Will Smith of Los Angeles Dodgers among Kentucky's top players to make MLB All-Star Game

Correction:A previous version of this story reported that Jim Bunning, who was born in Southgate, Kentucky, went to St. Xavier High School. Bunning attended St. X in Cincinnati.  

The Los Angeles Dodgers' Will Smith is Kentucky's sole representative in the 2024 MLB All-Star Game.

The game is scheduled for 8 p.m. July 16 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

The complete list of MLB All-Stars was announced Sunday.

Here's a look at five MLB All-Stars with Kentucky roots:

Harold Henry 'Pee Wee' Reese, Manual High School

Louisville native "Pee Wee" Reese played 16 years in the major leagues and spent his entire career with the Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers. Reese was a 10-time MLB All-Star, two-time World Series champion, and recorded 2,170 hits and 1,338 runs (both the most for a Kentucky-born player). He was also known for publicly supporting Jackie Robinson when he broke the MLB color barrier in 1947.

He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984.

Jim Bunning, Kentucky native

Jim Bunning is the only Kentucky-born pitcher in the Hall of Fame. In his 17-year career, he made seven All-Star appearances and struck out 2,855 batters. Bunning played for the Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates and Los Angeles Dodgers.

He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1996.

Bunning represented Kentucky in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1987-1999 and in the U.S. Senate from 1999-2011.

Walker Buehler, Henry Clay High School

The Los Angeles Dodgers drafted Walker Buehler with the 24th overall pick in the 2015 MLB Draft after he starred at Vanderbilt. He is in the middle of his seventh MLB season and has made two All-Star appearances. Buehler made first-team All-MLB once and was part of the Dodgers team that won the 2020 World Series. His MLB record is 47-20 with a 3.17 ERA and 721 strikeouts as of July 6.

Will Smith, University of Louisville and Kentucky Country Day High School

Louisville native Will Smith played at Kentucky Country Day High School before continuing his baseball career at the University of Louisville. He was drafted in the first round of the 2016 MLB Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Smith is a World Series champion with two All-Star appearances and a 2022 second-team All-MLB member.

Gus Bell, Bishop Benedict Joseph Flaget High School

Gus Bell played 15 seasons in the majors, splitting his time among the Pittsburgh Pirates, Cincinnati Redlegs/Reds, New York Mets and Milwaukee Braves. He recorded 1,823 hits and was the first player born in Kentucky to surpass 200 home runs in their career. He was a four-time All-Star and was inducted into the Reds Hall of Fame in 1964.

Honorable mention: Earle Combs, Eastern Kentucky

Earle Combs was the first Kentucky-born player to be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, but he was technically never an All-Star. The All-Star Game was introduced in 1933, and Combs retired in 1935 after suffering season-ending injuries in back-to-back years. He played 11 seasons with the New York Yankees, recording 1,866 hits and leading the league in triples on three occasions. Combs' career batting average was .325, and he only hit below .300 twice. He was a World Series champion three times as a player and six more times as a coach.

Reach sports reporter Prince James Story at pstory@gannett.com and follow him on X at @PrinceJStory.