Baseball’s best players will gather in Cleveland for the 2019 Major League Baseball All-Star Game Tuesday. The American League has won the last six Midsummer Classics, after winning 8-6 in 10 innings last year. The latest moneyline is American League -120.
Major League Hitters On Record Pace
Hitters are on pace to smash the single-season home run record for the entire Major Leagues this season. In last year’s All-Star Game, five different players went deep in the game for each team. The starting lineup for the American League will have Houston outfielder George Springer leading off, followed by Yankees second baseman DJ LeMahieu, Angels outfielder Mike Trout, Cleveland first baseman Carlos Santana, Boston designated hitter JD Martinez, Houston third baseman Alex Bregman, Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez, Houston outfielder Michael Brantley, and Minnesota shortstop Jorge Polanco.
For the National League, it will be Milwaukee outfielder Christian Yelich leading off, followed by Cubs shortstop Javier Baez, Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman, Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger, Colorado third baseman Nolan Arenado, Pittsburgh designated hitter Josh Bell, Cubs catcher Willson Contreras, Arizona second baseman Ketel Marte and Atlanta outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr.
Of the 18 hitters, 11 have already hit at least 20 home runs, with the pace being set by Yelich’s 31. Bellinger follows with 30, and Trout has 28. Bell of the Pirates, who has had a career year in just the first half, has hit 27 home runs.
All-Star Game Starters Having Sensational Seasons
The National League will be making history with its starting pitcher in this All-Star Game. Dodgers left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu will make his first All-Star appearance as the starting pitcher for the National League. This will make him the first South Korean-born pitcher to start in the All-Star Game. He will also be making his first appearance at Progressive Field. Ryu has a Major League-best 1.73 ERA in 17 starts this season. His record is 10-2, and he has a WHIP of 0.91.
The starter for the American League will be Houston right-hander Justin Verlander. This will be Verlander’s eighth All-Star appearance and his first start in the game since 2012 when he was a member of the Detroit Tigers. That was also the last year that the National League won the All-Star Game. Verlander has made 28 starts at Progressive Field, logging a 5.56 ERA in the process. On the season, Verlander is 10-4 with a 2.98 ERA. His WHIP of 0.81 is tops in the big leagues.
Prediction Time
Both teams have outstanding talent representing them. The National League is a little deeper than the American League on the bench. One of the reserves for the National League will end up being this game’s MVP because of late-game heroics. Take the National League to end its six-game losing streak in this one.
