Nationals outfielder Juan Soto was selected Sunday as a reserve for the 2022 All-Star Game.
Major League Baseball announced the full teams Sunday evening, and Soto is the only player who will represent the Nationals (30-58) as an All-Star in Los Angeles next week. It is Soto’s second selection to the All-Star Game after earning a spot on the National League team last season.
As the NL MVP favorite entering the season, Soto hasn’t performed like his usual self so far this year, but his numbers are still good enough to make him one of the best hitters in baseball. Soto’s .871 on-base plus slugging ranks in the top 20 among qualified major league hitters, and he leads the Nationals with 17 home runs.
However, his .243 batting average, .398 on-base percentage and 473 slugging are all career lows for the 23-year-old superstar. But he’s caught fire in the last week, hitting multiple home runs during the team’s road trip in Atlanta and recording multiple hits in four straight games.
And, of course, he leads the big leagues with 73 walks — 21 more than any other player.
Soto was not voted in solely by the fans or players, but was added to the team by MLB.
The only other Nationals player who deserved All-Star Game consideration was Josh Bell, but the NL is heavy on star first basemen who earned the nod over Bell, including St. Louis’ Paul Goldschmidt, Colorado’s C.J. Cron and New York’s Pete Alonso.
Bell, 29, is having the best offensive season of his career. With a career-high .304 batting average, Bell is one of 13 qualified major league hitters with a batting average north of .300. He also leads the Nationals with 47 RBIs and a .491 slugging percentage and is second in home runs (12) and on-base percentage (.386).
However, Bell could still be added to the team in the coming week, as some All-Stars are often replaced due to injuries and other reasons.
While Soto is the only player who will represent D.C. at the All-Star Game, he isn’t the only National who will be there. Manager Dave Martinez will also be at Dodger Stadium as a coach on Braves skipper Brian Snitker’s staff. Snitker said this past weekend that he invited Martinez to join his staff to coach the NL team because the Nationals never fully got to celebrate their 2019 World Series due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Soto will see several familiar faces in Los Angeles, too. Former Nationals Trea Turner (Dodgers shortstop), Bryce Harper (Phillies designated hitter) and Kyle Schwarber (Phillies outfielder) will also play for the National League as All-Stars. Turner and Harper were voted as starters. Harper will not play because of a thumb fracture.
Former Nationals manager Dusty Baker will also be at Dodger Stadium as the American League skipper.
Up the beltway in Baltimore, the scorching hot Orioles also have only one player traveling to Los Angeles. Closer Jorge Lopez, one of the best relievers in the American League with a 1.74 earned run average and 16 saves, earned his first All-Star Game selection on Sunday.
The Yankees lead the majors with six All-Stars, while the Braves and Astros each have five players who were selected. The Blue Jays, Cardinals, Dodgers and Mets all have four All-Stars. The Cardinals’ Albert Pujols and the Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera were added to the two rosters by Commissioner Rob Manfred last week under a provision in the new labor agreement.
The All-Star Game is Tuesday, July 19, at 7:30 p.m.
• Jacob Calvin Meyer can be reached at jmeyer@washingtontimes.com.
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