ASG deep dive: 11 fun facts on this year's rosters

It’ll be a star-studded group on the field next Tuesday at T-Mobile Park in Seattle. By definition, the All-Star Game presented by Mastercard always puts the game’s top players on display, of course, and this year is no exception. With full All-Star rosters announced Sunday, it’s time to dig into the relevant context.

• MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard: July 11 on FOX

Here are 11 stats & facts about the 2023 All-Star rosters.

Reserves revealed
• The Braves lead the way with eight All-Stars -- Bryce Elder, Spencer Strider, Sean Murphy, Ozzie Albies, Orlando Arcia, Matt Olson, Austin Riley and Ronald Acuña Jr. That’s their most in a season in franchise history, surpassing 2003 and 1997, when they had seven.

• Only six teams have had more than eight All-Stars in a year, all of those were AL clubs. The Braves’ eight All-Stars tie the 2008 Cubs, 1960 Pirates, 1956 Reds and 1943 Cardinals for the most All-Stars for an NL club in a season.

• Six of those Braves are position players, tied for the third-most by a team in a year, behind only the 1976 Reds and 1939 Yankees, each with seven. Before these Braves, the last team with at least six were the 2008 Red Sox. Before that? Not since the 1978 Red Sox.

• The Rangers have the second-most, with six All-Stars. That’s tied for their second-most in franchise history with 2010, behind only 2012, when they had eight. Of this year’s six, four are starters, which will be their most in a single All-Star Game, surpassing 2012 (three) -- which was also the last time even a single Rangers player started the All-Star Game.

• This is Clayton Kershaw's 10th All-Star selection, tying Pee Wee Reese for most in Dodgers history. Kershaw's 10th season on an All-Star roster ties Steve Carlton, Randy Johnson and Tom Glavine for fifth-most among pitchers, behind only Warren Spahn (14), Mariano Rivera (13), Tom Seaver (12) and Roger Clemens (11).

• For the third year in a row, Shohei Ohtani is in as both a hitter -- voted the AL’s starting DH -- and a pitcher. In 2021, he was the first player to be on the All-Star team as a hitter and pitcher, and now he’s done it three times.

Starting squads
• As announced Thursday, Mike Trout is a starter. It’s his 11th All-Star selection overall, and he’s 31 years old. He’s one of eight players to make at least 11 All-Star teams by his age-31 season, joining Johnny Bench (12), Al Kaline (12), Mickey Mantle (12), Ken Griffey Jr. (11), Alex Rodriguez (11), Rod Carew (11) and Henry Aaron (11).

• Josh Jung and Corbin Carroll will be the second duo of rookies to start the same All-Star Game, joining Kosuke Fukudome and Geovany Soto in 2008. Those two were Cubs teammates, meaning this will be the first time that each All-Star squad has a rookie starter. These rookies don’t come around too often -- the last rookie to start an ASG at any position was Aaron Judge in 2017.

• Speaking of Jung, he’s in a particularly select group at third base. ​​He will be just the second rookie third baseman to start an All-Star Game, joining 1949 Eddie Kazak, per the Elias Sports Bureau.

• One more note on the Braves, who have three starters. This will be the first time they have three or more non-pitcher starters since 1960. That year, they had four: Henry Aaron, Joe Adcock, Del Crandall and Eddie Mathews.

• Freddie Freeman will be the third Dodgers first baseman to start an All-Star Game, joining Steve Garvey (seven times) and Gil Hodges (1951). He’s one of three Dodgers starters, with Mookie Betts and J.D. Martinez. This will be the first time the Dodgers have three or more non-pitcher starters since 1980, when they had four in Garvey, Davey Lopes, Bill Russell and Reggie Smith.