Orioles SS Gunnar Henderson, 22, is the "youngest player on the AL team after being elected a starter by fans"Charles Brock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The rosters for the 2024 MLB All-Star Game feature 32 first-time All-Stars and 19 players under the age of 27, a "fitting snapshot for a sport skewing younger and younger." Pirates P
Paul Skenes became the "first player to be named an All-Star the season after being selected first overall in the draft," while Padres CF
Jackson Merrill, 21, was the "youngest player chosen on either roster." Orioles SS
Gunnar Henderson, 22, is the "youngest player on the AL team after being elected a starter by fans." Neither roster has a player with double-digit All-Star appearances (
ESPN.com, 7/7).
In Pittsburgh, Tim Benz writes NL manager
Torey Lovullo "needs to do the right thing as well and name Skenes the starter." Benz: "How great would it be to see Skenes versus
Aaron Judge?" With "all the traction MLB got out of Skenes battling NL All-Star
Shohei Ohtani" when the Dodgers came to town earlier this season, Skenes facing Judge "on a national stage in the MLB All-Star Game would be even bigger." Skenes is the "next big thing in baseball" (
TRIBLIVE, 7/8). In Pittsburgh, Jason Mackey wrote it’s "the job of MLB to grow the game and market stars," and Skenes "fits the description" (
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE, 7/7).
