The fans have spoken! Hollywood is about to get some real MLB star power. The 2022 MLB All-Star Game will take place in LA on Tuesday, July 19, at Dodgers Stadium. And the MLB fans have voted several Black players into the starting line-up.
Several Black players will be taking the field right after the national anthem is played. Leading the way for the Black delegation is MVP candidate and leading vote-getter Aaron Judge of the first-place New York Yankees. Certified swag-king Ronald Acuna Jr. was the leading vote-getter in the National League. The complete All-Star rosters will be announced during the 2022 Chevrolet MLB All-Star Selection Show on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Let’s get into Black Baseball Mixtape (BBM) squad that is in the starting line-up.
NL: Jazz Chisholm Jr., MIA (1st election)
Let’s face it, Jazz is a swag-king – advance bonus level – in MLB right now. Kids all over middle and high school are driving the bus around second and side-stepping to home plate thanks to Jazz. He is swaggy with is fashion, and is great on social. The 24-year-old is having a breakout season, producing 14 homers, 12 steals and a 139 OPS+ in 60 games.
AL: Tim Anderson, CWS (1st election)
After earning his first All-Star selection in 2021, Anderson will start the Midsummer Classic for the first time in 2022. The former AL batting champion has hit .313 with five homers, 10 steals and a 120 OPS+ over 55 games this season.
Mookie Betts, LAD (3rd election)
Look, Betts is most likely the best overall Black player in the game right now — sans Judge’s stellar season-to-date. Betts just returned from injury, but already has 20 homers this season, the second-most he’s hit before the All-Star break during his career after 2018 (23).
Aaron Judge, NYY (4th election)
THE BIGGEST STORY IN BASEBALL RIGHT NOW! Leading the Majors in homers (30) and the AL in RBIs (64) with a .993 OPS, Judge was MLB’s leading vote-getter. PAY THAT MAN HIS MONEY!!!
Giancarlo Stanton, NYY (2nd election)
Stanton (22% of the vote) edged out Toronto’s George Springer (20%) and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (18%) for the starting spot (that’s the power of the Yankees fan base). This will mark the first time Stanton has started the All-Star Game since he joined the Yankees.
Ronald Acuña Jr., ATL (3rd election)
Acuña earned the starting nod after leading the NL in votes in Phase 1. He is returning from another injury but is starting to return to form. He is batting 275 with 8 HRs, 22 RBIs, and 17 SBs.
The pitchers and reserves for both squads — totaling 23 players for each side — will be determined via “Player Ballot” choices and selections made by the Commissioner’s Office. That means, there is a great chance that more BBM players will be added to the squad.
This is very exciting for the game. It’s well documented that Black players are making up less and less of the Major Leagues, but this season has really shown some potential breakthroughs, not just at the all-star level but at all levels of the game. This is a very exciting time for Black baseball.
