➤ Yennier Cano, 29, of the Baltimore Orioles, nearly gave up pitching growing up in Cuba, and lost his mother at the age of 16. There are also plenty of other fabulous stories among first-time All-Stars: “Ivan Rodriguez was the one I admired the most, and now, if I ever meet him, I can tell him I was an All-Star, too. Every player wants to have a season like this, sometimes things don’t go the way you want, but I always believed in the process. “I’m just so happy right now,’’ Diaz said. He also has been brilliant defensively, ranking third among all catchers in defensive WAR, catching 13 baserunners stealing, fourth-best in baseball. He has the second-most hits (67), third-most RBI (40) and third-most doubles (15) among catchers. He has caught 69 games, second most in the major leagues. 228 with nine homers and 51 RBI, while making 11 errors ― the most among all catchers.įor the first time, he has put together a complete season like this. 286 in 2018 for the Pittsburgh Pirates, but badly struggled last year, hitting just. He hit 18 homers in 2021 for the Rockies, batted. It’s just awesome seeing this happen to such a great guy.’’ĭiaz, whose favorite player growing up was Hall of Famer Pudge Rodriguez, says he always knew that something like this was possible. He’s definitely been our most deserving player for sure. Said Rockies starter Austin Gomber: “I’m super excited for him. He’s really old-school, and just works his butt off behind the plate for pitchers.’’ “He’s played through bumps and bruises and probably concussions, I don’t know. “He’s the toughest guy I’ve ever played with,’’ Rockies reliever Daniel Bard said. Yet, someone had to represent the Rockies at the All-Star Game, and the Rockies made it clear to MLB officials that he was easily the most deserving. 796 OPS, but the National League is stacked with fabulous catchers. He’s the oldest first-time All-Star, and perhaps the most anonymous, a quiet workaholic who is beloved by his teammates. No drama.'Ĭertainly, one of the best feel-good stories among first-time All-Stars is Elias Diaz, the 32-year-old Venezuelan who becomes the Colorado Rockies’ first All-Star catcher in franchise history. Nightengale's Notebook: Tampa Bay Rays are incredible for a reason. “To have your first All-Star Game in the city you grew up in, at the stadium you grew up going to, it’s very exciting.’’ “I don't think you could really dream of anything more than that, right?" Carroll said. The youngest All-Star is Arizona Diamondbacks rookie Corbin Carroll, 22, who grew up in Seattle and was a diehard Mariners fan. There are 26 players making the All-Star team for the first time, including 19 players who are 26 years or younger. Yet, the most compelling storyline is the new blood in this year’s All-Star Game. The Mets also didn’t have a representative until MLB picked first baseman Pete Alonso over center fielder Brandon Nimmo despite having a stronger first half. The Seattle Mariners, who are hosting the All-Star game, didn’t have a single player selected by the fans or players, with MLB picking starter Luis Castillo to represent the team. If Yankees ace Gerrit Cole doesn’t pitch in the game, and with Judge on the injured list, this could be only the third time in history that no Yankees player appears in the All-Star Game, and the only the second time since 1941. Two-way legend Shohei Ohtani and home-run king Aaron Judge will be back, too, virtually guaranteed berths before opening day.Īnd who would ever have imagined that the Texas Rangers would have as many All-Stars (6) as the Yankees, Mets, Phillies and Padres combined, with Atlanta leading the way with eight All-Stars? Realmuto, Francisco Lindor, Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and Fernando Tatis won’t be going to the All-Star Game, either.īut Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout and Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw will be returning to the All-Star Game for the 11 th and 10 th time, respectively. Perennial All-Stars Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, J.T. Louis Cardinals fans wondering how in the world NL defending MVP Paul Goldschmidt wasn’t invited to the All-Star Game, while the Tampa Bay Rays are wondering how Wander Franco got left behind. Those screams you heard Sunday were from St.
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