The Annual MLB All-Star Week affair will start on July 11, 2021, with the Futures Game and the Celebrity Softball Game on Sunday. The Features Game will present the top potential players from around the minor league baseball while the Celebrity Softball Game features outstanding and not so notable personalities and ex-athletes. The MLB Draft started on Sunday for a change making it a higher profile than usual.
Who are in the 2021 MLB Draft Picks?
The 2021 MLB began Sunday with the Pittsburgh Pirates hoisting in Louisville Catcher Henry Davis as the number one draft pick overall. The Minnesota Twins took in no.36 shortstop Noah Miller fresh from Northern Ozaukee High School District in Fredonia, Wisconsin.
The New York Yankees picked Shortstop Trey Sweeney from Eastern Illinois University. Two more days and several rounds will transpire before the draft picks reach their conclusion.
Here are the top ten draft picks for the week by the NYY:
- Short Stop Trey Sweeney Eastern Illinois University
- PHP Brendan Beck Stanford University
- LHP Brock Selvidge Hamilton High School in Arizona
- 2B Cooper Bowman Louisville
- 1B Tyler Hardman University of Oklahoma
- RHP Richard Fitts Auburn
- LHP Robert Ahlstrom Oregon
- RHP Will Warren Southeastern Louisiana
- RHP Chandler Champlain University of Southern California
- SS Benjamin Cowles Maryland
The Pittsburgh Pirates chose Louisville Catcher Henry Davis with the top overall pick along with:
- Jack Leiter, RHP, Vanderbilt
- Jackson Jobe, RHP, Heritage Hall HS (OK)
- Marcelo Mayer, SS, Eastlake HS (CA)
- Colton Cowser, OF, Sam Houston State
The Kansas City Royals selected Connecticut high school lefty Frank Mozzicato with the seventh pick. Mozzicato is from East Catholic High School in Manchester, Connecticut.
The Boston Red Sox landed SS Marcelo Mayer out of Eastlake High School, as the 4th overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft.
The Arizona Diamondbacks picked SS Jordan Lawlar from the Jesuit Preparatory School of Dallas in Texas. The question is if he signs up in the draft or will he proceed to Vanderbilt?
There are more rounds in the 2021 MLB Draft Picks that will end tomorrow.
All-Star Game Home Run Derby for 2021
The 2021 Home Run Derby will feature top sluggers that will vie for the most home runs made. The bracket-style event will have entries from various baseball clubs. Here are the top eight players competing in the home run derby for this year paired out in the first round.
No.1 DH/SP Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels will face No.8 OF Juan Sotto of the Washington Nationals in the first round at the top-right bracket.
No.4 Catcher Salvador Perez of the Kansas City Royal will square off with No.5 1B Pete Alonso of the New York Mets for the first round at the bottom-right bracket.
Winners of the top and brackets will play in the semifinals of the right bracket.
No.2 OF Joey Gallo of the Texas Rangers will slug it out with No.7 SS Trevor Story of the Colorado Rockies in the first round of the top-left bracket.
No.3 1B Matt Olson of the Oakland Athletics will bat with No.6 1B Trey Mancini of the Baltimore Orioles in the bottom-left bracket. Winners of the top and bottom left brackets will face each other in the semi-finals of the left bracket.
Who will play in the 2021 MLB All-Star Game?
Due to the pandemic last year, the 2020 MLB All-Star Game did not push through. The 92nd 2021 MLB All-Star Game will see top players from the American and National Leagues outplay each other in this prestigious event. The American League beat the National League for the 7th straight win to a score of 4-3 in the last MLB All-Star Game of 2019 at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio.
What was the Method of the All-Star Team’s Selection Process?
The American and National League consists of a 32-man roster that includes 20 position players and 12 pitchers, down from 34 before 2017.
Fans will vote to choose the “Primary”, as starting positions. For the National League, fans vote for 8 position players while fans can vote for one extra position since this league has a designated hitter spot in the American League.
The top 3 voted players in each position will go through to a separate, second-round election. The winners are chosen to start in the 2021 MLB All-Star Game.
Starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani will be on the mound for the American League. Here are the starters for the team.
- Shohei Ohtani, DH Los Angeles Angels
- Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B Toronto Blue Jays
- Xander Bogaerts, SS Boston Red Sox
- Aaron Judge, RF New York Yankees
- Rafael Devers, 3B Boston Red Sox
- Marcus Semien, 2B Toronto Blue Jays
- Salvador Perez, C Kansas City Royals
- Teoscar Hernandez, LF Toronto Blue Jays
- Cedric Mullins, CF Baltimore Orioles
For the National League, Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals will hurl the first pitch. Here are the starters for the team.
- Fernando Tatis Jr., SS San Diego Padres
- Max Muncy, DH LA Dodgers
- Nolan Arenado, 3B St. Louis Cardinals
- Freddie Freeman, 1B Atlanta Braves
- Nick Castellanos, RF Cincinnati Reds
- Jesse Winker, LF Cincinnati Reds
- JT Realmuto, C Philadelphia Phillies
- Bryan Reynolds, CF Pittsburgh Pirates
- Adam Frazier, SB Pittsburgh Pirates
The National League is rearing to take the win and cut off the 7-game run of the American League. Tune in tomorrow for this exciting match.