Major League Baseball announced today that Astros right-handed pitchers Gerrit Cole, Ryan Pressly and Justin Verlander have been named to the 2019 American League All-Star Team. The Astros will have six players at the All-Star Game for the third consecutive season, as third baseman Alex Bregman and outfielders George Springer and Michael Brantley were named as starters for the All-Star Game on Thursday via the fan vote.

The Astros are the only Major League team with six players at the All-Star Game. With six All-Stars, the Astros have tied their franchise record for most All-Stars in a single season, as the club also had six All-Stars in both 2017 and 2018.

Cole, 28, received his second-consecutive All-Star selection, and the third of his career (2015, 2018-19). The right-handed pitcher has once again been a dominant force in 2019, as he entered today leading the American League in strikeouts (151), strikeouts per 9.0 innings (13.24) and strikeout rate (36.6%).

Pressly, 30, will be an All-Star for the first time in his career. Since joining the Astros via trade prior to last season’s trade deadline, Pressly has been one of the elite relief pitchers in the Majors. Entering today’s games, the right-hander ranked tied for first among MLB relievers in holds (19), and among AL relievers, he ranked second in strikeout to walk ratio (10.00, 40SO/4BB), third in WHIP (0.74), fifth in walks per 9.0 innings (0.99, 4BB/36.1IP) and tied for seventh in ERA (1.49). Earlier this season, Pressly established a new Major League record by posting 40 consecutive scoreless appearances. His streak spanned 39.0 innings, which set a new Astros franchise record and tied the second-longest scoreless innings streak by a relief pitcher in MLB history.

Verlander, 36, was named to his second-consecutive All-Star Team, and the eighth of his career (2007, 2009-13, 2018-19). He is joining a historic group of 20 pitchers to be named to at least eight All-Star Teams, a group that features 19 Hall of Famers. This season, Verlander has been arguably the best starting pitcher in the American League, as he entered today’s games leading the AL in innings pitched (119.2), WHIP (0.79) and opponent batting average (.162) while ranking inside the top-five in wins (T-1st, 10), strikeouts (3rd, 147) and ERA (5th, 2.86).

Bregman, Springer and Brantley were voted into the All-Star Game as starters by the fans as part of the newly-created “Starters Election”, a 28-hour online voting period that featured three finalists at each position (and the top nine outfielders). The 2019 season will mark the second time in franchise history that the Astros will have three position players start the All-Star Game. This also occurred in 2017, when second baseman Jose Altuve, shortstop Carlos Correa and center fielder George Springer all started the All-Star Game in the American League’s 2-1 win over the National League.

Bregman was named to his second-career All-Star Game (also 2018) and will be making his first-career All-Star start. He will become the first Astros third baseman to start an All-Star Game.

Springer and Brantley are set to become the first pair of Astros outfielders ever to start the same All-Star Game. Springer received his third-career All-Star selection (2017-19) and second-career All-Star start, as he was the AL’s starting left fielder in 2017. For Brantley, this marks his fourth-career All-Star Game selection (2014, 2017-19) and first-career All-Star Game start.

In addition to 2017, the Astros also had three players start the All-Star Game in 2004, when RHP Roger Clemens was the starting pitcher for the NL squad alongside center fielder Lance Berkman and second baseman Jeff Kent.

The 90th MLB All-Star Game will be played on Tuesday, July 9 at 6:30 p.m. CT and will be televised live on FOX.