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The 2015 MLB All-Star Game is finally here, and the game’s best players will be taking the field for a chance to earn home-field advantage in the World Series. Six starters for tonight’s game are 25-years-old or younger and those young stars should have a significant impact tonight. And, several of those players will come from the National League squad.

First, here is a little history heading into the game. The American League has won 14 of the 18 All-Star games dating back to 1997 and has won the past two games. However, National League teams have won four of the last five World Series and would love to put an end to the ASG losing streak. 

Though the batting order for each team is stacked with sluggers, the real dominance will be found on the mound. Each pitching staff is loaded with strong arms and will make the difference in the final outcome. In the past seven years, the losing team was held to three runs or fewer.

Two pitchers will light it up tonight and lead their team to victory, while one hitter is poised for another stellar performance in the All-Star game.

Zack Greinke

To say Zack Greinke has had a dominant first half of the season might be an understatement. The righty will get the start for the National League tonight—and deservedly so.

Greinke has a 1.39 ERA in 18 starts for the Dodgers. That’s the lowest earned run average by a starter with more than 100 innings pitched since 1968, as Jon Tayler showed in an article for si.com.

Tayler also noted how dominant Greinke has been of late, stating,

The eight scoreless frames extended Greinke’s current shutout streak to 35 2/3 innings, a stretch that goes back to his June 18 start against the Rangers. In that span, Greinke has allowed just 16 hits and three walks, striking out 31. Since giving up a season-high five runs in six innings against the Rockies on June 2, meanwhile, Greinke has given up just three runs in 50 2/3 innings for an absurd 0.54 ERA.

The numbers have been absurd and will continue when he takes the mound in the Midsummer Classic. Greinke will dominate the American League hitters, all except for one. 

Mike Trout

Mike Trout is one of the game’s rising stars and is playing in his fourth All-Star game at just 23 years old. He won the MVP in last year’s game, helping lead the American League to a 5-3 win with a triple, a double, two RBI and one run scored.

He has a chance to hit a first-at-bat cycle with a home run in this year’s game after he singled, doubled and tripled in his first at-bats over the past three years.

Trout has at least one hit in each of his first three All-Star games. In his career against Greinke, Trout has a similar line to what he ended up with in 2014. In seven at-bats, Trout has three hits, including a double and a triple, and two RBI.

Whether against Greinke or another National League arm, expect to see Trout on base as a centerpiece for an American League rally.

Aroldis Chapman

Aroldis Chapman has developed into the definition of a flamethrower. He not only can light up the radar gun, but he has also developed into a solid closer for the Cincinnati Reds pitching staff. Chapman has 18 saves this season and an ERA of 1.69. And that velocity? According to Brooks Baseball, Chapman has hit 100 mph in every game this season but one and has a high of 104.

In three All-Star games, Chapman has had no trouble topping 100 and hit a high of 102 in last year’s game. Expect the Cincinnati crowd at Great American Ball Park to be electric when Chapman enters the game tonight. The fans will be on their feet, providing an atmosphere worthy of Game 7 of the World Series. Chapman may have a chance to decide where that possible game would be played.

Pete Rose

Though Pete Rose’s playing days are long gone, “Charlie Hustle” will also light up the Midsummer Classic tonight, perhaps even more so than the players competing in the game. Rose will be part of the pre-game Franchise Four festivities, which will honor the top four players of each franchise. Rose was selected to represent the Reds.

The last time Rose took part in an official baseball event was during the 1999 World Series when he was named to the All-Century team. Now, back in his hometown, Rose will take the field that’s located on Pete Rose Way to an ovation that begs to be talked about for weeks to come.

Prediction:

This will be the year the National League gets back on the winning track. Though Trout might be able to spark a rally for the American League at some point, it will be too little, too late.

A pitcher has won the MVP award just seven times in 86 All-Star Games. Mariano Rivera won the last one to end his illustrious career in 2013. With pitching at a premium for this game, this year could make for number eight. Look for a low-scoring game, with the winning team taking advantage of some early mistakes and opportunities. All it takes is one mistake, and the American League will make it.

Final score: National League 3, American League 1

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Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby will celebrate its 30th birthday with a new look.

While the Derby has been subject to its fair share of rule changes in the past several years, this year’s makeover focuses on a change already made to regular-season games: the length.

MLB Communications recently tweeted a PDF of the new format for the 2015 Gillette Home Run Derby, which will be held at Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park on July 13.

One of the more notable rules is the addition of timed rounds that will more than likely decrease the length of the competition, which ran for more than three hours in 2014.

In previous Derbys, batters tried to hit as many home runs as possible before committing a certain number of outs (non-home runs) in each round.

However, batters were allowed to take an unlimited number of pitches since swinging and missing or flubbing a bad pitch would result in an out. Taking pitches also allowed the hitters to gather themselves and regain some energy before taking their next vicious cut.

While good strategy for competitors, each round could tend to drag on—especially if a batter was producing several long balls. If a batter hit 10 home runs and took an average of three pitches per swing, the end result would be at least 60 thrown pitches and a potentially lengthy round.

This year, “outs” are out. Instead, a running five-minute clock is in, and batters will try to hit as many home runs as possible in that time period.

In a way, it’s similar to a session of batting practice before the game, when the concentration is more on swings and not pitch location.

That new mentality could make it much easier to produce home runs while also alleviating some of the pressure that hitters might put on themselves while trying to find the perfect pitch.

“Five minutes? Think about batting practice. You can hit 20 homers in batting practice,” two-time home run champion Prince Fielder told the Star-Telegram‘s Jeff Wilson in late June.

The new rules state that the clock will start after the first pitch is thrown and will stop for any home run hit during the final minute of competition. The clock will start back up again if a hit does not clear the wall or a batter swings and misses.

Sluggers will also be rewarded with different bonuses if their blast surpasses at least 420 feet in each round. The rules state that the distances will be measured using Statcast.

MLB.com’s Paul Casella further explains the new format, which pits competitors in an eight-player bracket that is seeded based on regular-season home run totals as of July 7. If a tie should occur in one of the three rounds, players will compete in a 90-second swing-off.

So why should viewers tune in?

For one, the Derby almost always provides at least one round of excitement, such as Josh Hamilton’s 28 first-round home runs in 2008 or Bobby Abreu’s record of 41 total home runs en route to the title in 2005.

Also, the added rule changes will most likely produce an increase in home runs and a decrease in overall time, which could potentially help to bring out more sluggers—and viewers—to next year’s Derby, depending on this year’s success.

Though the list of participants has yet to be announced, notably absent will be Giancarlo Stanton, the current MLB home run leader who will miss the Derby while recovering from wrist surgery.

However, his absence shouldn’t take away from other interesting storylines, such as the possibility of Yoenis Cespedes competing to win his third consecutive Derby crown or an up-and-coming star taking a shot at winning the title.

On the surface, the new rules for the 2015 Home Run Derby should benefit both competitors and fans as well as bring back some of the excitement that might have been lacking in past years.

The potential is certainly there. Time will tell if it will be fulfilled.

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