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It was all about the Kansas City Royals and the American League at Tuesday’s 2016 MLB All-Star Game at Petco Park in San Diego.

A year ago, Mike Trout took home MVP honors, but it was the Royals who took advantage of the home-field advantage to triumph in the World Series.

This year, Kansas City’s Eric Hosmer took home the MVP award in the 4-2 win, putting his Royals in an advantageous position to defend the title while giving the American League a dominant fourth win in a row.

He was quick to talk about what the victory meant for his team too.

“Hopefully this is something we can all rally upon for the second half and find a way to use that home-field advantage,” Hosmer said, according to the Associated Press’ Ronald Blum.

At first, Hosmer took things into his own hands. When Kris Bryant of the Chicago Cubs smashed a solo shot in the top of the first inning to put the National League out front, Hosmer was quick to respond in the bottom of the frame, tying things up with his own homer.

Interestingly enough, he did it off former teammate Johnny Cueto, which led to a noteworthy stat from ESPN Stats & Info:

Hosmer got something in the way of reinforcements right away, as Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez belted a two-run dinger to put the American League ahead for good.

It was just Kansas City’s night. To understand just how special the event was for the Royals, ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark provided a staggering bit of research:

Never once, in the six seasons and 575 games they had started together as big league teammates, had Hosmer and Perez homered in the same inning of any game — regular season or postseason. So of course they both went deep in the very first inning in which they both batted in an All-Star Game.

Now, this far it sounds like Hosmer and Perez could have had an interesting debate for individual honors. Hosmer, though, took the role of insurance man in the third inning and drove in Toronto’s Edwin Encarnacion, finishing 2-for-3 at the plate with a pair of RBI.

Other notable events unfolded during the game, even though the American League built a lead it wouldn’t relinquish by the third frame.

Perhaps most notable was David Ortiz’s farewell. The Boston Red Sox legend didn’t hit a homer like he would have wanted, but the goodbyes still made for an epic time. Both MLB and Fox Sports captured the special moments:

What else was memorable in the Kansas City show? Bryant’s homer was special, and Miami Marlins outfielder Marcell Ozuna drove in a run to at least try to keep the game competitive. Trout carved out a bit of history, becoming the first American League player to record a hit in each of his first five All-Star Games, according to CBSSports.com‘s R.J. Anderson, Matt Snyder, Dayn Perry and Mike Axisa.

Perhaps most important of all, the game showed that the future of the sport looks great. Ortiz made this clear in an interview after the game, as captured by FoxSports.com’s Dieter Kurtenbach:

I get really impressed with the talent MLB has right now. It’s not like it used to be. When I first got to the big leagues, the face of baseball was a guy my age, maybe a little bit younger. Now, the face is baseball is 21, 22, 23 years old. That tells me that this game is in unbelievable hands — great future. It made me happy.

Kansas City, love it or hate it, exemplified this Tuesday. 

Most expected the American League to boast a strong pitching staff. Royals skipper Ned Yost went into the game with an oddly constructed roster, boasting more relievers than starters. Five relief pitchers wound up not allowing a run, including Kansas City’s Kelvin Herrera.

Still, the spotlight goes to Hosmer, who posted a heartfelt message to Instagram after the game:

It’s not too far off to call Tuesday’s epic event a passing-of-the-torch moment, with Ortiz giving the nod to a younger generation featuring Trout, Hosmer and so much more.

While Kansas City gears up to put an injury-riddled first half behind it, fans of every team can rest assured the MLB is in great hands.

All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Sixty-one. It’s a huge number in most cases, but Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton didn’t seem to have many issues reaching it Monday night in San Diego when he blew away the competition in the 2016 MLB Home Run Derby.

Stanton was the slugger in a silly-deep field able to take advantage of the event’s new-look rules, not just crushing 61 homers, but sending them eye-popping distances that kept him at the plate longer and the competition at bay.

As the round recaps show below, Stanton only really got a major test in the second round:

The first round was more of a warm-up than anything for Stanton, as Robinson Cano simply didn’t have the juice to keep up.

Mark Trumbo of the Baltimore Orioles was one of the heavy favorites going into the event, so the second round was trickier. The outfielder entered with 28 homers to his name but couldn’t match Stanton in the distance game.

Ditto for defending champion Todd Frazier in the finale, who won with the Cincinnati Reds last year and represented the Chicago White Sox on Monday. Frazier had survived the first two rounds by one home run apiece but also couldn’t match Stanton in the power department.

It’s not a knock—nobody could. Stanton belted a mind-boggling set of numbers and did so more consistently than anyone else, as ESPN Stats & Info broke down:

Look at a chart ESPN.com provided, detailing how many swings went yard:

Stanton took the second-most swings on the day, and half of them turned into homers. Insanity.

In charted form—it fits nicely—per MLB.com’s Daren Willman:

Oh, one needs wicked velocity to create these distances, right? Take a look at some details provided by #Statcast:

No, it wouldn’t be any fun to play infield against Stanton, folks.

Indeed, even someone like Oakland catcher Stephen Vogt made a comment after the contest about the folks in the field while Stanton was at the plate, according to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark:

I don’t think anybody understands what he just did. That’s superhuman. He was hitting every single ball well over 400 feet. I was actually scared for the kids in the field on some of the low line drives he was hitting. It’s not normal to be able to create that much bat speed and hit the ball that far. It was very impressive and incredible. The first three rows in the stands were not safe.

For Stanton, Tuesday was another career milestone and something he won’t soon forget, as Baseball Tonight captured:

The next step for Stanton is simple—repeat. Nobody expected Stanton to do much of anything in the first place. Folks knew he had power, but he had entered the event with just 19 homers, slotting him as a fifth seed. Even worse, he had put up a quiet performance in his only other appearance back in 2014.

How times have changed. Stanton is now the face of the Derby, the type of slugger who can excel under the new format even more so than Frazier. Interestingly enough, the man isn’t even part of the All-Star Game while much of this competition was.

It’s not meant to discredit the other participants, but Stanton was the highlight of Tuesday, an unexpected, record-breaking highlight who now personifies what the event is about and how batters can find success in it.

MLB isn’t changing the format anytime soon. And by the looks of it, Stanton has the distance and consistency in his swing to sit on this new throne for a quite a long time.

That’s an open challenge to the rest of the MLB.

All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

“The fans did a good job” isn’t a phrase most would expect to hear in regard to the Midsummer Classic, but a glance at the MLB All-Star rosters makes it hard to disagree.

There will always be snubs, but for the most part, the best of the best will make the trip to San Diego this week for the epic event. It promises to entertain not only because of the names involved and the action on the field, but because of the chess-like moves and decisions that managers must make.

The managers have loaded but complex rosters to figure out. Deciphering pitching staffs, hitters and the always-interesting designated hitter offers puzzles to the brightest minds in baseball.

2016 MLB All-Star Game

When: Tuesday

Where: Petco Park, San Diego

Start Time: 8 p.m. ET

TV: Fox (Coverage starts at 7:30 p.m. ET)

Rosters

Top Storylines

The Big Voters 

Tuesday’s game might as well be a contest between the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox.

Kidding aside, it’s hard to blame the fans for voting in droves. The Cubs are off to one of their best starts in a long time, sitting on 52 wins. A 1-9 mark over the last 10 hurts, but a 6.5-game lead on the Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League Central division sure doesn’t. 

Where to start? Ben Zobrist has hit .284 on the year with 13 home runs and 47 RBI. Kris Bryant is at .280 with 25 homers and 64 RBI. Addison Russell doesn’t shock in the average department (.234), but his 11 homers and 49 RBI do the job.

Don’t forget Dexter Fowler, (.290 average, 28 RBI), though he was just pulled off his rehab assignment and won’t play Tuesday, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.  

It’s only fair to mention Jon Lester on the mound too, thanks to his 3.01 ERA and 108 fanned batters over 110.2 innings.

When it comes to the Red Sox, it’s not a shocker to see Jackie Bradley Jr. and Mookie Betts get nods, but don’t discredit David Ortiz as a name-only selection.

Ortiz has been the definition of a power monster this year, boasting a .332 average with 21 homers and 70 RBI, all team highs. ESPN Stats & Info placed him in some historic company:

It’s odd to see a team such as the Kansas City Royals take a back seat when it comes to the popular vote right now, but the Red Sox and Cubs deserve the credit.

The biggest names will prove it Tuesday too.

The DH Situation 

The NL needs to field a designated hitter, NL stadium or not, which means those in charge of such decisions have a chance to perhaps make up for where the fans experienced a slight hiccup. 

In other words, the campaign for Wil Myers has started in earnest.

Said manager in charge is New York Mets manager Terry Collins, who can give the nod to Myers or go bold with Los Angeles Dodgers youngster Corey Seager.

Most of the hype, though, surrounds Myers, the hometown hero of the San Diego Padres who is batting .290 with 19 homers and 60 RBI this year. He’s well aware of the predicament, as A.J. Cassavell of MLB.com noted:

Cassavell provided some interesting reinforcement to the idea once MLB concluded the final vote:

It seems like an easy enough decision, but that’s the beauty of the Midsummer Classic—not everything is so cut and dried.

How Collins plays his cards will be a highlight of the event.

Deciding on a Pitcher

Collins doesn’t have it easy when it comes to picking a starter, either.

With Clayton Kershaw out of the picture, the choice is between Madison Bumgarner (2.09 ERA, 132 strikeouts) and Jake Arrieta (2.68 ERA, 121 strikeouts).

Kansas City skipper Ned Yost has a much more difficult, if not interesting, decision. He has molded his roster similar to how he built the Royals, which means just five starters and an excess of formidable relief talent.

That’s interesting from a chess-like strategy standpoint as the game wears on, but it doesn’t make the starting decision any easier.

Is it Danny Salazar? The Cleveland Indians star has a 2.75 ERA with a strong 10-3 record, not to mention 118 fanned batters. Or maybe it goes to Chris Sale of the Chicago White Sox, who comes in with a lesser 3.38 ERA but a superb 14-3 record. Don’t forget another Bostonian, Steven Wright, who—like Ortiz—isn’t just there because of popular vote, not with a 2.68 ERA and 10-5 record. Even Cole Hamels boasts nine wins.

There’s no wrong answer, but with a mind like Yost at the controls, the Cubs and the National League won’t find it easy to produce at the plate.

All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

A dash of innovation breathed new life into MLB‘s Home Run Derby one year ago, with the best sluggers in the world smashing balls over the fence and giving the event its traditional flavor.

Now, the event returns with the rules intact after rave reviews. Eight players throw down in a single-elimination bracket, the rounds are timed, and almost like a video game, batters get bonus points for distance—which means going yard isn’t just about squeaking the ball over the fence.

The eight lucky competitors in this must-see event are seeded based on their home run production this year, with the tiebreaker going to the man with the most four-base shots since June 1.

When: Monday at 8 p.m. ET

Where: Petco Park, San Diego

TV: ESPN

For those who want it in bracket form, MLB illustrated the scene:

The batters, of course, hog the spotlight. One shouldn’t underestimate the locale, though, as ESPN.com’s David Schoenfield hinted at the difficulty Petco Park could present: “A key factor, of course, will be how the ball flies at Petco Park in San Diego, which historically has been one of the most difficult parks in which to hit a home run.”

That’s not meant to suggest these sluggers aren’t up to the task.

Mark Trumbo of the Baltimore Orioles leads the pool with 28 dingers, an improvement on his 22 from 2015 over stints with two different teams. As such, he’s the runaway favorite, though there’s no guarantee he’ll run away with the event.

Todd Frazier presents a problem for Trumbo. The Chicago White Sox slugger won it all as a member of the Cincinnati Reds last year. He thrived in the new format, with his quick swing and incredible endurance lifting him to the title.

Those Reds don’t lack for representation, not with Adam Duvall boasting 23 homers of his own.

Duvall as a No. 3 seed is where things begin to get tricky, though. He has to deal with the sixth-seeded Wil Myers, a guy with a hot enough bat to win the whole event.

Myers is the hometown hero this week as a member of the San Diego Padres. More importantly, he not only belted 19 homers before the deadline, but he’s been on absolute fire since June started, as Dan McLaughlin of Baseball Crank illustrated:

One can’t chat up the depth of the bracket without pointing an earnest finger at the Miami Marlins’ Giancarlo Stanton, either.

Tied with Myers at the deadline with 19 blasts, Stanton slots fifth. He appeared in the 2014 iteration of this event to iffy results, but it’s easy to fall in love with his chances this week. 

Thank the new format. Bat quickness and the distance of each bomb could propel Stanton past the field. ESPN Stats & Info helped explain why:

Even the last seed, Corey Seager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, boasts plenty of name recognition and enough underdog potential to make a great story if he can find a way to best the field.

Seager is in the middle of a monster rookie year, having hit seven homers in May and eight in June while sitting on a .298 average with 41 RBI. He has a hot enough bat and swing right now to make a show of this.

On the other hand, Seager also represents the risk of the Home Run Derby. Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times wrote at length about the risk that teams take by allowing young players such as Seager to enter the event. Plaschke pointed to Yasiel Puig’s brutal struggles after the event a few years ago and Joc Pederson‘s issues last year.

“Yes, Pederson was already slumping when he entered the Derby, but is it really a coincidence that he hit just .178 after the event—52 points worse than in the first half—with only six home runs in 62 games after hitting 20 in the first 89?” Plaschke wrote.

Alas, the MLB deems the risk worthy, and the fans obviously do as well. The new format, over time, could help to mitigate such issues and concerns while also making for a more entertaining affair.

“Entertaining” is about the gist of it. The new-look Home Run Derby has a wider scope to create household names and superstars while getting more in depth with the stats and numbers behind each shot over the fence.

The latest version of a classic starts Monday.

All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The MLB draft is quite the different animal than its NBA and NFL counterparts. 

That isn’t to say it’s less entertaining or important. Whereas the other two leagues helped popularize the draft process for everyone to look for help now and later, the MLB edition is almost strictly about the later and the rounding out of farm systems.

Case in point, the lengthy process this weekend, which rattled off 77 selections beginning with the Philadelphia Phillies Thursday, then went through Rounds 3 through 10 Friday—to total 316 picks so far—to set up what should be a wild end to the weekend.

Before Day 3 gets started Saturday at noon on MLB Network, let’s run down important selections and grades to know.

2016 MLB Draft Rounds 1-3 Results

Full results through Round 10 available at MLB.com.

2016 MLB Draft Grades

Notable Draft Classes After Friday 

Texas Rangers 

The Texas Rangers slot as one of the most notable classes to know through 10 rounds, thanks to them nabbing one of the steals of the draft. 

First, though, it’s important to know the Rangers wanted to attack the bullpen at all levels in a hurry, hence selecting six pitchers with their first 10 picks in the class.

This process started with the selection of Cole Ragans at No. 30, a moldable prospect at 6’3″ and 190 pounds who received strong praise from an ESPN.com scouting report:

The stuff is solid and trending up. Ragans was 87-91 last summer and is now touching 93 with solid feel for a 12-6 curveball in the low-70s. While it has good depth and shape, curveballs that slow are rarely dominant offerings, and the pitch probably only projects as average. It’s possible that, as Ragans continues to fill out, he just naturally starts throwing everything a little harder and squeezes more out of Uncle Charlie.

The steal, though, was pitcher Alex Speas in the second round, a prospect with some of the most upside in the draft and a rocket for an arm, as Brian Sakowski of Perfect Game USA pointed out:

Indeed, the future looks bright for Texas on the mound if the coaching has the desired effect.

But the strong class doesn’t stop there. Grabbing pitcher Kyle Cody in the sixth round looks like a steal considering Minnesota drafted him in the second round one year ago. Speaking of value pitchers, Hever Bueno in the ninth round is a guy who probably would have come off the board earlier if he hadn’t suffered an injury.

After attacking a need with great value, it’s hard to hate the class so far by the Rangers. 

San Diego Padres

Sometimes a team playing it safe and striking balance over the course of a lengthy process isn’t a terrible idea. 

Look at the San Diego Padres, who seemed to go out of their way to keep the value consistent at each pick, as JJ Cooper of Baseball America detailed:

San Diego’s first two picks on their own personify this strategy to a point.

Taking pitcher Cal Quantrill at No. 8 seemed the obvious choice given the approach, as the prospect who continues to work his way back from Tommy John surgery likely would have come off the board even higher had he not suffered the issue.

ESPN.com’s Keith Law expanded on the situation: “Quantrill was a potential 1-1 (No. 1 overall) pick had he stayed healthy through the draft, and the 6-foot-3 right-hander could be huge value for some team in the late-first or early-compensatory rounds.”

It’s a similar value story for the team with its additional pair of picks in the opener round. The Padres used No. 24 on high-upside shortstop Hudson Sanchez and grabbed Kent State pitcher Eric Lauer right after.

Long story short, San Diego had 13 picks to work with and hit the necessary need spots such as pitcher (10 of them), shortstop and second base, all with a strong commitment to value in the hopes it provides depth over the long term.

Boston Red Sox

When reviewing the first two days of action this year, it’s a mainstay, such as the Boston Red Sox, that appeared to come away with the biggest steal of the draft, landing the team on any and all notable draft lists. 

The reason? Pitcher Jason Groome, the prospect the Red Sox made the No. 12 pick of the draft.

An offering from Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball says quite a lot about the selection:

So does one by Joe Giglio of NJ.com after the draft:

Indeed, Boston takes a big risk with Groome in hoping they can actually get him signed while hanging on to the majority of their draft class.

And the rest of the draft class looks good too, starting with shortstop C.J. Chatham in the second round. From there it was all about balance, as Boston grabbed a few more pitchers and hit on the outfield, shortstop again and third base.

While maybe not one of the best overall classes right now, the upside is there. It’s worth monitoring because of this and the fact the Red Sox have to find a way to balance the checkbook and keep Groome around, as well as pick and choose what other prospects stick with the organization.

Stats and info courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise specified.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The Philadelphia Phillies made sure talk about how unpredictable the 2016 MLB draft class was didn’t go unwarranted by selecting Mickey Moniak with the first pick in Thursday’s draft.

So began a wild ride as the draft process rolled through the first 41 picks, counting compensation selections and the Competitive Balance Round A.

Teams attacked the board in aggressive fashion, selecting from a pool of elite high school and collegiate prospects to round out their farm systems and ensure a competitive future.

Whether it was Florida pitcher A.J. Puk falling out of the top five or something else, Thursday’s Round 1 demands attention before the draft continues Friday. Here’s a look at a Round 1 listing and grades for each franchise.

2016 MLB Draft Day 1 Results

Round 1 Grades 

Round 1 Picks to Know 

2. Cincinnati Reds: 3B Nick Senzel, Tennessee

In a draft class without much in the way of certainty, the Cincinnati Reds chose to throw the full force of their weight behind a prospect who boasts an incredible floor at the plate. 

Tennessee’s Nick Senzel confirmed the draft isn’t about upside more than anything, as the Reds made him the pick at No. 2 hoping his bat continues to develop and that he can actually stay at third base.

It wasn’t long ago ESPN.com’s Keith Law ranked him eighth on his big board and offered strong praise:

The most advanced college hitter in the draft, Senzel also has improved his defense at third base to the point where most scouts believe he’ll stay at the position. That said, the raw power he has shown in batting practice has yet to show up in games, making him a high-floor player but perhaps without much ceiling.

One of the few non-pitchers in the draft who can make a notable impact on the majors soon, Senzel is just the type of player to help a mid-market team like the Reds reload.

Keep an eye out for Senzel soon.

6. Oakland Athletics: LHP A.J. Puk, Florida

The aforementioned Puk looked like a prospect who could come off the board to Philadelphia at No. 1 before an odd free fall out of the top five. 

Inconsistency seems to be the key here, as Puk posted a 3.21 ERA over 15 starts on the season with the Gators. He’s massive at 6’7″ and 230 pounds, but clearly scouts wanted to see more for him to seize the top slot in an iffy class.

Still, Puk was by far the best college arm in the class and boasts huge upside. That said, he’s got some learning to do about his new home, as John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle humorously pointed out:

The staff in Oakland will want to help Puk get his control in check, but from there it’s all systems go as far as what could be a fast ascent into a rotation in some capacity.

As far as value goes, the team famous for the movie Puk mentioned did great here.

11. Seattle Mariners: OF Kyle Lewis, Mercer

Say hello to the prospect who could be the steal of the 2016 draft. 

Lewis, a freakish athlete who comes in at 6’4″ and 210 pounds, hails from Mercer and made a name for himself quickly once he committed to baseball.

Let an ESPN.com scouting report do some of the talking:

Lewis’ sophomore campaign and subsequent Cape Cod League stay were a revelation. He hit .367 with 17 homers (seventh in the country), slugged .677 (eighth) and his tools stood out above his teammates on a loaded Orleans club during the summer. The catalysts for such success: plus bat speed and athletic gifts that have counterbalanced some mechanical excess. 

Or let Lewis himself explain why he has perhaps more upside than any player in the class, as captured by MLB.com’s Greg Johns:

It’s not often a team can sit around outside of the top 10 and can grab a player who probably should have come off the board in the top five, but so it goes for the Seattle Mariners here.

Seattle now has an elite all-around prospect on its hands who can make an impact soon. Add the proverbial chip on the shoulder to the alarming ceiling, and Lewis’ name could ring out in Seattle for a long time.

23. St. Louis Cardinals: SS Delvin Perez, Colegio Individualizado PJ Education School (P.R.)

Delvin Perez was one of the biggest stories entering Thursday’s draft after he reportedly failed a drug test, according to Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball. It was later reported by Law that Perez’s failed test was due to a performance-enhancing drug.

Rather than coming off the board in the top five as the draft’s top shortstop, Perez took a nosedive to No. 23 with the St. Louis Cardinals. 

For the Cardinals, it couldn’t be a smarter move given the team’s standing in the draft, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch pointed out:

Perez had to come off the board at some point. He’s a high school prospect with a reported performance-enhancing-drugs issue on his resume, but there was always going to be a team willing to take a risk with available resources to gamble.

Keep in mind, too, this could have been smooth maneuvering by the Cardinals. Maybe St. Louis wanted to wait and grab Perez at a later pick, but the San Diego Padres likely had an interest and clutched the two picks after this one.

St. Louis now has one of the youngest players in the draft with a borderline immeasurable amount of upside after a fall down the board.

Stats and info courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise specified.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Tuesday’s 2015 MLB All-Star Game at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati promises the world to fans looking for a sport showcase with something on the line.

It’s a home run-friendly ballpark in the Queen City, which will make the showdown between Houston Astros shocker Dallas Keuchel and Los Angeles Dodgers ace Zack Greinke quite interesting.

With starting lineups out in the wild, hometown hero Todd Frazier being crowned the home run king and things set to get underway, here’s a look at the pertinent info about the event.

2015 MLB All-Star Game

Date: Tuesday, July 14

Where: Great American Ball Park, Cincinnati 

Time (ET): 8 p.m. (Broadcast starts at 7 p.m.)

TV: Fox

Live Stream: Fox Sports Go

Tickets: ScoreBig.com

2015 MLB All-Star Game Rosters

Preview 

Pitchers might receive just an inning apiece, but the Keuchel-Greinke showdown would be worth a full nine innings.

Keuchel, in just his fourth season, is an odd story. He posted an ERA of 5.15 or worse over the course of his first two seasons before reeling it in last year. Now he owns a 2.23 ERA and 4.7 WAR, per ESPN.com, over 19 appearances with an 11-4 record.

Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle put it best:

Greinke is more of a known commodity. This year, he boasts a league-best 1.39 ERA with an 8-2 record.

Most impressive of all, though, is the history coming along with the eye-popping ERA. As ESPN Stats & Info reveals, the mark stands the test of time, to say the least:

Put it this way—Greinke has allowed more than three runs once in a start this year.

National League manager Bruce Bochy sang his praises after the selection reveal, per Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com: “We had some great starters who are candidates, but the numbers he’s putting up are really, really unbelievable.”

If the starting pitching duel represents a decent age disparity, think of the rest of the roster.

Big names like Mike Trout lead the young generation, but don’t forget about older players just yet; guys like the Los Angeles Angels’ Albert Pujols, the Seattle Mariners’ Nelson Cruz and the New York Yankees’ Mark Teixeira were all given a nod.

Teixeira is a good example of why it’s not wise to sleep on the old guard if he’s healthy and given a chance. He has had both this year and sports a .240/.350/.526 slash line with 22 homers and 62 RBI.

Or as Jeff Quagliata of YES puts it, quick production for a veteran feeling good this season:

If the old-new battle is a major storyline, so too is Pete Rose provided the host city.

According to Sports Illustrated‘s Richard Deitsch, Rose will offer analysis from the broadcast booth for fans and also take part in the on-field festivities in front of his hometown fans:

In addition to his broadcasting responsibilities in the pregame, Rose will also be on the field of the Great American Ball Park prior to the game as part of the MLB “Franchise Four” campaign, where fans voted on the most impactful players in the history of each of the 30 clubs. Fox said 29 of the 30 teams will be revealed in a special video presentation produced by Fox, with the Reds’ selections–Hall of Famers Joe Morgan, Johnny Bench and Barry Larkin and Rose–acknowledged on the field.

It is quite clear MLB continues to do everything it can to put forth the best possible Midsummer Classic. While the league’s event means much more than others in various sports, more eyeballs on the event would never be a bad thing.

Tuesday’s iteration deserves the extra attention. The pitching elite, multiple generations represented and the host city home to one of the league’s most legendary franchises, the 2015 MLB All-Star Game looks like one for the ages.

Stats and info courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise specified.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Let the drama begin. 

There is no such thing as pleasing everyone when it comes to pretty much anything in sports, but it’s especially true when it comes to the MLB All-Star roster.

MLB got smart about the process and stretched out the reveal over two days like some leagues do with drafts. It was a success—but only in the sense that it was still controversial among fans.

In part, much of the angst comes from the small army that threw votes behind the Kansas City Royals. There’s no Omar Infante, at least, but the players below who missed the cut are right to irritate many.

First, a look at those who did make it, courtesy of MLB Communications:

Notable Snubs 

Justin Turner, 3B, Los Angeles Dodgers

It seems Justin Turner of the Los Angeles Dodges just doesn’t tout enough name recognition to make the roster.

For shame, too—he is one of the league’s best-kept secrets. In his second season with the Dodgers, one of the sporting world’s most famous red heads features a .315/.386/.562 slash line with 38 RBI and 11 home runs.

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly put it best in an interview with Steve Dilbeck of the Los Angeles Times last month.

“You just want people to hear about him at least,” said Mattingly. “There are a lot of great players out there, but he’s kinda showing his value around the league.”

Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Passan is one of many who wanted to see Turner in the game:

If Turner keeps on at this pace, he’s apt to make it in future years.

Sometimes making the snub lists is the first step.

Alex Rodriguez, DH, New York Yankees

Alex Rodriguez isn’t one who needs the household recognition to make the roster.

He might have a wee bit too much of it.

Rodriguez is not the most popular name in sports. His numbers, though, might see any other player—especially on the Yankees—to the Midsummer Classic. He’s sporting a .284/.390/.513 slash line with 16 homers and 47 RBI.

For most other players, that would be enough to win folks over. Not Rodriguez, a borderline modern miracle at 39 years old. ESPN.com’s Ian O’Connor elaborated on his impressive journey so far:

He realized he hadn’t put together a big year since 2010 and that he had only played 44 games since the end of a 2012 postseason that saw him get benched. The hip surgeries and layoff had left his body looking soft enough and his swing looking long enough to inspire some to wonder how Yankees GM Brian Cashman could guarantee him a home on the Opening Day roster.

As O’Connor argues, it’s probably better Rodriguez saves his aging body for a postseason run, if not a potential championship push. While the story of his comeback is great, his body isn’t through an entire season just yet.

Still, it doesn’t make his lack of an appearance at the All-Star Game any less incorrect.

Joey Votto, 1B, Cincinnati Reds

It seems fans don’t have any sense of the poetic.

It looks like Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds won’t suit up as an All-Star in front of his Queen City faithful. Call it a major shame, too, as the Toronto native seems as healthy as he has been in years with a .276/.387/.476 slash line, 14 homers and 39 RBI.

Maybe Votto could also use the extra time off to stay healthy. Maybe voters looked at Cincinnati’s 37-44 record and it played a part, even though there should be debate over such a factor.

Regardless, Votto remains one of the league’s best at getting on base after extending at-bats. The selection of Joe Panik (and others) over Votto is an interesting decision, to say the least.

Votto is a household name, per se, but it seems he will need more than half a season of rediscovered stellar form to win over voters and his peers.

Stats and information courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise specified.

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The mood hit a fever pitch Saturday at the 2014 Little League World Series, as elimination games took center stage.

With everything to lose, the 0-1 teams from the prior two days left everything on the diamond in a display that was an obvious uptick in competitiveness and overall entertainment. The end results as the day progresses are more hotly contested than the lopsided affairs that peppered the opening day.

Below, let’s take a look at how it all went down Saturday and which teams will move on in one of the sporting world’s most entertaining affairs.

Day 3 Scores

Standings

You can view the latest bracket courtesy of LittleLeague.org.

Day 4 Schedule

Day 3 Recap

Washington 7, South Dakota 5

Washington and South Dakota both got off to explosive starts Saturday, to say the least.

After the team that hails from the Northwest posted two runs in the top of the opening frame, South Dakota’s Matthew Hegre took control of the contest with a three-run homerun.

Chris Masse of the Williamsport Sun-Gazette detailed Hegre’s impressive performance to date:

As if to showcase just how evenly matched both sides were, though, the teams posted two runs apiece in the third inning. It was Washington that was able to keep that momentum alive from there on out, posting two runs in the fourth and an insurance run in the fifth.

The game did end with a huge amount of controversy, though, as South Dakota made a late push in the final frame but had a runner called out at the plate. The runner fell and then took a wide path around the catcher, who was struggling to get the ball in his glove. Per the broadcast, officials could not overturn the play because it was a judgment call on the field.

Arlingtonvoice.com editor Ken Costlow put it best after the ruling:

Hegre tied with Daniel Vigoren and Washington’s Karsen Tjarneberg with three RBI while Dylan Richey from the losing side was the best on the mound, going 3.2 innings and fanning five batters.

Australia 10, Czech Republic 1

Both sides entered Saturday after massive blowouts to start the tournament and were on the hunt to avoid being the first squad eliminated.

The Czech Republic suffered a 10-3 loss at the hands of South Korea Thursday, while things were even uglier for Australia in a 16-3 loss to Puerto Rico that took just four innings.

Despite this, Australia came out hot and struck first in the second inning. Javier Pelkonen then hit a home run in the fourth inning to make it 2-0.

Thanks to superb work from Australia’s Callum Schipp on the mound, the Czech Republic was unable to get on the board until the fifth inning. He tossed 5.1 innings overall and fanned 11 batters to lead the way for his team.

Things really got out of hand in the fifth inning, which saw Schipp‘s team post five runs in the frame. It was enough to awaken the opposition’s bats to the tune of a single run in the bottom of the frame, but three more from Australia put an end to the contest.

In total, Pelkonen finished with three RBI as the hottest batter on the day. He also tallied three hits, as did Matthew Coleman and Nicholas Riley.

The win marks Perth, Australia’s first at the LLWS, while the Czech Republic heads home with an 0-2 record. The tournament’s Instagram account captured the special moment:

Stay tuned, though, as the rest of Saturday’s slate touts impressive matchups that include teams not on the wrong side of lopsided blowouts in the past few days.

Canada and Venezuela, teams that both lost their opening games by just one run, will look to vent their frustrations on one another. Tennessee and Rhode Island will close out the day after close losses of their own. With their backs against the wall, fans should expect nothing but tense, thrilling contests the rest of the day.

Note: All statistics and info courtesy of LLBWS.org unless otherwise specified.

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The Minnesota Twins acquired promising pitching prospect Jason Adam Monday in exchange for 35-year-old Josh Willingham in a deal with the Kansas City Royals.

The Royals’ Twitter account broke the news:

It is a win-win trade for both parties. Kansas City gets an expiring contract and a bat to help contend after a flurry of consecutive wins, while—more importantly—Minnesota gets some serious help in the farm system’s bullpen.

Mike Berardino of the Pioneer Press noted that Twins general manager Terry Ryan has a plan in place for Adam:

Baseball America noted that Adam was a coveted member of the farm in Kansas City:

That said, not all of the reviews are positive in nature, such as one courtesy of JJ Cooper of Baseball America:

Adam seems to have an off night like any developing prospect, although nobody can deny there is a certain allure to a 23-year-old arm who has worked his way up through the ranks after being a fifth-round selection in 2010.

MiLB.com has the official stat lines of Adam’s journey to this point:

For his part, Adam says his time in the minors has allowed him to refine his game.

“A lot of the mental side of pitching as far as how to read batters, throwing the right pitches in the right situations, taking all that into account and then just refining my pitches,” Adam said, per Dick Kaegel of MLB.com. “I’m constantly doing that, obviously.”

Adam has more work to do, but the pieces of a rotational starter or even a reliever are certainly in place should he continue on his current trajectory.

For a team that resides in the cellar of the AL Central and wants to get younger in order to build for the future, Adam is a huge get in exchange for what would have been nothing of merit had Willingham left via free agency.

In time, Adam might just make this transaction look like a major steal.

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