Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Stars over Miami
Harper, Judge lead baseball’s best for next week’s classic Ozuna among starters as both NL and AL teams have significant S. Florida connections
The All-Stars are coming to Miami — and now we know who specifically.
Rookie phenoms Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger joined Midsummer Classic staples Bryce Harper and Jose Altuve and two Miami Marlins, among dozens of others, in being named All-Stars Sunday night for the July 11 exhibition at Marlins Park.
Right fielder Giancarlo Stanton and left fielder Marcell Ozuna were the Marlins players selected. Ozuna was voted in as a starter by the fans, the seventh time in their history that a Marlins player earned that honor. Stanton is included as a reserve, picked by the players. It’s the fourth career selection for Stanton, second for Ozuna.
Miami first baseman Justin Bour is one of five NL Final Vote candidates.
“It's really cool when you look back at the everyday grind of the first half and you know the harder days, you know paid off,” said Stanton, the defending Home Run Derby champion who will defend his title the day before the All-Star Game. “To top it off, we're in Miami, so it's going to be amazing. Just looking forward to the Derby. [Being an All-Star] makes it even cooler.”
Joining Ozuna in the Na-
tional League starting lineup will be three particularly familiar faces: Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper, who led of baseball in fan voting (more than 4.63 million), plus first baseman Ryan Zimmerman and second baseman Daniel Murphy.
The Nationals, who are also sending pitchers Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg, are tied with the Astros and Indians for most All-Stars from one club with five apiece.
Several players with South Florida connections — be it as former Marlins or as Miami-area locals — made the teams.
Athletics first baseman Yonder Alonso, a Cuba native who starred at Coral Cables High and the University of Miami, is a firsttime All-Star, voted in by his peers.
A trio of former Marlins who will return as some of the best baseball players in the world: Indians reliever Andrew Miller, Royals starter Jason Vargas and Padres reliever Brad Hand.
All three experience little to no success during their time in South Florida. Hand’s inclusion in particular might sting, as he was cut by the Marlins at the end of spring training 2016, only to blossom immediately after being picked up by San Diego.
The 34-year-old Vargas, who is experiencing a bit of an out-of-nowhere breakout season, was traded to the Mets in November 2006. Miller, a two-time All-Star, was a highly regarded prospect when the Marlins acquired him in the December 2007 Miguel Cabrera/Dontrelle Willis trade with the Tigers. He didn’t turn into a dominant big leaguer until well after the Marlins sent him to the Red Sox three years later.
The rosters announced Sunday are not final. They will undergo some revision in the coming days as players pull out due to injury and other reasons. Angels superstar Mike Trout, for example, was voted in by the fans for his sixth AllStar selection in a row, but is a question mark as far as participation goes, having been on the disabled list since hurting his thumb at Marlins Park on May 28.
New this year, All-Star rosters are comprised of 32 players instead of 34.
Starting position players were chosen by fan voting. Starting pitchers are chosen by the managers — the Cubs’ Joe Maddon for the NL, the Indians’ Terry Francona for the AL — and will be announced July 10.
Reserves and pitchers were chosen by a player vote and by the league.
Fans will have a say in who fills the last spot in the Final Vote.
In the AL, the candidates are Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus, Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts, Yankees shortstop Didi Gregorius, Rays first baseman Logan Morrison and Royals third baseman Mike Moustakas.
In the NL, the candidates are Bour, Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant, Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon, Rockies first baseman Mark Reynolds and Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner.
With a little more voting love, Bour could join Stanton and Ozuna as the hosts’ reps.
“I feel good. I feel excited about it,” Ozuna said. “It makes me feel blessed. And good for being in Miami.”
Here are the full rosters. For the reserves and pitchers, in parentheses is how the player was selected, by the players’ ballot or by the Commissioner’s Office.