All-Stars announced:
12 first-time starters selected to National and American league teams.
Aaron Judge, Carlos Correa and Nolan Arenado were among 12 first-time starters elected Sunday for the All-Star Game at Miami on July 11, the most since voting was returned to fans in 1970.
Just one player was picked from the World Series champion Cubs: reliever Wade Davis, who wasn’t even with Chicago when it ended a 108-year title drought last fall. The Cubs had seven All-Stars last season.
Two of the first-time starters are from the Houston Astros, who have the best record in the major leagues: shortstop Correa and outfielder George Springer. Second baseman Jose Altuve was elected to his third start.
Houston pitchers Dallas Keuchel and Lance McCullers Jr. were picked, as well, giving the Astros five All-Stars, tied for the most with the Yankees, Cleveland and Washington. Keuchel is hurt and won’t pitch.
Washington outfielder Bryce Harper, second baseman Daniel Murphy and first baseman Ryan Zimmerman were elected to start, and Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg were selected for the pitching staff. Harper led fan voting with 4.63 million ballots. At 32, Zimmerman is an All-Star for the first time since 2009, when he was a reserve third baseman.
Judge, the 6-foot-7 rookie from Linden (San Joaquin County) who leads the major leagues with 27 home runs, topped the AL with 4.49 million votes. He is joined in the outfield by Springer and the Angels’ Mike Trout, who hopes to return in time from a torn thumb ligament. Cleveland’s Jose Ramirez overtook Minnesota’s Miguel Sano in the final days of balloting to win the AL third-base spot by about 54,000 votes, Toronto’s Justin Smoak bounced back to beat Kansas City’s Eric Hosmer by 555,000 at first base, and Tampa Bay’s Corey Dickerson rallied to win at designated hitter by nearly 75,000 over Seattle’s Nelson Cruz. The Royals’ Salvador Perez won at catcher.
Arenado overtook the Cubs’ Kris Bryant, last year’s NL MVP, to win at third base by 180,000 votes. Arenado will be joined in the NL lineup by Cincinnati shortstop Zack Cozart, Colorado outfielder Charlie Blackmon, Miami outfielder Marcell Ozuna and Giants catcher Buster Posey.
Catcher Gary Sanchez, injured second baseman Starlin Castro and pitchers Dellin Betances and Luis Severino also were picked from the Yankees. Cleveland is sending pitchers Corey Kluber and Andrew Miller, shortstop Francisco Lindor and outfielder Michael Brantley.
Miami outfielder Giancarlo Stanton was picked as a reserve and plans to defend his Home Run Derby title next Monday. Judge also has been invited, and Dodgers rookie Cody Bellinger, who leads the NL with 24 homers, has said he will be in the derby.
In a sign of the generational change, the All-Stars with the most selections are Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw with eight and St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina with seven. Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera, an 11-time All-Star, wasn’t picked for the first time since 2009. Trade: The Blue Jays traded right-handed pitcher Jason Grilli to Texas for minor-league outfielder Eduard Pinto and cash. Grilli, 40, was 2-4 with a 7.97 ERA and one save in 26 games with Toronto this year before being designated for assignment.