DETROIT (Michigan News Source) – Detroit has placed four players on the AL All-Star team, the most since 2015. Riley Greene (outfield), Javier Baez (outfield), and Gleyber Torres (second base) were all voted starters, and Tarik Skubal is on the pitching staff. It also marks the first time since 2007 that three starters have been in the All-Star game.
Detroit All-Stars.
- Riley Greene (OF) – Starter
- Javier Baez (OF) – Starter
- Gleyber Torres (2B) – Starter
- Tarik Skubal (P)
Skubal: “It means a lot.”
Skubal makes his second straight appearance as an All-Star after being selected as one of the 12 pitchers. He says, “It means a lot. To be able to share it with more teammates is also pretty special.”
Skubal has the second lowest ERA in the AL at 2.02 and is the best since 1976 when Mark Fidrych posted a 1.99 through 18 starts. In player balloting, Skubal led all AL starting pitchers with 365 votes.
Torres: Third time’s the charm.
In his first year with the Tigers after coming to Detroit from New York, Torres is going to his third All-Star game thanks to the fan vote. “Our fans show really, really good support. It’s going to be the moment to represent Detroit, represent the fans at the All-Star Game and keep doing the right work for the second half, because as a team, we have to finish strong,” said Torres.
Greene and Baez.
Greene was voted a starter this year after being a reserve last year and is the first homegrown Tiger to earn a start since 2011, when it was catcher Alex Avila. He had the second-most fan votes for an outfielder behind New York’s Aaron Judge. Detroit manager A.J. Hinch says of Greene, “He’s really developing into an incredible Major League player and he’s getting some recognition obviously through the All-Star Game last year, the playoff run last year and now being a center part of a good team tells you a lot about Riley Greene.”
Baez is making history for Detroit as the only player to start an All-Star game at shortstop and outfield in his third All-Star game appearanc. It is his first in the outfield, as he was a 2018 and 2019 All-Star for the Chicago Cubs at shortstop. Hinch commented, “Javy has told everybody in his career that he could play outfield, and now he’s going to be standing out there in the bottom of the first in Atlanta as an All-Star center fielder. That’s a pretty cool moment.”