Major League Baseball has named three current Miami Marlins players as MLB All-Star Ambassadors -- outfielders Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich, and infielder Martín Prado. Participating in what is sure to be an unforgettable week in Miami, all three players will serve as Ambassadors alongside Marlins legends Jeff Conine and Tony Pérez, who were announced this past April.
Stanton will seek to defend his 2016 title in the T-Mobile Home Run Derby, set to air live on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, July 10th. He is also the featured cover athlete for the award-winning MLB.com Home Run Derby mobile and virtual reality video games. In addition, Yelich and Prado will represent the hometown team at MLB All-Star FanFest on Monday, July 10th and Tuesday, July 11th. The players are also being featured in various promotional materials and activities.
Stanton, Yelich and Prado join a distinguished list of MLB stars who served in this role while playing for the host club including Torii Hunter, Derek Jeter, Albert Pujols, Justin Upton and David Wright.
Specially priced $13 tickets for All-Star FanFest can be purchased online only at the following link (allstargame.com/mvpoffer) while tickets to All-Star Sunday can be purchased at the official website of the All-Star Game (www.allstargame.com), the Marlins official website (www.marlins.com), the Marlins Advance Ticket Windows at Marlins Park, and by calling 1-888-FanFest. Mastercard, preferred by Major League Baseball, is an accepted form of payment.
Stanton, a three-time National League All-Star and 2016 T-Mobile Home Run Derby champion, was the Marlins second selection in the 2007 draft. He went on to make his Major League debut on June 8, 2010 at Philadelphia, and since then has amassed a franchise record 228 home runs and 589 RBI. Earlier this spring, Stanton helped Team USA bring home the World Baseball Championship title, keeping Team USA alive in the second round with a game-winning home run off Ervin Santana of the Dominican Republic.
Stanton, 27, led the National League in home runs (37) and slugging percentage (.555) in 2014, and was a National League Silver Slugger Award winner. Since his debut, he ranks fifth among active players in home runs, behind only Jose Bautista (244), Edwin Encarnacion (240), Nelson Cruz (233) and Miguel Cabrera (229). On Sunday against the Cubs, Stanton hit his 20th home run of the season, becoming just the 11th player in Major League history to record 20-or-more home runs in each of his first eight seasons.
Yelich, Miami's first round selection in the 2010 Draft, has become one of the best all-around outfielders in the game after garnering a National League Silver Slugger Award last season with a .298 average, a career-best 21 home runs and 98 RBI. Yelich, who was also on the World Baseball Champion Team USA, earned All-Tournament Team honors after hitting .310 with four doubles and three RBI in eight games.
Yelich, 25, won a Rawlings Gold Glove in 2014 after leading all Major League left fielders in fielding percentage, committing just one error in 262 total chances (.996). Since breaking into the league in 2013, he has recorded the fourth-highest on-base percentage (.367) and seventh-highest batting average (.291) of any National League outfielder.
Prado, acquired by Miami prior to the 2015 season, has produced a .296 average over his two-plus campaigns with the Marlins. Last season, Prado led Major League Baseball with a .424 average against left-handed pitchers, the highest single-season mark in Club history and 10th-highest in a single season in Major League history (min. 125 PA).
Prado, 33, a 2010 National League All-Star, was originally signed by the Atlanta Braves as a non-drafted free agent in 2001. He has committed just 52 errors in 708 career games at third base, recording the highest fielding percentage (.969) among active third-basemen.
MLB All-Star Week includes the MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard at Marlins Park (July 11th), Gatorade All-Star Workout Day featuring the T-Mobile Home Run Derby (July 10th), All-Star Sunday featuring the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game and All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game (July 9th), All-Star FanFest at the Miami Beach Convention Center (July 7th-11th), plus a lineup of additional events taking place around the city. The 88th Midsummer Classic will be televised nationally by FOX Sports; in Canada by Rogers Sportsnet and RDS; and worldwide by partners in more than 180 countries. FOX Deportes will provide Spanish language coverage in the United States, while ESPN Radio and ESPN Radio Deportes will provide exclusive national radio coverage of the All-Star Game. MLB Network, MLB.com and Sirius XM also will provide comprehensive All-Star Week coverage. For more information about MLB All-Star Week and to purchase tickets, please visit AllStarGame.com and follow @AllStarGame on social media.