in his regulation timeframe -- including one that went a projected 450 feet. The home runs he launched in his extra time proved to be the difference in his win over Bregman. The Cubs slugger also became the first player in the field to hit a home run harder than 110 mph, launching a 115-mph drive.

TOTAL: 16 HRs
LONGEST HR (EXIT VELO): 450 feet (107 mph)
HARDEST-HIT HR: 115 mph
AVERAGE HR DISTANCE: 419.6 feet

Video: HRD Rd1: Schwarber hits 16 HRs to move on to Round 2

BREGMAN (No. 4 seed): Presented with Schwarber's high total to top, Bregman gave his opponent a run for his money. The Astros star called his timeout with a little over two minutes left and went on a strong run at about the one-minute mark, going deep on three straight swings to move within three of Schwarber. But after hitting his 15th dinger with about 13 seconds to go, Bregman made two straight outs, the last of them a shot off the left-center-field wall that left him a few feet shy of pulling into a tie.

TOTAL: 15 HRs
LONGEST HR (EXIT VELO): 422 feet (103 mph)
HARDEST-HIT HR (DISTANCE): 103 mph (422 feet)
AVERAGE HR DISTANCE: 397.3 feet
AVERAGE HR EXIT VELOCITY: 98.4 mph

Video: HRD Rd1: Bregman drills 15 home runs in Round 1

Round 1: Hoskins (17) def. Aguilar (12)
HOSKINS (No. 8 seed): Hoskins got off to a solid start -- but probably slower than he would have liked -- with five home runs in the first half of his allotted time, before he took his timeout with 2:05 remaining on the clock. And coming out of the break, he went on a tear. Hoskins slugged six homers in the next minute of action, then five more in the final minute to finish with 17. He didn't qualify for the bonus time, but he did crush one homer 463 feet to left field. 

TOTAL: 17 HRs
LONGEST HR (EXIT VELO): 463 feet (105 mph)
HARDEST-HIT HR (DISTANCE): 108 mph (397 feet)
AVERAGE HR DISTANCE: 403.1 feet
AVERAGE HR EXIT VELOCITY: 102.5 mph

Video: HRD Rd1: Hoskins smashes 17 home runs in Round 1

AGUILAR (No. 1 seed): A dozen home runs would be enough to win in some matchups, but Aguilar simply couldn't generate the kind of brisk pace necessary to keep up with Hoskins. The Brewers slugger had seven dingers when he called timeout with 1:34 remaining, but he wasn't able to get on the kind of hot streak he needed, never homering on back-to-back swings the rest of the way.

TOTAL: 12 HRs
LONGEST HR (EXIT VELO): 428 feet (106 mph)
HARDEST-HIT HR (DISTANCE): 106 mph (428 feet)
AVERAGE HR DISTANCE: 406.4 feet
AVERAGE HR EXIT VELOCITY: 101.2 mph

Video: HRD Rd1: Aguilar launches 12 home runs in Round 1

WASHINGTON -- How deep are the lineups for tonight's Midsummer Classic? Aaron Judge and Bryce Harper are batting sixth for their respective leagues.

Managers AJ Hinch and Dave Roberts unveiled their starting lineups for the 89th All-Star Game presented by Mastercard on Monday, though truthfully, they could have picked names out of a hat and been in pretty good shape.

:: Complete All-Star Game coverage ::

The same could have held true for each squad's starting pitcher.

Hinch chose Chris Sale of the Red Sox as his starting pitcher over the Yankees' Luis Severino and the Rays' Blake Snell, who are slated to follow Sale for the AL.

"There are a number of guys that I considered, but honestly, the proof is in the numbers, and he's the most consistent starter in the American League," Hinch said. "He's truly a special pitcher in this league and truly someone who deserves this honor."

Video: Chris Sale discusses being named the AL starter

Roberts countered with Max Scherzer of the hometown Nationals, who got the nod ahead of the Mets' Jacob deGrom. Hinch and Roberts confirmed that deGrom and Severino will pitch second for each league tonight.

"It's his city," Roberts said. "It's his ballpark. He's the right guy to take the baseball."

Video: Scherzer thrilled to be starting 2018 ASG at home

Philadelphia is the most likely destination for Manny Machado, now that the Phillies have indicated a willingness to include pitching prospect Adonis Medina in their latest offer, one source told MLB.com.

Machado could join the Phillies later this week, unless the Brewers or Dodgers respond with a compelling counteroffer. The Orioles have made it clear to other teams that they want to wait until Machado represents the franchise in Tuesday's All-Star Game presented by Mastercard before finalizing a trade agreement.

MLB Network insider Jon Heyman first reported Monday for Fancred Sports that a trade of Machado was "very close."

Medina is Philadelphia's No. 2 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, and No. 73 on the Top 100 list. Thus far, Philadelphia has resisted Baltimore's request to part with No. 1 prospect Sixto Sanchez.

Video: Manny Machado and his nephew, J.J., join MLB Tonight

But the Orioles also are known to covet Medina, and his expected involvement creates an advantage for the Phillies in light of other suitors' caution with top pitching prospects. Brewers right-hander Corbin Burnes and Dodgers right-hander Dustin May -- two other pitchers of interest to Baltimore -- have not been included in formal offers for Machado thus far, sources say.

• Machado to Brewers? He's thought about it

The Phillies have a competitive advantage in the Machado talks, because their organizational strength -- young starting pitching -- is Baltimore's greatest need.

In many other Minor League systems, a pitcher of Medina's caliber likely would be off limits for a rental player -- even one as accomplished as Machado. But seven of the Phillies' starters this season are in their age-26 season or younger: Aaron Nola, Nick Pivetta, Vince Velasquez, Zach Eflin, Ben Lively, Enyel De Los Santos and Drew Anderson. The presence of that group, along with Sanchez, has made the Phillies comfortable with the notion of parting with Medina.

The right-handed Medina is an especially good fit for the Orioles, in light of the right-handed hitters with whom Baltimore must contend in the American League East: Mookie Betts, J.D. Martinez and Xander Bogaerts in Boston; Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Gleyber Torres and Gary Sanchez in New York.

The Yankees have spoken with the Orioles about Machado, but one source confirmed to MLB.com that they are not the team to which Machado is close to being dealt.

• Machado's nephew predicts uncle's landing spot

Per FanGraphs, the Phillies' primary shortstops (J.P. Crawford and Scott Kingery) have combined for zero wins above replacement (WAR) this year, while Machado has been good for 3.8 WAR on his own. Machado could easily represent a two-to-three win upgrade for the rest of the season. That could be decisive in a National League East race which the Phillies lead by a half-game over the Braves.

On Tuesday, the brightest stars from across the Major Leagues will be gathered in one place at Nationals Park for the 89th MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard (7:30 p.m ET, FOX).

The American League and National League All-Star teams are a Who's Who of the best players in baseball. So before they all take the field for the Midsummer Classic, MLB.com is breaking down both rosters with one cool fact for every 2018 All-Star.

Players marked with a * are inactive for the game

:: Complete All-Star Game coverage ::

STARTERS

American League

C: Wilson Ramos, Rays *
Fan-elected starter; replaced by Salvador Perez
Ramos has been behind the plate for three no-hitters, all with the Nationals -- Jordan Zimmermann's in 2014 and Max Scherzer's two in '15. That puts Ramos one shy of the MLB record of four no-hitters caught, shared by Carlos Ruiz and Jason Varitek.

C: Salvador Perez, Royals
Perez will make his fifth straight All-Star Game start behind the plate for the AL. The only Royals player with more consecutive All-Star starts than Salvy is Hall of Famer George Brett, with nine.

1B: Jose Abreu, White Sox
Abreu ranks seventh in the Majors in games played (707) since his career began in 2014. Only 10 players in MLB history hit more home runs over their first four MLB seasons than Abreu, who knocked 124 from 2014-17.

Video: KC@CWS: Abreu's 451-foot HR leaves bat at 110.6 mph

2B: Jose Altuve, Astros
If he reaches the 200-hit mark this year, Altuve would become just the sixth player since 1901 to do that in five consecutive seasons, and the fourth in the past 80 years -- joining Ichiro Suzuki, Wade Boggs and Michael Young. If Altuve holds on to the AL lead in hits, he would join Ichiro as the only players to lead either the AL or NL in that category five times in a row.

3B: Jose Ramirez, Indians
Ramirez is tied for the Major League lead with 29 home runs at the All-Star break -- the third-most for a third baseman at the break behind Matt Williams in 1994 (33) and Mike Schmidt in '79 (31). Ramirez and Francisco Lindor, who has 25 homers, are the first pair of teammates aged 25 or younger with 25-plus homers in the first half of a season in MLB history.

Video: NYY@CLE: Ramirez belts his 29th homer of the season

SS: Manny Machado, Orioles
Machado led MLB with three walk-off home runs in 2017, becoming the third player to smack a walk-off grand slam to cap off a three-homer game when he accomplished that feat against the Angels on Aug. 18. Machado is one of two players, along with the Mets' Wilmer Flores, to have four walk-off homers since the beginning of '15.

OF: Mookie Betts, Red Sox
Betts is already one of just 17 players to have four or more three-homer games in his career. With his fourth (and second of the year) on May 2 against the Royals, Betts broke a tie with Ted Williams for the most in Red Sox history. He's also the first player in MLB history to have four three-homer performances before turning 26.

Video: Must C Crushed: Betts concludes 13-pitch AB with slam

OF: Aaron Judge, Yankees
En route to setting the MLB rookie record with 52 home runs last season, Judge hit the hardest homer ever tracked by Statcast™ on June 10 against the Orioles, a 121.1-mph missile at Yankee Stadium. In fact, Judge owns five of the 10 hardest homers since 2015 -- with teammate Giancarlo Stanton occupying the other five.

OF: Mike Trout, Angels
Trout's 61.0 career Wins Above Replacement, according to Baseball-Reference.com, puts him in rare territory. Trout is on the verge of passing Mickey Mantle (61.4) and Ty Cobb (63.4) for the highest WAR in baseball history by a position player through his age-26 season.

Video: Trout bats .300, clubs 2 doubles last week

DH: J.D. Martinez, Red Sox
Martinez's 29 home runs at the break give him a share of the MLB lead. The key for J.D. is his opposite-field power. Martinez's 13 opposite-field home runs this year are the most in the Majors, and his 53 since the beginning of 2015 are 18 more than second-place Joey Votto.

National League

C: Willson Contreras, Cubs
Contreras crushed a 491-foot home run at Wrigley Field in Game 4 of the 2017 NL Championship Series against the Dodgers, the longest home run in postseason play since Statcast™ began tracking in '15. It's also tied for the eighth-longest home run overall in MLB since '15, regular season or playoffs.

Video: 3 Cubs named to 2018 NL All-Star team

1B: Freddie Freeman, Braves
Freeman enters the All-Star break with a .315/.405/.533 slash line, his third straight season in the .300/.400/.500 club. Freeman and Trout are the only qualified hitters in baseball with a batting average of at least .300, on-base percentage of at least .400 and slugging percentage of at least .500 in each of the past three seasons.

2B: Javier Baez, Cubs
No stranger to daring plays, Baez stole home for the fourth time in his career (regular-season only) on July 4 against the Tigers. That ties him with Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg for the most by any Cubs player on record since 1974. But Baez also stole home in Game 1 of the 2016 NLCS, becoming the first Cub to swipe home plate in postseason play since Jimmy Slagle in Game 4 of the 1907 World Series.

3B: Nolan Arenado, Rockies
Arenado finished the 2017 season with 130 RBIs, marking the third consecutive season in which he drove in at least 130 runs. In doing so, Arenado became only the 11th player to reach that RBI plateau in three straight years -- and the first since Ryan Howard did so in four straight seasons from 2006-09.

SS: Brandon Crawford, Giants
The ever-steady Crawford collected his third consecutive Gold Glove Award at shortstop last fall. If he wins again this year, he'd become the first MLB shortstop to win at least four straight Gold Gloves since Omar Vizquel (nine straight from 1993-2001) and the first NL shortstop since Ozzie Smith (13 straight from 1980-92).

Video: Crawford, Posey earn spots in 2018 All-Star Game

OF: Nick Markakis, Braves
Markakis, 34, became the embodiment of the adage "better late than never" this month, when he was named to his first All-Star Game after playing in 1,928 regular-season games. Markakis' selection ended the longest wait by games played of any Major Leaguer in history prior to his first invitation to the Midsummer Classic.

OF: Matt Kemp, Dodgers
A clear front-runner for the NL's Comeback Player of the Year Award, Kemp is set to make his first All-Star Game start since 2011 -- the year he finished runner-up in the NL MVP Award vote. The last player to go at least seven years between starts in the Midsummer Classic was Aramis Ramirez, who went nine years between starts from 2005-14.

OF: Bryce Harper, Nationals
Washington's hometown superstar became the youngest player to be selected to an All-Star Game when he earned the nod at age 19 in 2012. Three seasons later, Harper became the youngest player to ever unanimously win an MVP award.

Video: WSH@NYM: Harper drives a 2-run homer to right field

PITCHERS

American League

RHP: Trevor Bauer, Indians
Bauer has reached the 100-pitch mark in all 20 of his starts this season. No other pitcher has done that more than 17 times (Scherzer). Those pitches are going to good use. Bauer has eight games with 10 or more strikeouts; only Scherzer and Chris Sale have more.

RHP: Jose Berrios, Twins
Berrios has made an MLB-high six starts this season in which he's completed at least seven innings while allowing no more than three hits. He's also one of just three pitchers with multiple complete games (including one shutout), along with James Paxton and Carlos Carrasco.

Video: KC@MIN: Berrios K's 8, goes 7 innings of 1-run ball

LHP: Aroldis Chapman, Yankees *
Since the start of 2015, Chapman has thrown 1,541 pitches of 100 mph or faster. That's nearly 1,200 more than any other pitcher and represents roughly one-third of the MLB total during that time. He's one of only two pitchers, along with Jordan Hicks, to break the 105-mph mark.

RHP: Gerrit Cole, Astros
Cole has made six starts this season in which he has struck out at least 10 batters. He had six such outings total with the Pirates from 2013-17. Cole's 177 strikeouts are by far his highest career first-half total -- his previous high was 116 in his All-Star '15 season.

Video: DET@HOU: Cole strikes out 8, records 10th win of year

RHP: Edwin Diaz, Mariners
Diaz has piled up an incredible 36 saves, two more than he had all of last season. It's the second-highest save total for a player before the All-Star break, passing John Smoltz (34 in 2003) and behind only Francisco Rodriguez (38 in 2008).

LHP: J.A. Happ, Blue Jays
The Toronto southpaw throws one of the primary fastball types (four-seamer, two-seamer or sinker) nearly three-quarters of the time. His 74.4 percent fastball-usage rate is the third highest this season among 133 pitchers who have thrown at least 1,000 total pitches.

Video: Gibbons on Happ's 1st career All-Star selection

RHP: Joe Jimenez, Tigers
Jimenez was named the Tigers' Minor League Pitcher of the Year in both 2015 and '16 before blossoming with the big league club this season. He won a silver medal in the '17 World Baseball Classic as a member of Team Puerto Rico.

RHP: Craig Kimbrel, Red Sox
Kimbrel's career save percentage of 91.2 percent is the second-best all-time among qualifying relievers, behind only Eric Gagne's 91.7 percent mark. Kimbrel reached the 300-save milestone on May 5 this season, becoming the fastest pitcher to the milestone by career games (494) and save opportunities (330), as well as the youngest by age (29 years, 342 days).

RHP: Corey Kluber, Indians *
When Kluber won the AL Cy Young Award last year, he became the first pitcher to win multiple AL Cy Young Awards in Indians franchise history, and the 19th in Major League history. (Kluber also won the award in 2014.) Before Kluber, the last pitcher to win multiple AL Cy Young Awards was Johan Santana for the Twins in 2004 and '06.

RHP: Charlie Morton, Astros
Morton was the winning pitcher in Game 7 of last year's World Series after pitching the final four innings to close out the Dodgers. It was the longest relief outing to win the deciding game of the Fall Classic since the Yankees' Bud Daley went 6 2/3 to finish off the 1961 World Series.

LHP: Chris Sale, Red Sox
Sale has a Major League-leading 188 strikeouts at the All-Star break, and he led MLB in strikeouts last year, too, with 308. That marked the first 300-strikeout season by an AL pitcher since 1999, when Sale's Red Sox predecessor Pedro Martinez had 313.

RHP: Luis Severino, Yankees
Since the beginning of his breakout 2017 season, Severino has thrown 32 pitches 100 mph or harder. That's by far the most of any starting pitcher in that time span -- Noah Syndergaard is next with 17 pitches in triple digits. Severino accounts for more than a third of the total 100-plus mph pitches thrown by MLB starters since the start of '17.

Video: Four Yankees named to 2018 AL All-Star team

LHP: Blake Snell, Rays
Snell's breakout 2018 season has featured plenty of dominant moments, perhaps none more so than his June 3 start against his hometown team, the Mariners. The southpaw struck out the first seven batters he faced in that outing, tying Joe Cowley (1986) and Carlos Rodon ('16) for the AL record.

RHP: Blake Treinen, Athletics
Treinen leads all qualifying MLB relievers this season with a 0.94 ERA, and he's struck out 61 batters in his 48 innings. He's just the third pitcher since the All-Star Game began in 1933 to have an ERA under 1.00 and more than 60 strikeouts heading into the Midsummer Classic, along with Ernesto Frieri (2012) and Robb Nen ('98).

Video: OAK@SF: Treinen fans the side to preserve the win

RHP: Justin Verlander, Astros *
Since Verlander joined the Astros at the beginning of last September, he has a 2.04 ERA in his 26 starts (not including his dominant postseason, when he had a 2.21 ERA en route to Houston's World Series championship). That ERA is the best in the Majors over that time span, among the 160 pitchers who have made at least 10 starts. Verlander's 215 strikeouts are also fourth most of any pitcher since last Sept. 1.

National League

LHP: Patrick Corbin, D-backs
Corbin has gotten opposing hitters to miss on 33.4 percent of their swings against him this year, which ranks third among the 69 starters who've generated at least 750 total swings, behind only Sale and Scherzer. His slider has been especially good -- he has 212 swinging strikes on that pitch alone, 85 more than the next-closest pitcher, Severino (127).

RHP: Jacob deGrom, Mets
The Major Leagues' ERA leader (1.68) has held opponents to one earned run or fewer in 14 starts this year, the most of any big league pitcher. Those 14 such starts are also the most recorded by any pitcher before the All-Star break in the history of the Mets franchise.

Video: PHI@NYM: deGrom strikes out 7 over 8 shutout innings

LHP: Sean Doolittle, Nationals *
Doolittle has been incredibly stifling over the season's first half, permitting a microscopic 0.54 WHIP. That is the the second-lowest WHIP recorded by any pitcher with at least 30 innings before the All-Star break, behind the 0.50 WHIP logged by Boston's Kimbrel last year.

RHP: Mike Foltynewicz, Braves
Folty's average fastball velocity of 96.5 mph ranks right behind Severino, Syndergaard, Nathan Eovaldi and Shohei Ohtani for the highest among regular starting pitchers. But his secondary stuff has been even better: Opponents have hit just .124 against his breaking and offspeed pitches, which is the lowest batting average allowed among starters who have ended at least 150 at-bats with a secondary pitch.

Video: 4 Braves named to the 2018 All-Star team

RHP: Zack Greinke, D-backs
Greinke does it all. He's coming off his fourth consecutive Gold Glove Award in 2017, becoming the 10th pitcher in history to capture the defensive honor in four straight campaigns. And this season, Greinke has stolen three bases as a runner -- making him the first pitcher with three steals in a season since Tom Browning in 1998.

LHP: Josh Hader, Brewers
Milwaukee's dynamite reliever has struck out more than half of the batters he's faced in 2018: 50.3 percent. Only two pitchers in MLB history with at least 50 innings pitched in a season -- Hader's fellow All-Stars Chapman (52.5 percent in '14) and Kimbrel (50.2 percent in '12) -- have had a strikeout rate over 50 percent.

LHP: Brad Hand, Padres
Opponents have hit just .126 (28-for-222) against Hand's slider since the start of last season, the lowest batting average allowed by any hurler who has ended at least 150 at-bats on that pitch in that span. Over half of those at-bats, 123, have been strikeouts.

Video: Hand earns a spot in the 2018 All-Star Game

RHP: Kenley Jansen, Dodgers
Jansen owns a career WHIP of 0.88, which is the lowest of any pitcher who has thrown at least 500 innings in the Live Ball Era. His career 2.10 ERA is second only to Kimbrel in that nearly century-long span.

RHP: Jeremy Jeffress, Brewers
Jeffress finished his first half with a 1.34 ERA, tied with Hall of Famer Rollie Fingers in 1981 for the lowest first-half ERA by any Brewers pitcher with at least 40 innings pitched at the break.

LHP: Jon Lester, Cubs *
The Cubs' veteran ace has appeared in 25 total postseason games (including 21 starts) and recorded a stellar 2.55 ERA in those high-pressure contests. That ERA is tied for Orlando Hernandez for ninth best among pitchers who have made at least 10 career playoff starts.

RHP: Miles Mikolas, Cardinals *
Mikolas pitched three seasons for the Yomiuri Giants of Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, recording a 2.18 ERA over 62 starts from 2015-17. He has been just as impressive in his return to the U.S. this year, putting together a 2.79 ERA that ranks sixth among qualified NL starters.

RHP: Aaron Nola, Phillies
Nola is blossoming into one of the Senior Circuit's premier aces. He goes into the break having allowed the lowest slugging percentage among qualified starters (.278), as well as an NL-low 0.4 home runs per nine innings. He's also second to deGrom in the NL in ERA (2.30).

Video: PHI@MIA: Nola picks up his 500th career strikeout

RHP: Max Scherzer: Nationals
Scherzer has a chance at a third consecutive NL Cy Young Award, which would make him just the third pitcher to claim the NL award three straight times after Hall of Famers Greg Maddux and Randy Johnson. Having also won the award in the AL with the Tigers, he's already one of just 10 pitchers in Major League history with three total Cy Young Awards.

RHP: Ross Stripling, Dodgers
Stripling has been a revelation for L.A. since moving to the rotation, helping the Dodgers stay in the hunt amid a slew of injuries to the club's rotation. The righty enters his first All-Star Game with a 7.71 strikeout-to-walk ratio that's the best among NL starters.

LHP: Felipe Vazquez, Pirates
Pittsburgh's closer has an average fastball velocity of 97.3 mph this season, ranking third among left-handers behind only Chapman and Jose Alvarado. And Chapman is the only lefty who's thrown more pitches 100-plus mph than Vazquez's 17.

Video: MIL@PIT: Vazquez earns 22nd and 23rd saves in 1 day

RESERVES

American League

C: Yan Gomes, Indians
Gomes has been one of MLB's most consistent arms behind the plate, finishing in the AL's top five in caught-stealing percentage on three occasions (2013, '14 and '17). He is also the first Brazilian-born player to be selected to an All-Star team.

1B: Mitch Moreland, Red Sox
Moreland earned his first All-Star selection at age 32 on the strength of his hitting, but he very nearly wasn't a full-time hitter at all. In 2008, the Rangers' front office asked Moreland to switch to pitching based in part on his mound success at Mississippi State, but Moreland asked for one more season to prove himself as a position player. The rest is history.

2B: Gleyber Torres, Yankees *
Torres wasn't known for his power in the Minors, but it became immediately apparent once he arrived in the Bronx. Torres homered in his four consecutive games from May 21-25, becoming the youngest player in AL history to do so. He has 15 home runs at the break; Mickey Mantle and Joe DiMaggio are the only Yankees who hit more before their 22nd birthday.

2B: Jed Lowrie, Athletics
Lowrie set an A's franchise record with 49 doubles in 2017, also becoming one of seven players in team history to record multiple seasons with at least 40 two-baggers. The key: tons of line drives. No player in baseball hit more than Lowrie last year (161).

Video: OAK@CLE: Lowrie drills solo HR for 100th hit of 2018

3B: Alex Bregman, Astros
Bregman captured the AL Player of the Month Award this past June after hitting .306 and slugging .713 during the month. He also set an Astros franchise record for the month of June by driving in 30 runs.

SS: Francisco Lindor, Indians
Lindor's extraordinary power for a shortstop shone on both May 12 and June 1 of this year -- he homered twice and doubled twice in both of those games. Only three players before Lindor -- Rafael Palmeiro (1993), Jim Edmonds (2003) and Adrian Beltre ('07) -- had recorded two games in a season with both multiple home runs and at least four extra-base hits.

SS: Jean Segura, Mariners
Segura enters the All-Star break with 480 hits since the start of the 2016 season, a total topped only by fellow All-Stars Altuve, Charlie Blackmon and Betts in that span. His .313 batting average since '16 ranks sixth in the Majors.

Video: Dipoto discusses Segura's ASG nod on The Wheelhouse

OF: Michael Brantley, Indians
When Brantley sees a pitch he likes, he rarely misses. He made contact on 94.5 percent of his swings against pitches in the strike zone over the first half, tied for the best of over 200 players who swung at least 300 times at in-zone pitches.

OF: Shin-Soo Choo, Rangers
Choo might not want to take a break from regular-season action considering the hot streak he's on. The Rangers outfielder has reached base in 51 straight games, the longest streak by any player since Kevin Millar's 52-game stretch back in 2007.

Video: TEX@BAL: Choo walks, on-base streak extends to 51

OF: Mitch Haniger, Mariners
Haniger has been as rock solid in the field as he has at the plate. His nine outfield assists in the first half tied Tigers center fielder Leonys Martin for the AL lead, and his 192 putouts lead all MLB right fielders.

OF: George Springer, Astros
Springer started the Astros' 2017 World Series run with a leadoff home run on Opening Day, and he kicked off their '18 title defense with another -- becoming the first player in MLB history to hit a leadoff home run on back-to-back Opening Days.

Video: Six Astros named to 2018 AL All-Star team

OF: Nelson Cruz, Mariners
Cruz has belted 188 homers since the beginning of the 2014 season, 13 more than any other player in baseball in that span (Edwin Encarnacion is second with 175).

National League

C: Yadier Molina, Cardinals
In March, Molina suited up for his 14th consecutive Opening Day behind the plate for St. Louis, the longest active streak at any position with one team in the Majors. A few months later, on June 18, Yadi caught his 1,757th career game with the Cardinals -- passing Gabby Hartnett for the most games caught with a single franchise.

C: Buster Posey, Giants *
Posey's career .307 batting average is tied for sixth all-time (with Joe Mauer) among the group of over 200 players who logged at least 3,000 plate appearances and played catcher as their primary position. In 2012, Posey hit .336 to become the first backstop to win the NL batting title since Hall of Famer Ernie Lombardi in 1942.

C: J.T. Realmuto, Marlins
Realmuto is the Majors' fastest catcher by Statcast™'s sprint speed metric, averaging 28.6 feet per second on max-effort runs. That's not just good for a catcher; it's solidly within the top 20 percent of all Major League players, and well above the MLB average of 27 feet per second.

Video: Realmuto to represent Marlins at 2018 All-Star Game

1B: Jesus Aguilar, Brewers
Aguilar fought to be one of the last men on the Brewers' roster when Spring Training came to a close. Now, Aguilar enters the All-Star break leading the NL in home runs (24), slugging percentage (.621) and OPS (.995).

1B: Paul Goldschmidt, D-backs
"America's First Baseman" has been on an absolute tear after an uncharacteristically slow start which saw his batting average below the Mendoza Line as late as May 22. Since the calendar flipped to June, no Major Leaguer with at least 100 plate appearances tops Goldschmidt's .369 average and 1.166 OPS.

1B: Joey Votto, Reds
Votto reached base 321 times last year, a Reds franchise record and the highest single-season total by any Major Leaguer since Barry Bonds in 2004. Votto's career .428 OBP ranks among the top 10 marks all-time among players with at least 5,000 plate appearances.

2B: Ozzie Albies, Braves
The 5-foot-8, 165-pound Albies enters the break with 52 extra-base hits, which ties Trout's 2013 total for the most extra-base hits before the All-Star Game by any player in his age-21 season or younger.

2B: Scooter Gennett, Reds
Gennett leads all NL second baseman with 43 home runs since the start of the 2017 season, including four in one game on June 6 of last year. He's one of 18 players in Major League history with a four-homer game.

Video: Votto, Gennett, Suarez make 2018 All-Star Game

3B: Eugenio Suarez, Reds
Suarez has 71 RBIs this season, just one behind fellow All-Star Baez for the NL lead. He could become the first Reds player to lead the league in RBIs since Dave Parker back in 1985.

SS: Trevor Story, Rockies
On Opening Day 2016, Story became just the seventh player to hit two home runs in his Major League debut (and the first in a season opener). Story soon set a record with seven homers in his first six MLB games, and went on to tie a rookie record with 10 homers in the month of April.

Video: Story shows off all 5 of his tools on the field

OF: Charlie Blackmon, Rockies
Last season, Blackmon became the first player to lead the Major Leagues in hits (213), runs (137), triples (14) and total bases (387). He also won the NL batting title with a .331 average, and he had a record 103 RBIs from the leadoff spot.

OF: Lorenzo Cain, Brewers
Cain is one of the best defensive outfielders in the game. His +36 Outs Above Average (Statcast™'s range-based metric to grade outfield defense) is fifth best among outfielders since the start of 2016. Only Ender Inciarte, Billy Hamilton, Byron Buxton and Betts have higher marks. Cain's +10 OAA in 2018 alone is tied for fifth best in MLB at the All-Star break.

Video: MIL@PIT: Statcast™ tracks Cain's doubleheader defense

OF: Christian Yelich, Brewers
Yelich had the highest hard-hit rate in the NL in the first half -- 52.3 percent of his batted balls exceeded Statcast™'s 95-mph exit velocity threshold for hard contact. Since Yeli's breakout 2016, his 560 hard-hit balls are third most of any hitter, behind Machado and Betts.

WASHINGTON -- The nerves were unrelenting. The nights, sleepless. The anticipation, endless.

Ever since winning the inaugural All-Star Armed Services Home Run Challenge presented by T-Mobile on Friday, both U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Jacob Hensal and Naval Cryptic Technician Russ Newbern couldn't have expected to be where they were Monday night: in the batter's box at Nationals Park. And the country was watching.

"There's really nothing like it," Newbern said, adding with a laugh: "I know I keep saying that, but there's no words to describe it."

Newbern -- the victor in the original challenge with five homers -- didn't perform to the standard he set for himself Friday, failing to homer in the 60 seconds allotted to each batter in the breaks of T-Mobile Monday's Home Run Derby . Hensal, who won via walk-off homer in a playoff after a first-round tie, hit a homer about 15 seconds into his turn for yet another walk-off win on the big stage.

"I was nervous," Hensal said. "[Newbern] hit a bunch on Friday, so he had me worried the whole time, honestly. But it felt great."

Despite the high stakes of their everyday life in the military, both participants said Monday's derby was one of the most nerve-wracking experiences in their life. It was aided by chatting and getting tips from the Major League All-Stars to quell some of those nerves.

"They're like, 'Just relax, swing smooth and it'll be fine,'" Hensal said. "It helped a lot, actually."

"And we got Freddie Freeman's autograph," said Newbern, who wore a Braves hat during his turn at the plate on Friday.

A member of each branch of the Armed Forces competed in the Home Run Challenge that followed the inagural All-Star Armed Services Classic presented by T-Mobile. Hensal and Newbern -- the winners -- were joined by Chris Maddox of the Marines, Matthew Campbell of the Air Force and Ken Glover of the Coast Guard.

The competition followed the inaugural All-Star Armed Services Classic championship game between the Army and Air Force after all five branches competed in a round-robin tournament in early June. Hensal and his Army squad fell to the Air Force, 9-2.

"There's more to the military than going and serving. You get to do stuff like this," Newbern said of what he hopes people take from the event. "[It will hopefully] open their eyes about the opportunities you can get by being in the military."

"Anything is possible when you have an opportunity like this," Hensal added.

As the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline approaches, we'll keep you up to date with the latest news, buzz, rumors and more.

Deal for Machado reportedly 'very close,' sources say
July 16: Will Tuesday's MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard be the last time Manny Machado appears in an Orioles uniform? It's certainly possible, as former MLB general manager Jim Bowden reported via Twitter on Monday that the shortstop is expected to be traded before the regular season resumes later this week.

Tweet from @JimBowdenGM: Manny Machado will represent the #Orioles in the All Star Game���.but he is expected to be traded before the regular season resumes later in the week according to sources involved in the trade discussions.

MLB Network insider Jon Heyman confirmed Bowden's report Monday night, adding that the Yankees appear to be out of the running for Machado.

Tweet from @JonHeyman: Machado deal is said to be ���very close.��� He will play Tuesday as an Oriole, however https://t.co/bnX3GDm7xQ

A deal reportedly is "very close," but nothing has been agreed upon yet. According to a tweet from Roch Kubatko of MASNSports.com, the Phillies, Dodgers and Brewers all remain involved.

Tweet from @masnRoch: Multiple sources say #orioles don���t have deal done with #phillies for Machado. #dodgers and #brewers also still involved. Told ���very close��� but nothing has been agreed upon yet

With trade talks entering their final stages, it's becoming increasingly likely that Machado will begin the second half with a new team. 

Video: O'Dowd, Nelson discuss the Manny Machado sweepstakes

Britton's market picking up; Cubs among interested clubs
July 16: While the Cubs ended the first half with the National League's best record (55-38) and the fourth-best bullpen ERA (3.10) in the Majors, they are among the eight teams talking to the Orioles about closer Zach Britton, an industry source told Bruce Levine of Chicago radio station 670 The Score.

The Cubs also have Padres closer Brad Hand on their wish list, per Levine, though Hand will cost far more than Britton, who is set to become a free agent at the end of this season. Hand, meanwhile, is signed through 2020 with a $10 million team option for 2021.

There has been rejuvenated interest of late in Britton, who has made 15 appearances for the Orioles this season after returning from offseason surgery to repair a ruptured right Achilles. Though he got off to a rough start, Britton has not given up a run over his past seven outings (seven innings) while showing a dramatic increase in velocity.

The Orioles would prefer to trade Britton and Manny Machado in separate deals, according to MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal for FOX Sports. Rosenthal reports Baltimore feels the return for the pair would be greater if they weren't packaged together -- for example, the Astros have been interested in Britton, but are not in the market for a shortstop/third baseman.

Tweet from @MLBONFOX: "The Orioles would prefer to separate Zach Britton from Manny Machado, believing the overall return would be greater if they were traded individually"- @Ken_Rosenthal pic.twitter.com/fcv9rn1omw

The Phillies have also been linked to Britton, and Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports the Red Sox "are being tied" to the southpaw as well.

Padres getting calls on Ross, Yates, Hand
July 16: Brad Hand isn't the only Padres pitcher to be highly coveted by contending clubs. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports San Diego has been "getting a lot of hits" on starter Tyson Ross and several relievers, including Hand and Kirby Yates. Sherman notes the Yankees are among the teams that have checked in with the Padres.

Ross, who can become a free agent at the end of this season, has posted a 4.32 ERA in 2018, though he had a much more impressive 3.32 mark through the end of June before allowing 15 runs over his first two starts of July.

Hand, 28, is among the best relievers in baseball, as he has posted a 2.66 ERA with a 1.04 WHIP and an 11.8 K/9 rate since the outset of 2016. In exchange for the two-time All-Star, who is signed through 2020 with a $10 million team option for 2021, the Padres are believed to be asking for a package similar to those the Yankees got for Aroldis Chapman and Andrew Miller in two separate deals during 2016.

The Cubs also reportedly have Hand on their wish list, according to Bruce Levine of Chicago radio station 670 The Score.

Yates, meanwhile, has quietly recorded a 1.47 ERA with a 0.90 WHIP and an 11.5 K/9 rate this season. The 31-year-old is controllable through 2020.

Rosenthal: 'Almost no doubt' Dodgers will add reliever
July 16: The Dodgers are expected to be a major player in the relief pitching market before the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, as MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal noted in a Twitter Q&A session for FOX Sports.

The Dodgers are seeking a bullpen arm who can pitch the eighth inning and also spell closer Kenley Jansen from time to time, according to Rosenthal, who said "there's almost no doubt" the club will trade for a reliever.

Tweet from @MLBONFOX: .@kryptonic05 #AskKen pic.twitter.com/y7foYiKfyU

Los Angeles leaned heavily on Brandon Morrow during the 2017 postseason as a setup man for Jansen, but Morrow signed with the Cubs in the offseason.

Though Josh Fields, Tony Cingrani and Pedro Baez have had solid campaigns, all three are on the disabled list with arm injuries, and none is on the level of someone such as Zach Britton, Raisel Iglesias, Jeurys Familia or Kyle Barraclough.

Will Archer be traded?
July 16: The Rays face an interesting decision with Chris Archer, whose name has been floated among trade rumors for years. On one hand, they have a young core that has them above .500 and looks promising going forward, especially if Archer is a part of it. On the other, Tampa Bay could take advantage of a weak market for starters and put Archer in play.

"Given the state of the starting pitching market, the incentive for [the Rays] to move him might never be higher," MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal suggested in a Twitter question-and-answer session on @MLBONFOX.

Tweet from @MLBONFOX: .@jboy819 #AskKen pic.twitter.com/Gm4QrCgP7Y

That said, Archer just came off the DL a week ago for a left abdominal strain that cost him more than a month of action and his performance so far this season has been somewhat inconsistent (4.29 ERA, 1.38 WHIP). In other words, making Archer available now might be undercutting his full value.

As a 29-year-old making $6.25 million this year and under contract for $7.5 million next year with club options for 2020 ($9M) and 2021 ($11M), Archer would be appealing to just about any club looking for rotation help -- not just 2018 contenders. His team-friendly contract also allows the cost-conscious Rays to be patient with their prized right-hander.

Amid trade rumors, deGrom addresses his future
July 16: As Jacob deGrom continues to be at the center of trade speculation, the All-Star right-hander made it clear he's open to staying with the Mets long term.

deGrom's agent Brodie Van Wagenen of CAA Sports initially suggested Monday that the Mets might consider trading their ace sooner than later if they don't plan to offer him a contract extension, according to MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal.

Tweet from @Ken_Rosenthal: More from Van Wagenen: ���If the Mets don���t share same interest, we believe their best course of action is to seriously consider trade opportunities now.The inertia of current situation could complicate Jacob���s relationship with the club and creates an atmosphere of indecision.���

The 30-year-old deGrom, who leads MLB with a 1.68 ERA and is under club control through 2020, responded to questions at All-Star media day in Washington, D.C., by stating: "We've said multiple times that we're open to talking [about an] extension. It's kind of up to [the Mets] what they want to do." More >

Astros might stand pat at Trade Deadline
July 16: The Astros have reportedly discussed dealing for a catcher and a reliever, but there's a chance they won't make any major moves before the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, according to MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal in a Twitter Q&A session for FOX Sports.

Tweet from @MLBONFOX: .@nnickk22 #AskKen pic.twitter.com/4gWhpCLIMM

With backstop Brian McCann (right knee surgery) expected to return by September and Max Stassi providing solid production (.792 OPS), Rosenthal notes the Astros are more likely to get a reliever than a catcher.

Per Rosenthal, Houston is seeking someone who can be a "true difference-maker" in the bullpen, such as Zach Britton, Brad Hand or Raisel Iglesias.

But with the ability to shift either Lance McCullers Jr. or Charlie Morton to the 'pen during the postseason, as they did last year when they won the World Series, the Astros may not feel a sense of urgency to add a big-name reliever.

Phillies could pursue Happ
July 16: While they remain among the front-runners for Manny Machado, the Phillies have "definite interest" in veteran Blue Jays left-hander J.A. Happ, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia. Though Happ, 35, has struggled of late (6.84 ERA over his last five starts), he was nevertheless selected to the AL All-Star team following a strong start to the season (3.48 ERA through June 13).

Philadelphia hasn't had a left-handed starting pitcher since 2016, and a lefty could provide a boost in a pennant race, with the Phillies and Braves neck-and-neck atop the NL East standings.

Braves not expected to pursue big-name rentals
July 16: The Braves have been one of the biggest surprises of the 2018 season, unexpectedly putting the team in the "buyer" category as executive vice president and general manager Alex Anthopoulos prepares for his first Trade Deadline at the helm. But judging by Anthopoulos' comments in a two-part Q&A with Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Braves aren't planning to mortgage their bright future for a short-term boost.

"We would prefer not to go after rentals unless the acquisition cost just makes so much sense for us," Anthopoulos said. "There's a lot of pain that has gone into putting together this young talent. We're not ready to throw that all away just because of one season."

• MLB Pipeline: Braves Top 30 prospects

Earlier this month, the Braves were mentioned among the contenders for Orioles shortstop Manny Machado, but they appear to have fallen out of the race as the Dodgers, Phillies and Brewers are reportedly leading. Atlanta has also been connected to Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas. Both players can become free agents after this season.

One area Anthopoulos could look to address is the bullpen, especially with closer Arodys Vizcaino going back on the DL on Saturday with right shoulder inflammation. The Braves entered the All-Star break with the 19th-best bullpen ERA in the Majors (4.24), and many of their key relievers are inexperienced. However, Atlanta could have limited options if free-agents-to-be such as the Orioles' Zach Britton and the Mets' Jeurys Familia are off the table. More >

Angels unlikely to deal Skaggs or Heaney
July 16: With a 49-48 record at the end of the first half, the Angels remain on the fringe of postseason contention, but they are nine games out of an AL Wild Card spot. That has sparked speculation that the club might consider selling by the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, with southpaw starters Tyler Skaggs and Andrew Heaney mentioned as potential pieces.

That no longer appears to be the case, however, as MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal reports via Twitter.

Tweet from @Ken_Rosenthal: #Angels have no interest in trading Heaney or Skaggs, per source - team needs them to compete in ���19. As I said Saturday, LAA drawing interest in controllable relievers - Parker, Alvarez, Bedrosian, Anderson. Open on any of them, but will want good returns to give up control.

With superstar Mike Trout smack in the middle of his prime and under contract through 2020, the Angels want to win in this window while they can. Both Skaggs (through '20) and Heaney (through '21) are under club control beyond this season, meaning they can be a part of that direction.

It had previously been reported by MLB.com's Jon Paul Morosi that the Yankees have recently been scouting Angels games with eyes on Skaggs and Heaney, in particular.

Nationals could 'revisit' Realmuto trade discussions
July 15: The Nationals were believed to have moved on from Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto due to Miami's lofty asking price, but league sources say that Washington could "revisit" its pursuit of the backstop, according to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman in an article for Fancred Sports.

Some think the Nats might consider including top prospect Victor Robles (No. 5 overall, per MLB Pipeline) in a package for Realmuto, who will start at catcher for the National League in Tuesday's All-Star Game presented by Mastercard.

Per Heyman, the Marlins have long sought Robles and/or infielder Carter Kieboom (Washington's No. 2 prospect, No. 62 overall) from the Nationals, who discussed Realmuto with Miami in the offseason and reached out again several weeks ago but have been unwilling to include the aforementioned prospects to this point.

The Nationals have also been connected to Rays catcher Wilson Ramos, who played in Washington from 2010-16, but Ramos suffered a left hamstring injury Saturday and will miss the All-Star Game.

• Listen: Mark Feinsand joins the Morning Lineup Podcast to discuss latest rumors

Are Pirates still on track to sell at Trade Deadline?
July 16: The Pirates were seemingly en route to be Trade Deadline sellers just over a week ago, but the club has ripped off an 8-1 stretch -- including a five-game sweep over the Brewers -- to potentially change its plans.

As Tim Benz of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review notes, general manager Neal Huntington said before this past week that a 4-4 record in the next eight games wouldn't be enough to convince him to keep the team together beyond the Trade Deadline. But Pittsburgh's red-hot run has put pressure on Huntington to hold off on a major teardown.

True, the Bucs are still only 48-49, putting them in fourth place in the National League Central, and their financial resources remain limited, so it's unlikely they'll significantly add to the roster between now and July 31.

But if Pittsburgh continues to play well coming out of the All-Star break, the onus will be on Huntington to keep veterans such as Jordy Mercer, Corey Dickerson, Ivan Nova, David Freese and Josh Harrison past July 31. The Pirates are also without one of their most valuable trade chips, as catcher Francisco Cervelli returned to the 7-day disabled list Saturday with recurring concussion symptoms.

Cardinals could sell if struggles continue after All-Star break
July 15: The Cardinals picked up a win in their final game before the All-Star break after dismissing manager Mike Matheny on Saturday, but if their recent struggles continue to begin the second half, the expectation is that St. Louis will "seriously consider selling," according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post.

And if that happens, the Cardinals could shake up the starting pitcher market in a big way by making right-hander Carlos Martinez available.

As Sherman notes, St. Louis' strength is young arms, so the club could use Martinez to address other problems on the roster. Per Sherman, outside executives believe the Cardinals can get peak value for Martinez in a market lacking an ace. The 26-year-old is in the second year of a five-year, $51 million contract with team options for 2022 ($17 million) and 2023 ($18 million).

The Cardinals will enter the All-Star break with a 48-46 record, 7 1/2 games behind the first-place Cubs in the National League Central (five games behind the second-placed Brewers) and four games out in the NL Wild Card race. They'll open the second half with eight games on the road, including five at Wrigley Field.

Red Sox, Braves interested in Moose
July 15: The trade market for impending free agent Mike Moustakas is developing, with the Red Sox and Braves among the teams interested in acquiring him before the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick via Twitter.

Tweet from @jcrasnick: The #RedSox and #Braves are both interested in Mike Moustakas as a trade deadline acquisition, sources say. The #Yankees have already been mentioned as a potential landing spot. There's enough of a market for Moose that it's more likely than not the Royals deal him this month.

However, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand notes in a tweet that the Royals may need to wait to trade Moustakas until after Orioles shortstop Manny Machado is dealt.

Tweet from @Feinsand: According to a source, the Royals are trying to find a match for a Mike Moustakas deal, but it appears KC will have to wait until Manny Machado gets dealt first. Manny could be the domino that starts a number of things in motion.

Kansas City could see the list of Moustakas suitors grow once Machado is moved, as some of the clubs that are pursuing the All-Star shortstop may turn their attention to the Royals third baseman if they miss out on Machado.

It's unclear what Boston's interest in Moustakas means for Rafael Devers, who is on the disabled list with left shoulder inflammation. Devers, 21, has recorded an underwhelming .715 OPS this season compared to Moustakas' .772 mark.

The Braves have received better-than-expected production from Johan Camargo at the hot corner, though the 24-year-old has posted a .385 OPS with 10 strikeouts in his past nine games.

The Yankees have also been linked to Moustakas, though they were reportedly interested in him to play first base rather than third. Greg Bird has solidified first base for New York lately by producing five homers, 15 RBIs and a .922 OPS over his past 14 games.

Video: Slugger Moustakas delivering at the plate, in field

Could Reds move Gennett?
July 15: Scooter Gennett has made it known that he wants to remain with the Reds -- and based on his conversations with the front office, shared in an MLB.com exclusive, he expects to remain with the club past the Deadline -- but the two sides haven't spoken much about a contract extension, according to MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal for FOX Sports.

Gennett -- a first-time All-Star this season -- has emerged as a surprising force in Cincinnati's lineup after being claimed off waivers from the Brewers in March 2017, batting .309/.356/.529 with 43 homers and 159 RBIs in 232 games in a Reds uniform.

Gennett is in the midst of a career year, and the Reds could look to sell high on the 28-year-old, who is under team control for one more season. Entering Sunday, the left-handed slugger led the National League at his position in batting average and OPS while ranking second in RBIs and fourth in runs and homers.

Cincinnati has infielder Nick Senzel -- the No. 4 prospect in baseball per MLB Pipeline -- waiting in the wings, giving the team some incentive to move Gennett, especially if it meant upgrading a pitching staff that currently ranks 13th in the NL with a 4.67 ERA. However, Senzel would be unable to provide immediate help, considering he underwent season-ending surgery in late June to repair a torn tendon in his right index finger.

Video: Scooter Gennett continues to amaze in 2018

Olney: NL teams at 'forefront' of Familia trade talks
July 15: With all the talk surrounding Mets starters Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard and Zack Wheeler, closer Jeurys Familia has flown under the radar. But Familia remains one of the best relievers available, and ESPN's Buster Olney reports via Twitter that a number of National League teams "appear to be at the forefront" of trade discussions for the impending free agent.

Olney mentions the Phillies and Giants as two of the clubs that are interested, though he notes Philadelphia may wait until its talks with the Orioles regarding Manny Machado and Zach Britton are resolved before honing in on Familia. The Braves, Cubs and Dodgers are also among the NL contenders that could use help in the bullpen. As for clubs in the AL, Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports the Red Soxhave inquired about Familia. 

Tweet from @Buster_ESPN: NL teams appear to be at the forefront of the talks about the Mets' Jeurys Familia, who is among the best available relievers. Phillies interested (although they may wait until Britton/Machado talks resolved), Giants, etc.

Familia is peaking at the right time, tossing seven straight scoreless appearances with one hit allowed to open July after posting a 6.94 ERA with a 2.31 WHIP from May 23 through the end of June.

Twins open to trading Odorizzi, Gibson
July 15: The Twins' rotation could look strikingly different after the July 31 non-waiver Trade Deadline, as the club is reportedly willing to trade a number of its veteran starters.

According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Minnesota is said to be open to dealing Kyle Gibson and Jake Odorizzi, who are both controllable through 2019.

Gibson, 30, is having a career year, as his 3.42 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 8.9 K/9 rate would all be personal bests. Odorizzi, 28, owns an unimpressive 4.54 ERA and a 1.45 WHIP, but he's striking out more than a batter per inning (9.4 K/9) and has been a solid mid-rotation option over the past five seasons (3.91 ERA, 1.25 WHIP).

Lance Lynn is another obvious trade candidate, as he can become a free agent at the end of this season. After struggling in his first eight starts (7.47 ERA), Lynn has posted a 3.67 ERA over his past 10 outings.

And though Ervin Santana has yet to pitch in the Majors in 2018 after undergoing finger surgery in February, he's currently on a rehab assignment and was an All-Star last year. With a $14 million team option and a $1 million buyout for '19, Santana could be a reasonable trade target for a rotation-needy club if he proves to be healthy before July 31.

Will Mariners trade for rotation help?
July 15: Though the Mariners haven't made the postseason since 2001, rank 15th in the Majors in rotation ERA (4.09) and currently have both James Paxton and Felix Hernandez on the disabled list, Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times writes that the Mariners' rotation isn't "a lock to be upgraded at the Trade Deadline."

Per Divish, Erasmo Ramirez's impending return from a strained teres major muscle in his right shoulder makes it unlikely Seattle will trade for a "replacement-level starting pitcher," as Ramirez can fill that role.

General manager Jerry Dipoto may look to swing a deal if it considerably improves the rotation, but as Divish points out, Seattle might not have the prospects to acquire a front-of-the-rotation starter such as the Rays' Chris Archer.

The Mariners have been linked to the Rangers' Cole Hamels, but according to Divish, sources say Seattle's interest in the left-hander was "greatly overplayed."

Divish also notes that some people in the Mariners ownership group and upper-level management aren't in favor of trading for rental players, which could potentially rule out free-agent-to-be J.A. Happ, another pitcher who has been connected to Seattle.

D-backs seeking starting pitcher
July 15: The D-backs are in the market for a starting pitcher, according to reporter Robert Murray, recently of FanRag sports. Arizona's starting rotation, which entered Sunday ranked ninth in the National League with a 4.09 ERA, currently consists of Zack Greinke, Robbie Ray, Patrick Corbin and Zack Godley. The No. 5 slot is open for now, with Clay Buchholz (strained left oblique) and Shelby Miller (right elbow inflammation) on the disabled list.

Greinke and Corbin have provided the D-backs with an excellent one-two punch -- entering Sunday with a combined 3.14 ERA in 39 starts -- but both Godley (4.61 ERA) and Ray (5.03 ERA) have struggled in 2018 after strong '17 campaigns.

There are several viable starters likely to be available leading up to the Deadline, including the Rangers' Cole Hamels and the Blue Jays' J.A. Happ, or Arizona could choose to make a bigger splash by acquiring an ace like the Mets' Jacob deGrom or Noah Syndergaard.