Arlington, Texas-Texas Rangers outfielder-designated hitter Shin-Soo Choo has been selected as a reserve for the American League for the 2018 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, which will take place on Tuesday, July 17 at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C..
The complete American and National League teams were announced today by Major League Baseball.
Choo, who is a Major League Baseball A.L. selection, was named to the All-Star Team for the first time in a Major League career that began in 2005. He becomes just the third native of South Korea to ever be selected as an All-Star, joining the Los Angeles Dodgers' Chan Ho Park in 2001 and Arizona's Byung-Hyun Kim in 2002. Choo, who celebrates his 36^th birthday on July 13, will be the second oldest first-time All-Star in Rangers' history. Pitcher Charlie Hough was 38 when he was selected for his lone All-Star Game in 1986.
Choo is batting .293 with 17 homers and 42 RBI in 86 games in 2018. He ranks among the A.L. leaders in walks (3^rd, 56), on-base percentage (4^th, .399), OPS (8^th, .903), and hits (T10th, 98). On Sunday at Detroit, he reached base via hit, walk, or HBP for the 47^th consecutive game, the longest single season streak in Rangers' history.
This will make the second consecutive year and the third time in the last four seasons that the Rangers have had just one All-Star selection on the A.L. squad.