Soto, Turner and Schwarber to ASG roster
WASHINGTON -- Rosters for the 2021 All-Star Game have been set. Juan Soto, Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner will represent the Nationals at the Midsummer Classic on July 13 at Coors Field.
It is the first career All-Star selection for each of the Nationals’ three representatives. Schwarber and Turner were both elected by players, while Soto was chosen by MLB after fan and player elections.
Washington will have three members on the National League roster for the first time since 2018, when it played host, and Bryce Harper, Max Scherzer and Sean Doolittle represented the squad in the All-Star Game.
“You saw in the last month what us three and everyone else is capable of, and what we can do as a team,” said Turner on Sunday. “It's fun when we're all clicking and playing together, and we’ve got a lot of baseball left, and we’ve got to keep going.”
Through the midway point of the season, Soto ranks second in on-base percentage (.399) and he is tied for the second-most walks in the National League (50). He’s currently riding a 21-game on-base streak, matching his career high.
“It's like a dream for every player, just to come to the All-Star Game to be around all those stars and famous people,” said Soto. “It is gonna be a great experience to be out there and have fun with all those guys. … [My family] has been pushing for me the whole way -- they’ve been voting. It’s crazy how much they tried to make me an All-Star. So I just told them, let them know, ‘We made it.’”
Turner sits atop a majority of leaderboards among NL shortstops, including leading in batting average (.318) and stolen bases (18). His 30 multihit games is tied for the second-most in the National League, and he has recorded at least one run in a career-best 12 straight games.
“My mom and my wife were really excited about it, and probably wanted it more than I did,” joked Turner on his first All-Star selection. “It's cool getting to tell those people around you that you made it, because they have a part in it. Putting that smile on their face just as much as your own face is nice. … Just to be a part of it is special and something that we won't forget. We’ll try to cherish it for the rest of our lives and try to soak it all in when we go.”
Schwarber is coming off the hottest month in his career, for which he was named the National League Player of the Month. He smacked 16 homers in June, including seven to lead off a game. The left fielder hit 16 home runs over an 18-game stretch, which had only been done twice before in MLB history by Sammy Sosa (1998) and Barry Bonds (2001).
“Whenever you are a baseball player, it's something that you hope that you participate in,” said Schwarber. “You are holding yourself to the standards, and when the other players around you and fans around [you] think that you deserve to be in this game, it's definitely pretty cool. It's a great feeling. And I'm very excited.”
Both Turner and Schwarber are sidelined due to injury, with no timetable for return. The Nats’ shortstop is day to day with a jammed left middle finger that he sustained while sliding into third base for a triple while hitting for the cycle on June 30. Schwarber was placed on the 10-day IL with a significant right hamstring strain, which is expected to keep him out for some time according to manager Dave Martinez.
Though he will not be able to play, Schwaber is looking forward to experiencing everything. He hopes to bring his wife along -- and maybe his parents -- to watch with him. Soto joked that he has “his boys” there too, if his family doesn’t make the trip.
“I'd like to go and still experience everything,” said Schwarber. “You only get one first. I want to experience it and just make the most of it. That sucks that I won't be able to play, but you know what, it is what it is. I'm still very excited to be a part of it.”