All-Star Game FAQ: Starting lineups, how to watch & rosters (8 p.m. ET, FOX)

July 16th, 2024

ARLINGTON -- Lone Star State? More like All-Star State. Because at Globe Life Field on Tuesday, baseball’s stars at night will shine so bright (clap, clap, clap, clap), deep in the heart of Texas.

The 94th All-Star Game, played at the home of the Rangers, will have a distinct Texas vibe, from the player uniforms to the concessions and more. And interestingly, this marks the first time since 1939 and only the third time overall that a reigning World Series champion has hosted the Midsummer Classic (1934 Giants at the Polo Grounds, 1939 Yankees at Yankee Stadium).

But as always, the main focus is the Texas-sized talent on the rosters, which include 37 first-time All-Stars -- none more prominent that Pirates rookie , whose incredible start to his career has earned him the unique honor not just of reaching the All-Star Game one year after he was taken No. 1 overall in the MLB Draft but starting the game for the NL squad.

“Paul’s everything great about this game,” said NL manager Torey Lovullo. “His ability to balance what he’s had to go through over the past year has been amazing. He does it with humility and he does it very, very well.”

The AL will look to rebound from a 3-2 loss last season in Seattle, while the NL will look for back-to-back wins for the first time since it won three straight from 2010-2012.

Here's everything you need to know about the 2024 All-Star Game.

How can I watch the game?

FOX's coverage will begin at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, with the first pitch coming about an hour later.

Who are the starting pitchers?

Lovullo made the rare move of announcing his starting pitcher days in advance, and that’s fitting given the exceptional circumstances surrounding Skenes. He has needed only 11 starts in the big leagues to prove he’s one of the absolute best starters in the sport – the fewest career appearances ever for an All-Star starter. The only other rookies to start this game, per the Elias Sports Bureau, were Dave Stenhouse (1962), Mark Fidrych (1976), Fernando Valenzuela (1981) and Hideo Nomo (1995).

“Pretty grateful to be in this position, to even be at an All-Star Game in the first place,” said Skenes, who has a 1.90 ERA, 215 ERA+ and 0.92 WHIP in 66 1/3 innings. “Just super grateful to get the opportunity to start it.”

AL manager Bruce Bochy went the more conventional route by announcing his starter – the Orioles’ -- at Monday’s Media Day, which Burnes did not attend because his wife recently gave birth to twins.

Burnes owns a 2.43 ERA over 19 starts during his first season with the Orioles after six with the Brewers. The 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner has been as reliable as they come since becoming a full-time starter for Milwaukee that year. He has struck out more than 200 batters every season since then, and at the All-Star break this year, he’s got 110 strikeouts over 118 2/3 innings.

The 29-year-old Burnes has once again firmly planted himself in the middle of the Cy Young Award race, this time in the AL, thanks to a dominant first half that was a huge boost to an Orioles club whose starting rotation has been hit hard by injuries.

When he takes the mound for the AL, Burnes will become the first Baltimore pitcher to start an All-Star Game since Steve Stone in 1980. Hall of Famer Jim Palmer ('70, '72, '77 and '78) and Milt Pappas ('65) also started Midsummer Classics while representing the Orioles.

What are the starting lineups?

NATIONAL LEAGUE

1. , 2B (AZ)
2. , DH (LAD)
3. , SS (PHI)
4. 1B (PHI)
5. , C (MIL)
6. , RF (MIL)
7. , 3B (PHI)
8. , CF (LAD)
9. , LF (SD)

Hernández replaced Fernando Tatis Jr., who was elected as a starter in his second All-Star Game but will not play due to a stress reaction in his thigh.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

1. , LF (CLE)
2. , SS (BAL)
3. , RF (NYY)
4. , CF (NYY)
5. , DH (HOU)
6. , 3B (CLE)
7. , 1B (TOR)
8. , C (BAL)
9. , 2B (TEX)

Semien replaced Jose Altuve, who was elected as a starter for his ninth All-Star Game nod but will not be appearing in the game due to a sore left hand.

Who are the position player reserves?

^ Denotes a player who is inactive or has chosen not to play
+ Named as a replacement

AMERICAN LEAGUE

C: Salvador Perez (KC)
INF: (HOU) ^
INF: Carlos Correa (MIN) ^
INF: Rafael Devers (BOS) ^
INF: Josh Naylor (CLE)
INF: Isaac Paredes (TB)
INF: Willi Castro (MIN) +
INF: Jordan Westburg (BAL) +
INF: Bobby Witt Jr. (KC)
INF: (TEX) +
OF: Jarren Duran (BOS)
OF: Riley Greene (DET)
OF: Kyle Tucker (HOU) ^
OF: Anthony Santander (BAL) +
DH: David Fry (CLE)

NATIONAL LEAGUE

C: Will Smith (LAD)
INF: CJ Abrams (WSH)
INF: Pete Alonso (NYM)
INF: Luis Arraez (SD)
INF: Mookie Betts (LAD)
INF: Elly De La Cruz (CIN)
INF: Freddie Freeman (LAD)
INF: Ryan McMahon (COL)
OF: Jackson Merrill (SD)
OF: Heliot Ramos (SF)
OF: Bryan Reynolds (PIT)
OF: (SD) ^
DH: Marcell Ozuna (ATL)

Which pitchers were selected?

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Starting pitchers
LHP: Tyler Anderson (LAA)
RHP: Corbin Burnes (BAL)
LHP: Garrett Crochet (CWS)
RHP: Logan Gilbert (SEA) ^
RHP: Tanner Houck (BOS)
RHP: Seth Lugo (KC)
LHP: Cole Ragans (KC)
LHP: Tarik Skubal (DET)

Relief pitchers
RHP: Emmanuel Clase (CLE)
RHP: Clay Holmes (NYY)
RHP: Mason Miller (OAK)
RHP: Andrés Muñoz (SEA) +
RHP: Kirby Yates (TEX)

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Starting pitchers
RHP: Tyler Glasnow (LAD) ^
RHP: Hunter Greene (CIN) +
LHP: Shota Imanaga (CHC)
RHP: Reynaldo López (ATL)
LHP: Chris Sale (ATL) ^
RHP: Paul Skenes (PIT)
LHP: Ranger Suárez (PHI)
RHP: Logan Webb (SF)
RHP: Zack Wheeler (PHI)
LHP: Cristopher Sánchez (PHI) +

Relief pitchers
RHP: (WSH) +
RHP: Ryan Helsley (STL) ^
RHP: Jeff Hoffman (PHI)
LHP: Tanner Scott (MIA)
LHP: Matt Strahm (PHI)
RHP: Robert Suarez (SD)

Does the All-Star Game still decide home-field advantage in the World Series?

No. That element was removed as part of the Collective Bargaining Agreement before the 2017 season. Since then, the All-Star Game has returned to being an exhibition and home-field advantage in the World Series has gone to the pennant-winner with the better regular-season record.

How many times have the Rangers hosted the All-Star Game?

This is the second time the Rangers have hosted the All-Star Game, the first coming in 1995 when they played at The Ballpark in Arlington. In that game, the NL edged the AL by a 3-2 score and the Marlins' Jeff Conine (pinch-hit go-ahead homer) was named MVP. This is the first time a defending World Series champion has hosted the All-Star Game since 1939.

How can fans get involved in the game?

Fans can again take part in the official voting for the Ted Williams All-Star Game MVP Award presented by Chevrolet by voting during the game at MLB.com and the 30 club sites. The fans' voice will represent 20 percent of the official vote determining the game MVP Award.

Which league has the all-time edge in the All-Star Game?

The AL has the all-time lead -- 47 wins and 44 losses, with two ties -- and has dominated in recent decades. The AL has lost just seven times since 1988 and four times since 1997. The league won 13 straight All-Star Games from 1997 through 2009. After three straight losses from 2010-2012, the AL then won nine straight.

What are some other fun facts to know?

  • The last time Arlington hosted the Midsummer Classic, the starting lineups featured 12 future Hall of Famers, while the two rosters combined for a total of 16 players who were bound for Cooperstown.
  • Also during that last Arlington All-Star affair, which the NL won 3-2, all three National League runs scored via solo homers (Craig Biggio, Mike Piazza, Conine). And not just that, they came in three consecutive innings. And not just that, they were the NL's only three hits of the game.
  • While 2024 is the first time Globe Life Field has hosted an All-Star Game, it has hosted two World Series -- though only one involved the Rangers (2023). Remember, the stadium hosted the Fall Classic (and the NLCS) as a neutral site during the 2020 COVID season.
  • This is the fifth time the state of Texas has hosted the All-Star Game. In addition to the two in Arlington, the Astros have hosted three times in Houston (1968, 1986, 2004), but never as an AL team.
  • Salvador Perez and Jose Altuve have the most career All-Star selections (nine) of the players chosen this season. Meanwhile, Betts and Freeman have the second-most All-Star selections, with eight each.