Rising All-Stars! Elite players Miami-bound

23 first-time selections dot rosters revealed on Sunday

July 2nd, 2017

Baseball's ultimate midsummer gathering of star power officially got its invitations in order Sunday. Now there's an unforgettable beach party in Miami set for Tuesday, July 11.
The voting results for the 88th All-Star Game presented by Mastercard are in, and the rosters for the American and National Leagues at Marlins Park are packed with a brilliant collection of veteran luminaries, late bloomers who have never stopped persevering and intriguing young upstarts who are quickly and furiously carving their names in the history books.
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Perhaps fittingly, the Houston Astros, who have the best record in the Majors at 56-27, lead the way with five players selected along with the Indians, Yankees and Nationals. The Rockies have four All-Stars, as do the D-backs.
The rosters aren't complete yet, as balloting is underway through 4 p.m. ET on Thursday in the 2017 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote.
Know your All-Stars: 2017 Interactive Roster

The American League candidates are shortstop of the Rangers, shortstop of the Red Sox, shortstop Didi Gregorius of the Yankees, first baseman of the Rays and third baseman Mike Moustakas of the Royals.
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The National League choices consist of first baseman of the Marlins, third baseman of the Cubs, third baseman of the Nationals, first baseman of the Rockies and third baseman of the Dodgers.

Fans can cast ballots on MLB.com, club sites and mobile devices. The winners, as chosen exclusively by online fan voting totals, will be announced during MLB Tonight, live on MLB Network and MLB.com at 6 p.m. ET Thursday.
Here are the rosters, with starting positions based on fan voting and pitchers and reserves as picked by Player Ballots and MLB selections:
FIRST BASE
AL: , Blue Jays
Smoak has blossomed into a serious threat at the plate at the age of 30 thanks to improved contact skills and a launch angle that's led to higher batting average and slugging. He finished up Sunday with a .964 OPS, a .303 batting average, 22 home runs and 52 RBIs.

NL: , Nationals
Health and a new, more fly-ball-friendly swing has added up to equal one of the best all-around first halves in baseball for Zimmerman: a .996 OPS, .335 batting average, 19 homers and 62 RBIs.
"It's just been nice to be healthy again," Zimmerman said. "To have a healthy season and be able to go out there every day and contribute, help this team win, it's been a fun first half for me."
SECOND BASE
AL: , Astros
Houston's catalyst, who's having a typically brilliant year (.326 average, .917 OPS, 11 homers, 16 stolen bases), has now made his fourth consecutive All-Star Game and the fifth overall in his career.

NL: , Nationals
Murphy changed his swing path and went from a good player to a perennial All-Star last year, and his mid-career statistical eruption continues in 2017. Murphy is batting .334 with 14 homers and 55 RBIs for the first-place Nationals.
THIRD BASE
AL: , Indians
Ramirez broke out offensively during Cleveland's World Series season of 2016, and he has upped that production a notch in this year's first half, hitting for more power. Ramirez homered twice Sunday and has 15 this year to go along with a .325 average, 26 doubles and 42 RBIs.
NL: , Rockies
Arenado is going for his fifth consecutive NL Gold Glove at the hot corner and is once again on pace to rank among the NL leaders in homers, doubles and RBIs at his position. He's hitting .298 with 15 homers and 62 RBIs, with an OPS of .896.

SHORTSTOP
AL: , Astros
Correa is off to the best offensive start in a season in his career, his team has the best record in baseball, and the shortstop won't turn 23 until Sept. 22. Correa is batting .319 with 17 homers and 58 RBIs while compiling an OPS of .948. 
NL: Zack Cozart, Reds
It might be unlikely for a player to have the breakout season of his career at the age of 31, but that's exactly what's happened for Cozart, who is on pace to shatter all his previous offensive single-season standards. Cozart is hitting .322 with nine homers, 33 RBIs and a .958 OPS.
"I am pretty surprised that I'm starting," Cozart said. "That's just as good as it gets. … It means a lot. I know Cincinnati was voting hard and I had to have some help outside of Cincy, and that happened."

OUTFIELD
AL: , Yankees
The rookie's monster first half, in which he's atop the AL in most major power-hitting categories, has been one of the biggest stories of MLB in 2017 and fittingly made him the leading vote-getter in the AL (4,488,702) for this Midsummer Classic. Judge leads MLB with 27 homers, a .448 on-base percentage, a .635 slugging percentage and an OPS of 1.135.

"It's incredible," Judge said. "I get a chance to play in front of the best fans every night at Yankee Stadium. Having their support through these first couple of months has been incredible. They've really motivated our team and they've helped this team a lot. They're always supporting us, so I've got to thank them."
AL: , Astros
Springer's contact numbers have gone up, his power numbers have followed -- 24 homers, 52 RBIs, .941 OPS -- and he's on pace to be among the handful of players up for MVP consideration when the year comes to a close.

AL: , Angels
Trout has been out since May 28 because of thumb surgery, but his early-season numbers (.337 average, 16 homers, 36 RBIs, 10 stolen bases) and sterling reputation got him more than enough votes to qualify for the AL's All-Star outfield.

NL: Charlie Blackmon, Rockies
Blackmon's ascent to becoming one of the game's elite all-around players is complete with his second All-Star selection in the past four years and his first start. He's batting .313 with 17 homers, 58 RBIs and a .938 OPS.
NL: , Nationals
Harper has been healthy this year, which means it didn't take long for him to reclaim his status as a yearly contender for MVP honors -- and get more All-Star votes (4,630,306) than anyone in baseball. Harper homered twice on Sunday to give him 20 for the year, and he's added 62 RBIs, a .318 average and 1.025 OPS.

NL: , Marlins
Ozuna's eye-opening power production in the first half of the season is evidence that the now-two-time consecutive All-Star is emerging into the star many thought he would be all along. Ozuna is hitting .316 with 22 homers, 59 RBIs and an OPS of .949.
CATCHER
AL: , Royals
Perez is on pace to enjoy the best offensive season of his career, and that's saying a lot for a perennial Gold Glover and now five-time All-Star backstop, who is hitting .290 with 16 homers and 51 RBIs.
NL: , Giants
Posey's now got five All-Star Games under his already well-decorated belt, and it's typically deserved after yet another remarkably consistent first half of the season at and behind the plate. Posey is hitting .339 with 10 homers and an OPS of .937.

DESIGNATED HITTER
AL: Corey Dickerson, Rays
This first-time All-Star can put just about any pitch in play with authority, and that's exactly what Dickerson has done in a season that's proven he's a power hitter that can also get on base. Dickerson is hitting .321 with 17 homers and a .925 OPS.
AL PITCHERS
, RHP, Yankees
His upper-90s gas and power slider have been huge setting up games for the contending Yankees. Betances, a Player Ballot selection, has 48 strikeouts in 26 innings and a .152 opposing batting average.
, RHP, Rangers
Darvish has stepped into an ace role for Texas and delivered with more consistency in early 2017. Darvish, who was selected to this team by MLB, ranks among the AL leaders in strikeouts (third with 115), opponents' average (third with .205), innings pitched (fifth with 107) and ERA (fifth at 3.11).

, RHP, Tigers
The reigning AL Rookie of the Year Award winner has avoided a sophomore slump despite his team's early struggles. Fulmer, another All-Star selection by MLB, is 7-6 with a 3.19 ERA and a 1.13 WHIP in 101 2/3 innings this season.
, LHP, Astros
Despite injuries, the former AL Cy Young Award winner's brilliance has earned him a second All-Star nod, this time thanks to the Player Ballot. Keuchel is 9-0 with a 1.67 ERA and .183 opponents' batting average.
, RHP, Red Sox
Kimbrel has been as dominant as ever as Boston's closer, leading AL relievers in ERA (1.01), WHIP (0.48) and saves (23). He earned the sixth All-Star nod of his distinguished career via the Player Ballot.

, RHP, Indians
Kluber, who has made his second consecutive All-Star team, has been one of the best pitchers in the game since returning from a back injury. Kluber is 7-2 with a 3.02 ERA overall, but since coming back from the DL, he's 4-0 with a 1.26 ERA in six starts. He was selected to the All-Star team by MLB.
, RHP, Astros
McCullers' power stuff has baffled hitters all year and buoyed a first-place rotation. McCullers has gone 7-1 with a 2.69 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 15 first-half starts, which led to him being one of MLB's designated selections to the AL roster.
, LHP, Indians
Miller has kept his October form through the first three months of the season to notch his second All-Star Game honor. Miller has pitched to a 1.49 ERA in 36 outings, striking out 65 batters in 42 1/3 innings to notch this roster spot via the Player Ballot.

Chris Sale, LHP, Red Sox
This is Sale's sixth straight All-Star berth amid plenty of early AL Cy Young Award talk in his first year in Boston. Sale, who is looking to make his second consecutive All-Star Game start, leads the Majors in strikeouts (166) and innings pitched (120 2/3) and is 10-1 since May 1 while compiling a season ERA of 2.61. He was selected via the Player Ballot, where he received the most votes (395) of any AL pitcher.

, RHP, Twins
Santana's consistency in 2017 has given the Twins a steady rotation presence, and he's made his first All-Star team since 2008 via the Player Ballot after going 10-5 with a 3.07 ERA and 1.09 WHIP in 111 1/3 innings.
, RHP, Yankees
The young right-hander has put it all together for the Yankees, delivering on his tremendous potential to make his All-Star debut by virtue of his Player Ballot selection. Severino is 5-4 with a 3.42 ERA and has struck out 114 batters in 99 2/3 innings.
, LHP, Royals
The southpaw first-time All-Star has been a throwback, soft-tossing success story in a league full of high velocity. Vargas is 12-3 with a 2.22 ERA, leading the AL in both victories and ERA, while checking in at eighth in WHIP (1.12) to earn his spot via the Player Ballot.
AL RESERVES
1B: , A's
Alonso, a Player Ballot selection, has ridden the launch-angle train into a career first half and a first All-Star Game at the age of 30. Alonso has 17 homers, 38 RBIs and a .933 OPS.

2B: , Yankees
Castro rebounded with New York in 2016 and has improved further this year, with a career-high pace for OPS and continued power surge. Castro earned his spot via the Player Ballot by hitting .313 with 12 homers, 45 RBIs and an OPS of .835.
2B, , Orioles
The power was always there, but now the whole offensive game is developing, and Schoop, a MLB selection, is on pace to put up career-bests in on-base percentage and slugging. Schoop is hitting .293 with 16 homers and 51 RBIs.
SS: , Indians
Cleveland's dynamic young shortstop, selected to his second All-Star Game via the Player Ballot, is supplying a lot more power for the Indians this year, with his home run total in the first half of the year (14) almost equaling his single-season career high.
3B: , Twins
Sano ranks second in the Major Leagues to Judge in average exit velocity, which is a good reason for his power numbers being on pace to become career highs. Sano has 20 homers and 58 RBIs to go along with an OPS of .919, a good reason why he garnered 551 votes in the Player Ballot, the third-most such votes behind starters Judge and Altuve.
OF: , Red Sox
Betts' all-around game got him the fourth-most votes of AL outfielders and a Player Ballot All-Star nod as he prepares for the second of what should be many Midsummer Classics in his career. Betts homered twice Sunday and drove in eight runs and now has 15 homers and 51 RBIs this season plus 15 stolen bases and an .874 OPS.
OF: , Indians
Brantley has come back from an injury-plagued 2016 to reclaim his spot as one of the game's elite outfielders and qualify for his second All-Star Game, this time via the Player Ballot. Brantley is hitting .303 and has eight stolen bases this year.
OF: , White Sox
Garcia just turned 26 years old, and he has been a revelation for Chicago early this season as he readies for his first All-Star Game. Garcia, who qualified via the Player Ballot, is hitting .318 with 11 home runs, 51 RBIs, and an .875 OPS.

C: , Yankees
Sanchez lost time early in the year because of an injury, but he has been hitting like crazy since he came back (.289, 13 homers, 40 RBIs, .904 OPS), proving his astounding 2016 wasn't a fluke and garnering this spot via Player Ballot.
DH: , Mariners
Even at 37, Cruz's upper-echelon exit velocity is a good reason why he's now made five All-Star teams. Cruz is batting .287 with 14 homers, 59 RBIs and a .872 OPS and was a Player Ballot selection.
NL PITCHERS
, RHP, Cubs
Davis was a top offseason acquisition for the Cubs, and he has continued his nastiness in the closer's role in the NL. Davis, who has been named to his third consecutive All-Star team, this time via Player Ballot, is 16-for-16 in save chances and has a 1.93 ERA and 0.96 WHIP.
Zack Greinke, RHP, D-backs
Greinke, a Player Ballot selection, is on pace to have his best strikeouts-to-innings-pitched ratio since 2014, a big reason the D-backs are in contention. He has gone 10-4 with a 3.05 ERA with 124 strikeouts, and this will be his fourth All-Star appearance and first as a D-back.

Brad Hand, LHP, Padres
A first-time All-Star, Hand quietly had a monster year for the Padres in 2016, and he has only gotten better in the first half of this season. Hand, who was selected to the team by MLB, has a 2.47 ERA, a WHIP of 0.96, and 53 strikeouts in 43 2/3 innings.
Greg Holland, RHP, Rockies
Holland came off Tommy John surgery and moved to Coors Field and made both tasks look easy in a huge first half, saving 26 games in 27 chances, putting up a 1.48 ERA and striking out 40 batters in 30 1/3 innings to notch a Player Ballot selection.
, RHP, Dodgers
The stuff is off the charts and the numbers (0.79 ERA, 53 strikeouts and one walk in 34 innings, 18-for-18 in saves) are off the charts for the Dodgers' closer, who has made his second All-Star team, this time via Player Ballot.

, LHP, Dodgers
The consensus choice for best pitcher on the planet continues his unreal career and has now made seven All-Star teams. Kershaw is 12-2 with a 2.32 ERA and 135 strikeouts in 116 1/3 innings, which got him 349 Players Ballot votes, the most by a NL pitcher.

, RHP, Brewers
Knebel's absurd ERA (1.13) and strikeout numbers (68 in 39 2/3 innings) have vaulted him into the closer role in Milwaukee and onto his first NL All-Star team via MLB selection.

, RHP, Cardinals
Martinez has evolved into an ace for the Cardinals and has been rewarded with his second career All-Star nod, this time via the Player Ballot. Martinez has pitched to a 2.88 ERA this year, with 121 strikeouts in 106 1/3 innings.
Pat Neshek, RHP, Phillies
There's still a spot for unconventional relievers on the All-Star team, as the nasty sidearmer Neshek has now proven for the second time in his career. Neshek, who was selected to the team by MLB, has a 1.39 ERA and 0.87 WHIP in 35 games.
Robbie Ray, LHP, D-backs
Ray is inducing less contact and striking out more batters, a recipe that has paid off in his first All-Star Game honor. Ray, a Player Ballot selection, is 8-4 with a 3.06 ERA with 128 strikeouts in 100 innings.
Max Scherzer, RHP, Nationals
He brings no-hitter stuff to the mound seemingly every start, and the two-time Cy Young Award winner is off to the best start of his career. Scherzer, a Player Balllot selection who tallied 341 votes by his peers, struck out 12 more batters in seven shutout frames Sunday and is now 10-5 with a 1.94 ERA and 163 strikeouts in 120 2/3 innings.
, RHP, Nationals
Strasburg has been healthy enough to make every start this season, a huge boon for Washington and for the right-hander, now a three-time All-Star via MLB selection. Strasburg is 9-2 with a 3.51 ERA and 122 strikeouts in 102 2/3 innings.
NL RESERVES
1B: , D-backs
Very quietly, Goldschmidt is on pace to establish lifetime-best single-season numbers in almost every key offensive category. Goldschmidt, a Player Ballot selection, is batting .316 with 19 home runs, 66 RBIs and an OPS of 1.025.
1B: Joey Votto, Reds
Votto, an All-Star for the first time since 2013, this time via MLB selection, is taking his walks but also hitting his homers at a career-best pace for a single season. Votto is hitting .317 with 23 homers, 59 RBIs and an OPS of 1.050.

2B: Josh Harrison, Pirates
Pittsburgh's versatile wonder keeps contributing and has made his second All-Star team, this time from MLB selection. Harrison is hitting .288 with nine homers and an OPS of .815.
2B: DJ LeMahieu, Rockies
Last year's NL batting champion and the 2014 NL Gold Glove Award winner continues to swing it and pick it for Colorado. LeMahieu, who's batting .303 with 38 RBIs, makes the All-Star team via the Player Ballot.
SS: , Dodgers
The 2016 NL Rookie of the Year Award winner just keeps producing at an All-Star level for the red-hot Dodgers. He earned his All-Star berth by getting 416 Player Ballot votes, the most of any non-starter in the NL. Seager, 23, is batting .305 with 13 homers and 42 RBIs and a .923 OPS.
3B: , D-backs
Last year's numbers were no fluke, and Lamb has gotten off to an even better start this season to earn his first All-Star nod, which came via the Player Ballot. Lamb's 65 RBIs rank second in MLB and he also has 18 homers and a .916 OPS.
OF: , Dodgers
Bellinger's incredible power display at the age of 21 has been one of the big stories of the NL so far in 2017. Bellinger, who made the team via the Player Ballot, has 24 homers in 242 at-bats and a .956 OPS.

OF: , Mets
Conforto has come into his own as an everyday player this year, and the all-around numbers have earned him his first All-Star selection by route of the Player Ballot. Conforto is batting .285 with 14 homers, 41 RBIs and 47 runs scored.
OF: , Braves
Inciarte hits for average, he steals bases, he plays great defense and now he's an All-Star for the first time. Inciarte, a selection by MLB, is hitting .307 with 32 RBIs and 11 stolen bases.

OF: , Marlins
Stanton's still one of the elite sluggers in baseball, and he'll get to display that power in front of his home crowd at the Midsummer Classic, the fourth such nod of his career. Stanton has 21 homers and 50 RBIs plus an OPS of .882, which got him into the game on the Player Ballot.
C: , Cardinals
The venerable Gold Glove backstop for St. Louis is set for his eighth All-Star Game appearance, this time via the Player Ballot. Molina has nine homers and 35 RBIs in a bounceback season at the plate.
Fans can cast ballots for the 2017 Esurance MLB All-Star Game Final Vote on MLB.com, club sites and their mobile devices until 4 p.m. ET on Thursday. The winners, as chosen exclusively by online fan voting totals, will then be announced during "MLB Tonight" live on MLB Network and MLB.com at 6 p.m. Extensive coverage throughout the Final Vote will be provided by MLB Network and MLB.com, including interviews with the candidates, frequent updates, heat maps indicating where votes are being cast for each candidate, news on player and club campaigns, and a running countdown clock leading up to the announcement.
Now in its 16th season, with more than 680 million votes cast, the Final Vote again will include social votes on the last day of balloting, as Twitter support for the 10 candidates over the final six hours of balloting will count toward their vote totals. From 10 a.m.-4 p.m. ET on Thursday, any tweet that includes a designated player hashtag will be tabulated as part of the official vote total used to determine the winners.
On Tuesday, July 11, at 7:30 p.m. ET, tune in to the 2017 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard live on FOX, and during the game visit MLB.com to submit your choice for the Ted Williams Most Valuable Player Award presented by Chevrolet via the 2017 MLB All-Star Game MVP Vote. The 88th All-Star Game, in Miami, will be televised nationally by FOX, in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS, and worldwide by partners in more than 160 countries via MLB International's independent feed. ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB.com, MLB Network and SiriusXM will also provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information, please visit allstargame.com.