Miami Marlins Infielder Rounds Out Official NL All-Star Game Lineup
MLB revealed the lineups for the 2023 All-Star Game on Monday, locking in the National League starters a day out from first pitch in Seattle.
Atlanta Braves right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. will be leading off for the NL, and a trio of Los Angeles Dodgers will follow him in the No. 2, 3 and 4 spots – first baseman Freddie Freeman, center fielder Mookie Betts and designated hitter JD Martinez. St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado is set to bat fifth, while Miami Marlins second baseman Luis Arraez will be hitting sixth.
Braves catcher Sean Murphy, Arizona Diamondbacks left fielder Corbin Carroll and Braves shortstop Orlando Arcia round out the lineup in the bottom three spots.
Diamondbacks right-hander Zac Gallen will start on the mound for the National League, pitting the 27-year-old against American League starter and New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole.
The 2023 All-Star starters were voted on from May 1 until June 29, when the results were made public. Pitchers and reserves were announced July 2.
Acuna – who is leading the league in runs, total bases, stolen bases and OPS – was voted as a starter for the fourth-consecutive All-Star Game. After batting ninth in 2019 and missing the 2021 edition of the contest due to injury, Acuna led off in 2022 and is set to do the same Tuesday.
This marks Arenado's eighth-straight All-Star appearance. The Cardinals star is currently hitting .283 with 19 home runs, 62 RBI and an .850 OPS. In pursuit of his 11th NL Gold Glove in a row, Arenado is putting up the highest fielding percentage of his Cardinals career at .978.
Arraez, on the other hand, was pushing to make history in the first half of the season after getting dealt from the Minnesota Twins in January. Last year's American League batting champion is leading the National League with a .383 batting average, a .434 on-base percentage and 126 hits so far this year, and he was hitting over .400 as recently as June 24.
Murphy, Carroll, Aracia and Gallen are all making their first All-Star appearances. Carroll is the first rookie in Diamondbacks history to be named a starter in the Midsummer Classic.
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