The 2024 MLB All-Star Week is set to conclude on Tuesday, with the All-Star game starting at 7 p.m. in Globe Life Field.
MLB All-Star Week has included a variety of events for fans in Arlington, including the MLB Futures Game, All-Star Celebrity Softball Game, Home Run Derby, and now the All-Star Game.
A total of 34 players were given a spot on the All-Star rosters for the National League and American League, with fans selecting the positional starters for each team over the course of multiple voting phases, according to MLB.com.
The respective coaching staffs of the Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks will manage tonight’s game and select the starting pitchers. Notably, the two teams met in the 2023 World Series.
The National League team’s starting pitcher will be Baltimore Orioles pitcher Corbin Burnes. The American League has chosen to start Pittsburgh Pirates rookie pitcher Paul Skenes.
The complete rosters for both the American and National League can be found on the MLB website.
The Texas Rangers initially had two players selected for the American League roster — second baseman Marcus Semien and pitcher Kirby Yates — but shortstop Corey Seager has now also been put on the team as an injury replacement.
Semien has had a slight down year compared to previous seasons with the Rangers, but he has still managed to accumulate 13 home runs, 51 RBIs, and a batting average of .242 while playing some of the best defense in the entire league.
Through the Rangers’ first 94 games this season, Semien has put together a 99% fielding rate with just four errors on 387 total chances.
On the other hand, Yates has logged an impressive bounce-back season in his first year with the Rangers, picking up 16 saves on every opportunity and allowing just a 1.05 ERA across his 34 appearances.
After he was named to the team, Yates said getting back to a high level of play was his “goal for this year” after struggling in recent seasons.
“One of my things was to try and push myself and get back to that level that I thought it could be. I think this gives it a little bit of validation that had been pretty good in the first half. Going through this once before, I know that the emotions don’t really start hitting you until you get closer to the game… I am excited. I’m very, very proud of myself,” he said, per MLB.com.
Semien and Yates will now be joined by Seager after he was named the replacement for Minnesota Twins shortstop Carlos Correa, who withdrew from the All-Star game due to plantar fasciitis in his right heel.
Seager had a slow start to the season after missing the majority of spring training with an injury, batting just .208 and hitting only two home runs through the Rangers’ 25 games in April.
However, the 30-year-old veteran found his stride in recent months. He has increased his season batting average to .270 while also hitting 18 home runs and 48 RBIs in his 83 games played.
