Saturday, July 4, 2026

Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2026

On Saturday, the All-Stars were announced, and five Dodgers were named. Four Dodgers will start the Midsummer Classic.

Baseball fans gave Shohei Ohtani the most support to be an All-Star. Since the Dodgers won the 2025 World Series, Ohtani’s regular manager, Dave Roberts, will work with him. Ohtani has been good at hitting with a .289 batting average, 18 home runs, and 50 RBI. The likelihood that Ohtani will pitch in the All-Star Game is slim since he is scheduled to pitch against the Arizona Diamondbacks next weekend. This is the sixth time he will play in the Midsummer Classic.

For the tenth time, Freddie Freeman is an All-Star. He will start the game for the National League. He has a .297 batting average with 15 home runs and 49 RBI. At 36, he is playing fantastic defense at first base.

For the first time in his major league career, Max Muncy is starting the All-Star Game, though it is his third selection. At 35, he is playing the best of his career. At the beginning of the season, he stated he wanted to be an All-Star again because his two oldest children could go and experience it with him. After a brief offseason filled with work, Muncy turned himself into a Gold Glove-caliber third baseman. Offensively, he is having a superb first half with his career-best .265 batting average, 17 home runs, and 39 RBI.

Last year, Andy Pages deserved an All-Star selection but was snubbed. But this year, fans took matters into their own hands and selected him to be one of the starting outfielders. This honor was richly deserved. While he has cooled off a little offensively after a blistering hot start to the 2026 season, he is still hitting .269 with 16 home runs and the third-highest 63 RBI. His defense in center field has been spectacular, including a league-leading 10 assists.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto earned his second All-Star selection. Every time he takes the mound, his manager knows he probably will give the bullpen a well-deserved rest. He has pitched at least seven innings more frequently than any other starter in 2026. The unassuming Yamamoto has dominated his opponent. In June, he was two outs from pitching a no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox. He is 9-5 with a 2.49 ERA and 100 strikeouts. Since he is scheduled to pitch on Saturday against the Diamondbacks, it is unlikely he will appear in the All-Star Game.

As every year with the Midsummer Classic, some deserving players are overlooked by fans, players, managers, and coaches. While the Dodgers have five representatives, Tanner Scott and Justin Wrobleski should be in Philadelphia with their teammates and manager.

Scott has bounced back from a difficult 2025 season to be a brilliant closer while Edwin Dìaz recovers from elbow surgery to remove loose bodies. He has dominated every opponent with an overpowering fastball and a devastating slider. He has a 2.02 ERA, 45 strikeouts, and 12 saves.

Wrobleski started in the Dodgers’ bullpen until his team needed the sixth starter. No matter what role he has been used in, he has been excellent. He doesn’t chase strikeouts though his repertoire can produce them, but he understands he can be more valuable to his team if he gets quick strikeouts by inducing soft contact and uses his fabulous defense. He has the second-best record of 10-2 with a 2.80 ERA and 64 strikeouts.

At the 96^th All-Star Game in Philadelphia, the Los Angeles Dodgers will be represented well, but Scott and Wrobleski deserve to be there, too.