2023 MLB All-Star Game Preview

It’s the big day! The All-Star Game is here in Seattle. I am here...on my couch, which I am assuming you are too, if you’re reading this. So consider this your place to chat about the game if you’re unable to be there in person as well as a source for all the information you’ll need to know about tonight’s game.

Tonight’s starting lineups:

No Mariners get the start in their home ballpark. Luis Castillo and George Kirby will each have an inning at some point during the game, and Julio Rodríguez will come in during the line change halfway through the game.

With five Rangers and four Braves in the starting lineup for each team, this feels more like a Texas-Atlanta interleague matchup than an All-Star Game. Maybe a lineup stacked with the NL-leading 2021 World Series champs is a good sign for the National League, though, who haven’t won an All-Star Game since 2013, so long that MLB eventually quit making home field advantage in the World Series depend on the outcome of the ASG. Things might change, however, now that each side has had full use of the DH for a couple of years. Vegas actually slightly favors the NL to win this game, which would be just the fourth win for the NL since 1997—although the three previous NL wins all came back-to-back in a streak between 2010-2012.

You won’t be surprised to learn that Shohei Ohtani has the best odds of being voted MVP, with Ronal Acuña Jr. right behind him. Randy Arozarena has the third-best odds but the first-best in my heart because I feel like no one shows up on a big stage like Randy, and he’s going to want revenge from losing out to Vlad Jr. last night in the Derby. I’m pulling for long shot (+1800) local kid Corbin Carroll because what a cool story that would be. (Obviously I’m really pulling for Julio but I feel like it’s a tough assignment when you aren’t starting and potentially have fewer at-bats to work with).)

Reserves:

The other AL starting pitchers include: RHP Sonny Gray (MIN), RHP Nathan Eovaldi (TEX), RHP Kevin Gausman (TOR), RHP Michael Lorenzen (DET), and RHP Pablo López (MIN). The AL relievers are RHP Kenley Jansen (BOS), RHP Félix Bautista (BAL), RHP Yennier Cano (BAL), and RHP Carlos Estévez (LAA).

Other AL reserves include:

C: Salvador Perez (KC) and Adley Rutschman (BAL)

OF: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (TOR), Whit Merrifield (TOR), Adolis García, Kyle Tucker (TEX)

INF: Bo Bichette (TOR), José Ramírez (CLE), Wander Franco (TB)

DH: Brent Rooker (OAK)

Update: Luis Robert Jr. was slated to be a reserve but felt some tightness in his right calf during last night’s derby and has opted out of playing in today’s game.

Players from the NL squad include Seattle-born Lakeside grad Corbin Carroll (ARI), who gets to start as an All-Star in the ballpark where he grew up attending as a fan.

The NL reserves:

C: Will Smith (LAD), Elias Díaz (COL)

OF: Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (AZ), Nick Castellanos (PHI), Juan Soto (SD)

INF: Matt Olson (ATL), Ozzie Albies (ATL), Austin Riley (ATL), Dansby Swanson (CHC), Pete Alonso (NYM)

DH: Jorge Soler (MIA)

SP: LHP Justin Steele (CHC), RHP Mitch Keller (PIT), RHP Josiah Gray (WSH), RHP Kodai Senga (NYM), RHP Alex Cobb (SF), RHP Corbin Burnes (MIL)

RP: RHP Alexis Díaz (CIN), LHP Josh Hader (SD), RHP Camilo Doval (SF), RHP David Bednar (PIT), RHP Craig Kimbrel (PHI)

Game information:

Tonight’s game is on FOX, with coverage beginning at 4 PT before the actual game starts at 5 PT.

FOX’s national broadcast begins at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, with game coverage beginning an hour later. Unfortunately, there’s no secondary Statcast broadcast like there was for the Home Run Derby last night, which I feel like is a real missed opportunity. The broadcast crew for the ASG will be Joe Davis on play by play, along with John Smoltz, Ken Rosenthal, Tom Verducci and Tom Rinaldi, which is a mostly fine but very homogenous slate of the standard talking heads.

If you’re listening on the radio, it will be broadcast on ESPN Radio (so 710 AM Seattle Sports if you’re in the Seattle area). Jon Sciambi is on play-by-play, and Doug Glanville is the color commentator. I like Joe Davis, but I might sync that one to the TV broadcast, honestly.