Unlike the NBA All-Star Game, every team is represented in the MLB All-Star Game in Miami on Tuesday, so every fan has at least one reason to watch. The best All-Star event in sports, though, takes place Monday, with the Home Run Derby taking flight on ESPN at 8 p.m. (EST).
Here’s every fan’s reason to watch the Home Run Derby or MLB All-Star Game.
The Buyers
Houston Astros
What to watch: All-Star Game
Reason to watch: While there’s no benefit to Houston if the American League wins the All-Star Game, there will be three reasons to watch the game. Carlos Correa and George Springer will both start in their All-Star Game debuts, and Jose Altuve will join them as a starter for his fifth appearance.
The best part about the MLB All-Star Game is that it creates matchups fans don’t get to see very often, outside of interleague play and the World Series. If Max Scherzer gets the ball while the Astros are in the game, Astros fans will want to know if their youngsters can hit the Nationals’ ace if they happen to meet in the World Series. So far, Altuve is 2-for-11 against Scherzer, Correa is hitless in six at-bats, and Springer is 2-for-6 with three strikeouts.
Los Angeles Dodgers
What to watch: Home Run Derby
Reason to watch: With Clayton Kershaw starting on Sunday and ineligible for the All-Star Game, Dodger fans will have to wait until the late innings to see Kenley Jansen. But rookie Cody Bellinger will be worth watching in the Home Run Derby. He’s got 25 homers in his first season and hasn’t shown any sign of slowing down (150 OPS+). He’s averaging almost one dinger per 10 at-bats. He takes on Colorado’s Charlie Blackmon in the first round of the derby.
Arizona Diamondbacks
What to watch: All-Star Game
Reason to watch: A surprise to many, the Diamondbacks are contending thanks to pitching. Arizona fans will get to see if starters Zack Greinke and Robbie Ray can handle the spotlight, as both will likely pitch in the early innings against some of the best hitters the American League has to offer.
George Springer is 3-for-6 with two doubles and a walk against Ray, and Michael Brantley is five-for-16 with a double and home run against Greinke.
Don’t forget about the powerful Paul Goldschmidt and third baseman Jake Lamb. Lamb hasn’t seen much of the AL All-Star pitchers, so this will be the opportunity to show Diamondback fans what he’s got.
Washington Nationals
What to watch: All-Star Game
Reason to watch: Max Scherzer will probably get the start for the National League, and he should be fun to watch. AL starter at first base, Justin Smoak, is 1-for-13 against Scherzer. Jose Altuve is 2-for-11. Jose Ramirez is 1-for-6, and George Springer is 2-for-6 with three strikeouts. But look for Scherzer to be tested by AL catcher Salvador Perez if the two meet. Perez has been a pest to Scherzer, going 10-for-29 with a .987 OPS against the righty.
Ryan Zimmerman is also starting his first All-Star Game and is 0-for-2 versus Chris Sale. Hit machine Daniel Murphy will join him on the right side of the infield, and will likely get his first look at Sale.
Boston Red Sox
What to watch: All-Star Game
Reason to watch: Mookie Betts will start in place of the injured Mike Trout, and he has never seen Scherzer. He’s also 0-for-2 with a strikeout against Greinke, so Red Sox fans should tune in to see how the youngster fares in a possible preview of World Series matchups.
Colorado Rockies
What to watch: All-Star Game
Reason to watch: Charlie Blackmon has two hits in his only two at-bats against Sale. Joining him in the starting lineup is teammate Nolan Arenado. DJ LeMahieu will likely relieve Murphy at second base, and Colorado fans will hope to see him get his first hit off Minnesota’s Ervin Santana. He’s 0-for-5 in seven plate appearances so far.
Rockies fans will also want to know if Greg Holland can be depended upon to get some of baseball’s best hitters out in high-leverage situations. Miguel Sano is 2-for-3 off him, and Chicago’s Avisail Garcia is 2-for-8.
Milwaukee Brewers
What to watch: All-Star Game
Reason to watch: Corey Knebel has been one of the most underrated relievers in baseball thus far (15.8 K/9, 1.171 WHIP). He hasn’t had many chances to see the NL All-Stars, but will get that chance on Tuesday. Michael Brantley is the only AL All-Star with a hit against Knebel.
Cleveland Indians
What to watch: All-Star Game
Reason to watch: Jose Ramirez can prove he’s for real. Ramirez has been a darkhorse MVP candidate this season, carrying a Cleveland squad that’s had injury and offensive consistency issues. But Ramirez has been the model of consistency, and he shouldn’t be the darkhorse, he should be the frontrunner.
At 24, Ramirez has smashed 16 homers that have lifted his OPS to a ridiculous .980 and his OPS+ to 147. That’s 26 points higher than Edwin Encarnacion, and it’s not even the most impressive thing about Ramirez’s season. Through 348 plate appearances, he’s struck out just 39 times.
Ramirez has already proven himself against AL aces. He’s 5-for-14 with an .831 OPS against Chris Sale, but hasn’t had too much luck against Max Scherzer (1-for-6, 2B, 2 Ks). With Ramirez starting for the American League at third base, Cleveland fans should watch and see what he could potentially do if the Indians find themselves in the World Series again.
New York Yankees
What to watch: Home Run Derby and All-Star Game
Reason to watch: Aaron Judge. This kid just broke the franchise record for homers in a rookie season with 30, and there’s still three months of baseball to be played. He’s also hit the fastest recorded home run (of which we know the exit velocity) and the longest home run of the season (of which we know the distance; more on this later). He’s going to hit a bunch of baseballs over 500 feet. Oh, and he’s starting in the outfield for the American League in the All-Star Game and will likely get his first plate appearance against Max Scherzer and Zach Greinke.
Kansas City Royals
What to watch: Home Run Derby
Reason to watch: Mike Moustakas is not missing the mistakes. That’s all Moustakas will see in the home run derby — mistakes. His 25 homers this year are a career best — three more than the 22 he hit in all of 2015. He’ll do battle against divisional foe Miguel Sano in the first round of the derby. Speaking of Sano…
The Contenders
Minnesota Twins
What to watch: Home Run Derby and All-Star Game
Reason to watch: Like Judge, Miguel Sano is making his debut in both the Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game. Remember when I mentioned that Judge hit the longest home run of which we know the distance this season? Well, Miguel Sano hit a ball so hard and so far it broke Statcast. It’s been over a week, and we still don’t know how far this ball went. I never saw it land. It disappeared having gone into (or over) the Miller Lite Fountain Bar. I’ve called Kauffman Stadium, and no one there can tell me how far that is from home plate. I’m tracking down the city planner now, hoping to find some blueprints of the stadium. I think they should break out a tape measure, but we might never know how far that ball would have traveled had it not hit a wall. One hundred years from now people will talk about Sano’s homer like we do some of Harmon Killebrew’s mythical moonshots.
Not only will Sano provide plenty of Sano-doubters in the home run derby, but Twins fans will get a chance to see him take whacks against some of the hardest-throwing, nastiest National League pitchers. The big man’s been carrying the Twins to a surprising first half, and they’ll need him to continue doing the heavy lifting.
There are also some trade chips the Twins will showcase at the All-Star Game. Closer Brandon Kintzler was a late addition to the American League roster, and Ervin Santana will have a chance to prove his season’s been no fluke. Regardless of the Twins position in the standings, both players will likely be shopped, especially Kintzler given his expiring contract.
Everything about the Twins screams regression, but they just don’t quit. They came back from a 6-0 deficit against Baltimore on Friday and won 9-6. The defense has improved dramatically, but there’s glaring needs in the starting rotation and bullpen. So much so that the Twins signed 44-year-old Bartolo Colon to a minor league deal, Friday.
Tampa Bay Rays
What to watch: All-Star Game
Reason to watch: Corey Dickerson is making his first appearance in the All-Star Game and will be the starting designated hitter for the American League. Dickerson will likely get the first plate appearance of his career against Max Scherzer, but I doubt he’ll be in the game once Zach Greinke is on the mound. He’s 3-for-20 against him with a .442 OPS.
Tampa’s starting rotation is going to keep the Rays competitive even Chris Archer is the only All-Star amongst them, and he was a replacement. As long as the Rays and Dickerson keep hitting like they are (the entire team has an average OPS+ of 110), Chris Archer, Alex Cobb and Jake Odorizzi will keep them in games. And now Jacob Faria has burst onto the scene, going 4-0 with an ERA+ of 199 over six starts. They could win the AL East if they can find someone to replace Blake Snell (0-5 in 10 starts spanning 52 innings and a 5.14 FIP).
Enter Brett Honeywell, who has struggled with the AAA Durham Bulls (1.437 WHIP), but won Futures Game MVP honors. He throws a nasty screwball and should contribute to Tampa this season.
Chicago Cubs
What to watch: All-Star Game
Reason to watch: Wade Davis is the only Chicago Cub on the NL All-Star team. The defending champions have been a mess so far this season, and I think Cub fans probably have the fewest reasons to watch any of the All-Star events. Here’s two, though: hope that either Michael Brantley or Avisail Garcia bats against Davis. Brantley is 5-for-17 with a homer and two doubles, and Garcia is 3-for-8 against Davis.
Seattle Mariners
What to watch: All-Star Game
Reason to watch: Seattle is in desperate need of some young, resilient arms. Their starters just can’t stay on the field, and they moved Taijuan Walker for Jean Segura. The Mariners could have used Walker’s 76.1 innings and 3.30 ERA, but, I mean, it’s Jean Segura.
Jean Segura is so good he signed an extension while on the DL, because he’s fantastic (136 OPS+). He will officially lead Major League Baseball in hitting after his next plate appearance and didn’t make the All-Star team. He led the league in hits last year and didn’t make the All-Star team. He hasn’t been to the All-Star Game since 2013, and when the AL needs a replacement for Starlin Castro, who goes? Robinson Cano, whose OPS+ is 16 points lower than Segura’s. Come on!
Cano might play second base everyday, but Segura can play second base, too. In 142 games at second with Arizona last year, Segura was better than he was at short, which makes sense. Second base is easier. In fact, he was exactly as good at second base in 2016 as Cano has been this year (5 runs above average). Segura got robbed again, but at least he got paid.
Mariners fans will have to settle for watching Cano and Nelson Cruz take whacks, but they are more likely to go yard than Segura, so they’ve got that going for them.
Los Angeles Angels
What to watch: Uhm…Home Run Derby
Reason to watch: Angels fans also have little reason to watch the All-Star Game with their only All-Star, Mike Trout, not playing. They also don’t have anyone in the derby, but 500-foot home runs should be enough reason to watch.
Texas Rangers
What to watch: Uhm…Home Run Derby
Reason to watch: With Yu Darvish pitching Sunday and being ineligible to pitch for the AL All-Stars, Rangers fans have very little to watch any of the All-Star events. There were no Rangers’ prospects I can see on the Futures Game roster, and Darvish wasn’t replaced by a Ranger pitcher. So watch the Home Run Derby Rangers fans, because, again, 500-foot home runs.
Toronto Blue Jays
What to watch: Justin Smoak will be put on display in Miami. The 30-year-old is an All-Star for the first time, and he’ll be starting at first base. His OPS+ is 141. His OPS is .939. And he comes with up to two years of control at a rate that’s more than reasonable. If Toronto is wowed, they could sell very high at the deadline.
Most interesting is if Max Scherzer gets the start for the NL. Smoak is just 1-for-13 against him in his career.
The Sellers
Atlanta Braves
What to watch: All-Star Game
Reason to watch: Ender Inciarte is pretty darn good defensively, and he can hit. But can he hit Andrew Miller or Dellin Betances? Braves fans will find out if they tune into the All-Star Game.
St. Louis Cardinals
What to watch: All-Star Game
Reason to watch: Carlos Martinez has been the Cardinals’ best player. It would take an entire roster to get him out of St. Louis. It will be interesting if Martinez sees Oakland’s Yonder Alonso at the plate during the All-Star Game. He’s surrendered four hits in nine of Alonso’s at-bats against him, including a double.
Baltimore Orioles
What to watch: All-Star Game
Reason to watch: Jonathon Schoop is an All-Star for the first time at just 25-years-old. He’s mashing (.885 OPS), and he’s arbitration eligible. I’d imagine the Dodgers would be interested in adding a second baseman like Schoop, but might not pay dearly for it. Either way, Orioles fans should tune in for some of the toughest at-bats of Schoop’s career.
Pittsburgh Pirates
What to watch: All-Star Game
Reason to watch: Josh Harrison returns to the All-Star Game after a two-season hiatus. I don’t know that Pittsburgh would shop Harrison given the three potential years of control they have, but the contract gets $2.5 million dollars more expensive next year and stays $3 million more expensive if the Pirates pick up the options. Regardless, MLB GMs will get a look at Harrison against premiere pitching. He hasn’t seen Andrew Miller, Dellin Betances or Craig Kimbrel.
New York Mets
What to watch: All-Star Game
Reason to watch: Michael Conforto is an All-Star for the first time at 24 and despite being on the 10-day DL, he hopes to play. His season thus far has been insane, as he’s managed an OPS+ of 150. The Mets will likely hold onto the young outfielder since he won’t be a free agent until 2022, but Mets fans would love to see him against the AL’s best pitchers. He’s only seen Chris Archer (0-for-3 with 2 Ks) Luis Severino (0-for-2, K) and Ervin Santana (0-for-1, K).
Miami Marlins
What to watch: Home Run Derby
Reason to watch: Giancarlo Stanton defends his Home Run Derby title in front of his Miami faithful. Again, baseballs going 500-feet at more than 100 miles per hour — need I say more?
Detroit Tigers
What to watch: All-Star Game
Reason to watch: I can’t imagine anyone is interested in picking up the nearly $100 million Justin Upton’s owed over the next 4.5 years, but it might be cool to watch him swing against guys who throw hard. He’s had success against the top reliever on the trade market, San Diego’s Brad Hand. Upton is 2-for-7 with a dinger and three walks against him.
Oakland Athletics
What to watch: All-Star Game
Reason to watch: Yonder Alonso, 30, is a free agent at the end of the year, and I doubt Billy Beane is interested in paying him coming off an All-Star season, because he’d rather make big Trade Deadline deals.
Alonso can make it easier on Bean if he gets a hit against one of the NL All-Stars. He’s already 2-for-3 off Robbie Ray, but is 1-for-14 against Zack Greinke.
Chicago White Sox
What to watch: All-Star Game
Reason to watch: Is Avisail Garcia for real (.502 SLG)? White Sox fans will get a pretty good indication either way on Monday. He likely won’t see Max Scherzer, who he’s hit hard in big spots (3 H, 2 XBH, 4 RBI in 11 ABs), but he could be due for his first hit against Greinke (0-for-3) or improve on his 2-for-8 against Greg Holland. If he sees Wade Davis, White Sox fans might rejoice (3-for-8) but won’t learn anything about their 26-year-old All-Star.
Cincinnati Reds
What to watch: Zack Cozart is a prime trade candidate. His OPS this season is 241 points higher than his career OPS. He’s 31 and a free agent at the end of the season. He will almost certainly have a new team in August and could do a lot to help his prospects in joining a contender by getting a hit in the All-Star Game. He’s handled Lance McCuller’s, Jr. (2-for-4, 2B) but struggled with Ervin Santana (1-for-6, 3 Ks) and Craig Kimbrel (0-for-5, 2 Ks).
San Diego Padres
What to watch: All-Star Game
Reason to watch: Brad Hand is going to draw a crowd. He’s probably the best reliever available and comes with two years of team control after this season. If you think pitching in Petco Park has helped him, that’s not the case. Hand has nearly doubled his K/9 since 2015 — from 6.5 to 11.5.
He’s allowed a double to Alonso in four at-bats, and Mike Moustakas doubled the only time he saw Hand. Justin Upton also has two hits, including a homer, in seven at-bats against Hand, so he’s got an opportunity to prove he’s truly turned a corner at the All-Star Game.
San Francisco Giants
What to watch: All-Star Game
Reason to watch: Buster Posey will set the franchise record for All-Star Game starts at catcher with four. He’s quietly having one of his best seasons (142 OPS+ is third best of his career, and a point short of second best). But he’s on a really bad team.
I don’t know if San Franciscans would forgive the Giants brass for trading Posey, but if there was a time to do it, that time is now. There’s always a team looking to improve at catcher at the Trade Deadline. Think how Jonathan Lucroy was valued last season, but Texas seemed to have gotten burned on that one.
Given Posey’s premiere play at a premiere position, he’s absolutely worth the $21.4 million he’s paid — right now. Is there a GM out there willing to take on at least four more years of that? I think Cleveland should sell the farm to improve upon the 79 OPS+ they’re getting from Yan Gomes. We will see.
Philadelphia Phillies
What to watch: All-Star Game
Reason to watch: Reliever Pat Neshek is a prime trade target with a chance to prove he can still get tough outs in big games at nearly 37 years old. It would be nice for Phillies fans to see him get Yonder Alonso out. He’s 2-for-2 against Neshek with a home run. Otherwise he’s been terrific against the AL All-Stars he’s seen, including a 1-for-8 career clip against Nelson Cruz with four strikeouts to boot.
So there’s every fan’s reason to watch the Home Run Derby or All-Star Game. The All-Star Game starts Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. on Fox.
