As the festivities of the All-Star break continue, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. 2024 All-Star Game:
The 94th MLB All-Star Game is set to take place in Arlington tonight. Hometown manager Bruce Bochy will manage the American League. The National League team will be managed by Arizona manager Torey Lovullo. The NL club will send Pirates rookie sensation Paul Skenes (1.90 ERA) to the mound to begin the game, while Bochy will counter with Orioles ace Corbin Burnes (2.43 ERA) to represent the AL.
Last year, the NL eked out a 3-2 win over the AL for their first victory in the All-Star Game since 2012, and they’ll look to make it two in a row this evening at 7pm CT. They’ll do so without Fernando Tatis Jr. in the starting lineup, as the Padres star is sidelined by injury and has been replaced by Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez. A similar situation has played out at second base in the AL, where Astros star Jose Altuve has stepped back from the All-Star Game due to a hand injury and ceded his spot in the starting lineup to Rangers second baseman Marcus Semien.
2. Draft Day 3:
Yesterday saw all 30 organizations select a variety of potential future big leaguers in Rounds 3-10 of the MLB draft. The draft will conclude today with Rounds 11-20 starting at 1pm CT. At this point in the draft, most top-tier talents are prep players expected to honor their commitments to play collegiate ball. To have a realistic shot of signing any of them, a club would have to have saved up a considerable portion of their bonus pool from the first two days. Players like right-hander Dax Whitney (committed to Oregon State), outfielder Garrett Shull (an Oklahoma State commit) and shortstop Sawyer Farr (a Texas A&M recruit) are all widely considered to be among the best 50 to 100 talents in this year’s overall draft class but could be tough signs, given bonus pool limitations and strong college commitments.
3. MLBTR Chat Today:
With MLB’s All-Star festivities fully underway and the 2024 draft reaching its final stage, the attention of MLB clubs will soon turn to the coming trade deadline on July 30. If you have any questions about your favorite team’s direction in the coming weeks or a trade idea you have in the back of your mind, MLBTR’s Steve Adams is holding a live chat with readers at 1pm CT today. You can click here to ask a question in advance, join in live once the chat begins, or read the…
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