The MLB All Star break is officially upon us which is taking place in Atlanta Georgia at Truist Park home of the Atlanta Braves. Technically the allstar event takes place from Wednesday July 9th through Tuesday, July 15th. 

The actually baseball activities kick off Friday, July 11th with the HBCU Swingman Classic where college athletes from HBCU baseball programs will get to showcase their talents in front of people from the MLB and MLBPA along with scouts and the hall of fame player himself Ken Griffey Jr. on Saturday, July 12th we will have the Celebrity softball game with participants such as Jordan Chiles (Olympic Gold Medal Gymnast), Quavo (Atlanta based Rapper), Druski (Comedian), Jennie Finch (Olympic Gold Softball Player), C.C. Sabathia (Baseball Hall of Fame Inductee), and many more. Also on Saturday we will witness the next generation of great baseball players participate in the Futures Game which includes top talent from the MiLB. Sunday, July 13th features a new home run derby featuring a 3-on-3 play style with some of the most known players in professional softball and women’s baseball. Also, we have the start of the 2025 MLB Draft Sunday night where all the major league teams will be looking for their next superstar whether in the high school or college ranks. 

On Monday, July 14th we will witness one of the most entertaining events in sports The Home Run Derby where the best of the best home runs hitter square off to win the coveted Home Run Derby trophy/chain. However this year we do not have the flashy home run hitting stars as usual but the participants this year are O’Neil Cruz (Pittsburg Pirates), Byron Buxton (Minnesota Twins), James Wood (Washington Nationals), Cal Raleigh (Seattle Mariners), and hometown favorite Ronald Acuna Jr (Atlanta Braves). Personally I am thinking it is going to come down to Cal Raleigh and Ronald Acuna Jr with Cal Raleigh upsetting the hometown favorite to win the 2025 Home Run Derby. 

Lastly, we have the 2025 All Star Game on Tuesday, July 15th. We have the best from the National League going up against the best of the American League for bragging rights and a bigger pay day. The winner of this game used to have home field advantage in the World Series but now that is no longer the case. Overall, looking like it should be a fun and exciting Allstar break for the fans but in this article I wanted to layout the National and American League allstar rosters and react to the players making the team. Should all these players be allstars? Which players got snubbed this year? I will answer these question and give my opinions starting now! 

Alright, which side do we want to start out with, the American or National League? Let’s go with the National League, below is the starters for this year’s NL team. 

Will Smith Los Angeles Dodgers

Freddie Freeman Los Angeles Dodgers

Ketel Marte Arizona Diamondbacks

Manny Machado San Diego Padres

Francisco Lindor New York Mets

Ronald Acuna Jr Atlanta Braves

Pete Crow-Armstrong Chicago Cubs

Kyle Tucker Chicago Cubs

Shohei Ohtani Los Angeles Dodgers

Obviously we have the Dodgers having the most “starters” this year which is not a shocker. However, look at my Chicago Cubs having two players in starting roles can’t say I could have projected that before the start of this year. Now that we have the starters here are the reserves for this year on the NL side: Hunter Goodman (Colorado Rockies), Pete Alonso (New York Mets), Elly De La Cruz (Cincinnati Reds), Brendan Donovan (St. Louis Cardinals), Matt Olson (Atlanta Braves), Eugenio Suarez (Arizona Diamondbacks), Corbin Carroll (Arizona Diamondbacks), Kyle Stowers (Miami Marlins), Fernando Tatis Jr (San Diego Padres), James Wood (Washington Nationals), and Kyle Schwarber (Philadelphia Phillies). Now on to the starting pitchers for the NL team this year: Matthew Boyd (Chicago Cubs), MacKenzie Gore (Washington Nationals), legends pick Clayton Kershaw (Los Angeles Dodgers), Freddy Peralta (Milwaukee Brewers), Robbie Ray (Tampa Bay Rays), Chris Sale (Atlanta Braves), Paul Skenes (Pittsburgh Pirates), Logan Webb (San Francisco Giants), Zach Wheeler (Philadelphia Phillies) Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Los Angeles Dodgers), and Andrew Abbott (Cincinnati Reds). Last but not least getting to the relief NL relief pitchers: Jason Adam (San Diego Padres), Edwin Diaz (New York Mets), Randy Rodriguez (San Francisco Giants), and Robert Suarez (San Diego Padres). Ok, I know that’s a lot of names we just went through and personally I think the NL team was put together (voted on) correctly. Looking at the players from the starters to relief pitchers I do not think there is one player I would change out to be a starter/reserve, if I had to pick on maybe eliminating Yoshinobu Yamamoto but I am not sure who we would put in to take his place, maybe Nick Pivetta (San Diego Padres) or Dylan Cease (San Diego Padres)? However, I am not overly concerned with Yamamoto getting the nod as Allstar so we can move on. I do have one player that I think got snubbed from this year’s NL Allstar team and yes it may sound like a biased favorite on my side but I think my guy Seiya Suzuki should have made the reserves this year. He has been having a great year and leads the MLB in RBIs yet he was left off the allstar team? Come on! That being said I will say if I had the last vote and put Suzuki on the team that means I would have to get rid of one of the current reserves, looking at the reserves I think I would replace Kyle Stowers (Miami Marlins) no disrespect to him but it’s the Marlins at the end of the day. At the end of the day I do like this NL team’s roster and I think they have a fighting chance to not only win but maybe dominate the American League in the year’s game. 

Now on to the American League and their starters for this year’s team: 

Cal Raleigh  Seattle Mariners

Vladimir Guerrero Jr Toronto Blue Jays

Gleyber Torres Detroit Tigers

Jose Ramirez Cleveland Guardians

Jacob Wilson Las Vegas Athletics

Aaron Judge New York Yankees

Riley Greene Detroit Tigers

Javier Baez Detroit Tigers

Ryan O’Hearn Baltimore Orioles

Look at those Detroit Tigers domination the starting lineup with three players (one being an ex Chicago Cub just saying) and possibly the biggest surprise at shortstop being Jacob Wilson from the A’s!? There are a lot of big name shortstops in the American League like Bobby Whitt Jr, Gunnar Henderson, and Corey Seager but these great shortstops and others were beaten by rookie Jacob Wilson to start for the American League allstars this year. However, good for this kid, first year in the majors and already a allstar starter at one of the most prolific and talented positions in baseball. Moving on to the reserves for the AL: Alejandro Kirk (Toronto Blue Jays), Jonathan Aranda (Tampa Bay Rays), Alex Bregman (Boston Red Sox), Jazz Chisholm Jr (New York Yankees), Brandon Lowe (Tampa Bay Rays), Jeremy Pena (Houston Astros), Bobby Whitt Jr (Kansas City Royals), Junior Caminero (Tampa Bay Rays), Byron Buxton (Minnesota Twins), Steven Kwan (Cleveland Guardians), Julio Rodriguez (Seattle Mariners), and Brent Rooker (Las Vegas Athletics). Starting pitchers for the AL team this year are: Hunter Brown (Houston Astros), Kris Bubic (Kansas City Royals), Garret Crochet (Boston Red Sox), Jacob DeGrom (Texas Rangers), Max Fried (New York Yankees), Yusei Kikuchi (Los Angeles Angels), Tarik Skubal (Detroit Tigers), Shane Smith (Chicago White Sox), and Bryan Woo (Seattle Mariners). Finally, the reserve pitchers who made the AL team are: Aroldis Chapman (Boston Red Sox), Josh Hader (Houston Astros), and Andres Munoz (Seattle Mariners). I know, I know a lot of names again but looking at this year’s American League roster, I think I am changing a few things. First, Bobby Whitt Jr is starting at shortstop, no shade to the rookie Jacob Wilson but Whitt Jr is proven for multiple years now and is probably the best shortstop in the game. Second, even though Jose Ramirez is staple at third base for the AL all stars I am putting Alex Bregman as the starter. I think Bregman has had a better start to the season and he deserves to be the starter this year. Lastly, I do not care what the options are for the starting pitcher but Tarik Skubal better get the ball first for the AL on Tuesday. Skubal is the best pitcher in the MLB this season and it’s not even close, therefore he better be the one starting Tuesday night otherwise we riot as baseball fans! 

In ending, I need to calm down a little bit getting too excited over here. Overall this year should be an entertaining allstar break, it’s always enjoyable to see the best of the best take the field and battle for their prospective leagues. Like I said earlier my prediction for the home run derby is going to be a tough one, but give me Cal Raleigh beating hometown hero/favorite Ronald Acuna Jr. Raleigh has been on a tear to start the season leading the league in home runs and Acuna Jr came back from injury on a mission, but I just think Raleigh is built for an event like this especially starting the way he has this year. As far as the allstar game on Tuesday goes looking at the everything from the starters, to the reserves, on to the starting pitching, and ending at the relief pitchers give me the National League team to win the 2025 MLB All Star game, possibly in a dominating fashion!