ATLANTA — As Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game loses just a shimmer of star power, the league made sure to let the world know Tuesday night’s pitching matchup will be top-notch.
For the second consecutive season, fireballing Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Paul Skenes will start for the National League, opposed by Tarik Skubal, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner and the undisputed best pitcher in baseball at the moment.
Pitting Skenes against the Detroit Tigers ace takes some sting out of losing a minivan’s worth of stars declining to participate in the game, led perhaps most notably by Zack Wheeler, Philadelphia’s 35-year-old ace who opted to rest instead of take part in his fourth Midsummer Classic.
Had Wheeler, who pitched Saturday night against the San Diego Padres, opted to participate, it would have created a tough decision for MLB and NL manager Dave Roberts. Wheeler has likely had the objectively superior first half – though not by much – leaving the league to decide between Wheeler and the buzzier, if you will, Skenes.
That won’t be a problem come Tuesday, as Skenes, who has a 4-8 record despite 4.8 WAR and a 2.01 ERA, will throw the first pitch at Truist Park against the AL All-Stars. Skenes will be first out the chute for the AL, thanks to his 2.23 ERA and a staggering 153 strikeouts in 121 innings.
Other stars who have opted out or been replaced due to the timing of their final first-half starts include Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez, Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez and Texas right-hander Jacob de Grom. Others, like Atlanta lefty Chris Sale and Boston Red Sox third baseman Alex Bregman, are either injured or returned very recently from injury and won’t play.
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