Tigers trio Greene, Torres and Báez voted All-Star Game starters

DETROIT -- Turns out the “Gritty Tigs” are star-studded.

For the first time since 2007, the All-Star Game will have three Tigers elected to start, including two-thirds of the starting outfield. Gleyber Torres will start for the American League at second base, while Riley Greene and Javier Báez will start in the outfield.

It’s just the fourth time in franchise history that the Tigers have had three fan-elected starters. Not bad for a team that hadn’t had a fan-elected starter at any position since Miguel Cabrera at first base in 2015.

"In-between games we had some time so I got the news,” manager A.J. Hinch said after Game 2 of the Tigers' doubleheader Wednesday. “I knew it wasn't going to come out until 7 p.m., but we could have a private moment with our team and celebrate them. Not only is it good for our organization, our team, the players individually -- but they earned it. We have popular players, but we also have guys that have performed very well and I think the list is going to grow over the next week."

If Tarik Skubal earns the starting assignment on the mound, a decision that begins with players to vote him onto the pitching staff and then AL All-Star manager Aaron Boone for the starting assignment, four of the nine defensive positions on the field will be manned by Tigers.

It’s a well-deserved recognition for a team that carries the best record in the American League through the season’s midway point. After much of the country learned about the current Tigers during their incredible stretch run into the playoffs last year, their dominant first half has garnered respect.

No one typifies that more than Greene, the first homegrown Tiger elected by fans to an All-Star Game since Alex Avila started at catcher in 2011. The 24-year-old was selected as a reserve last year for his All-Star debut, but dominated fan voting amidst the best calendar month of his career. He posted a 1.034 OPS in June to go with 36 hits, six for home runs and nine for doubles.

"I think just being around the guys,” Greene said of his 2024 All-Star memory. “I feel like we are always competing against each other and we really don't get to be normal people around each other. I feel like that's one of my favorite parts."

Only Aaron Judge garnered more votes than Greene among American League outfielders in Phase 1 of voting. With four finalists competing for two spots, the trend continued for Greene this week in Phase 2, a 48-hour sprint. Shortly after voting ended, Greene continued his summer tear with his 20th and 21st home runs of the season in a six-RBI game to begin Wednesday’s doubleheader against the Nationals.

“He's really developing into an incredible Major League player,” Hinch said previously, “and he's getting some recognition obviously through the All-Star Game last year, the playoff run last year and now being a center part of a good team tells you a lot about Riley Greene.”

Greene will have a familiar face beside him in the Truist Park outfield, but Báez’s election makes history. The third-time All-Star previously started the 2018 and 2019 Midsummer Classics at second base and shortstop, respectively, while with the Cubs. He will be the first player ever to start an All-Star Game at shortstop and another in the outfield.

Báez joins Pete Rose, Harmon Killebrew and Albert Pujols as the only players to start All-Star Games at three or more positions. None of those greats had the journey Báez took to become an All-Star again, from part of the stellar free-agent shortstop class of 2021-22 to a mid-career slump that not only cost him All-Star status, but his everyday role at shortstop. He underwent season-ending hip surgery last summer and began this season as a utility player while Trey Sweeney started at shortstop.

"Javy has told everybody in his career that he could play outfield, and now he's going to be standing out there in the bottom of the first in Atlanta as an All-Star center fielder,” Hinch said. “That's a pretty cool moment."

Báez not only moved to the outfield for injured Parker Meadows, he excelled there while also undergoing a renaissance at the plate. His 2.2 bWAR is already his highest mark for a season since 2022, his first year as a Tiger.

Nobody loves a comeback story like the comeback city of Detroit, which turned out All-Star votes in droves for him. Báez hasn’t played in the outfield since June 4, shortly after Meadows returned, but his play at shortstop continues to stand out.

"It's pretty great,” Báez said. “Right now it feels a little weird; I am playing more short. That's what I worked for, to be an All-Star. My transfer to center fielder locked me in to focus and I have been feeling good. I am grateful to enjoy with my family now."

No Tigers outfielder had been elected to start an All-Star Game since Magglio Ordóñez in 2007, when he went on a first-half tear on his way to a batting title and AL MVP runner-up. Not only do Greene and Báez end the drought, they become the first Tigers outfield duo to be voted to start an All-Star Game together since Ron LeFlore and Rusty Staub in 1976.

Torres, too, is a third-time All-Star, having been selected as a reserve during his first two Major League seasons with the Yankees in 2018 and 2019. He looked like a star in the making then, but injuries, inconsistencies and an arguable snub a few years ago left him out.

"He's added a veteran presence to start,” Greene said. “He's been in the league for a while now. He gives us that experience and I feel like he's always on base when I'm hitting. It's the best feeling ever. He's an awesome player and even better teammate."

Torres signed a one-year deal with Detroit as a free agent, looking to prove himself again. Earning the nod at second base is his best proof yet that he was right to believe in himself. He becomes just the third Tigers second baseman to be voted to start, joining Placido Polanco (2007) and Lou Whitaker (1984-86).

"[Gleyber's] given us everything that we could ever ask for,” Hinch said. “His at-bats are really good. His baseball acumen is very good. His ability to play every single day and create an issue for the other side is very unique. I am proud of him. I am happy for him. He's going to be wearing our uniform. He signed here to not only win but to play well and we are doing both."

Byron Kerr contributed to this story.