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The 86th annual All-Star game will take place at 8 p.m. ET Tuesday at the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. The festivities, though, got started off with a few bangs on Monday night with baseball’s Home Run Derby.  

Todd Frazier seemed all too comfortable in his home park as he did something he’d done 15 times before in 2015: hit a ball into the red-shirted screaming fans beyond the outfield wall.

The only difference? This dinger would win this year’s All-Star Home Run Derby and propel the Reds‘ third baseman into a hometown hero. 

Frazier homered in the waning seconds of the four-minute championship round to tie Pederson. He promptly won it just one pitch into his 30-second bonus round (for hitting two homers greater than 425 feet)-giving him 15 home runs in the final round. 

In a sport famous for not using a clock, it was timed rounds that made the annual competition more a dramatic spectacle than in years past. 

Frazier, who has 25 homers on the season, benefited from an energetic home crowd to capture the Derby crown over Los Angeles Dodgers rookie Joc Pederson and kick off the All-Star festivities in an exciting way.

After the competition, he mentioned how much of an effect the Cincinnati crowd had on his 39-home run performance, via ESPN’s Jayson Stark. 

“Big-time impact. Just hearing the crowd roar, call my name, adrenaline. And those last minutes of each round, [they] really picked me up and [helped] drive the ball out of the park a lot more.”

The new format proved vital to the 29-year-old, who credited the pressure and clock via Steve Gardner of USA TODAY Sports:

“You swing at everything once you’re down, no matter how much time you’ve got,” Frazier said. “When you get the opportunity, you just have to hit it out no matter where the ball’s pitched. I felt like a little kid out there in the backyard swinging at everything.”

Check out Frazier’s walk-off blast: 

He became just the second player ever to win a Home Run Derby in his home stadium, via ESPN Stats & Information. 

Frazier takes his Derby win into Tuesday’s All-Star Game where he starts at third base and bats second for the National League. Its his second appearance in the Midsummer Classic and first as a starter.

Rain Delay?

Unfortunately, the weather forecast does not look too promising for Tuesday night. Here’s the latest from the National Weather Service:  

Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly before 10pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 66. Northwest wind 7 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 23 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

There was concern that rain would affect Monday’s Derby, but the sky stayed clear and no postponement or delay (besides modified timing rules to quicken the pace) was necessary. 

Tonight, though, may be a different story. 

Ultimately, it’ll come down to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred’s decision. 

Arms Race

Dodgers’ ace Zack Greinke starts on the mound for the NL with the Houston Astros‘ Dallas Keuchel opposing him for the American League. 

Greinke’s league-leading 1.39 ERA should prove a tough test for AL hitters. The former Cy Young-winner takes a 35.2-inning scoreless streak over his last five starts into the game. 

Greinke was named the NL’s starter after Washington Nationals‘ right-hander Max Scherzer pitched on Sunday. 

Keuchel has been no slouch himself, though, while going relatively unknown. In a league-high 137.1 innings, he has a 2.23 ERA and hasn’t allowed an earned run in seven of his 19 starts on the season. 

Youth Movement

After injury replacements and the Final Vote winners were announced, a record 20 All-Stars are 25 years old or younger, according to ESPN Stats & Info. 

Nats outfielder Bryce Harper, at age 22, is the youngest. He’ll appear in his third All-Star game-just the 10th player to do so before the age of 23. 

Harper will start in the outfield and hit third for the NL-a reward for his MVP-worthy first half which saw him hit .339 with a league-leading 1.168 OPS and already career-highs in home runs (26) and RBI (61). 

Harper along with five other players 25-years-old or younger will start in the Mid-Summer Classic-Pederson and Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo in the NL and Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout, Astros second baseman Jose Altuve and Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez in the AL. 

There’s a First Time for Everything

ESPN Stats & Info also pointed out something that’s never occurred before in an All-Star Game. 

That’s right. No Yankees or Red Sox in tonight’s starting lineups. 

Three Yankees were selected to the roster: reliever Dellin Betances, outfielder Brett Gardner and first baseman Mark Teixeira. 

Brock Holt is the lone Boston player to be chosen. 

The biggest Yankee omission might be Alex Rodriguez, who was beat out by fellow designated hitters Nelson Cruz and Prince Fielder in the AL. 

A-Rod, who turns 40 later this month, is hitting .278 with 18 home runs and 51 RBI as the three-hole hitter for the first-place Yankees. 

Home Field on the Line

As with every All-Star Game, home-field advantage is granted in the World Series for the winning league. 

Although the NL leads the all-time series 43-40-2, the AL has come out ahead as of late. The league has won the last two Midsummer Classics and 14 of the last 18. 

Coverage of baseball’s 86th All-Star Game at Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park begins at 7 p.m. ET Tuesday on FOX. 

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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.

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On Monday night, Cincinnati Reds star Todd Frazier mesmerized the hometown fans at Great American Ball Park and the baseball world. Frazier put on a stunning display of clutch slugging to win the revamped 2015 Home Run Derby. What’s even better, he did it with his brother Charlie tossing to him. Fox Sports Ohio captured this image of the Frazier brothers:

Frazier bested Los Angeles Dodgers long-ball prodigy Joc Pederson in the final by the score of 15-14. Here’s a look at Frazier’s round-by-round totals and that of his opponents:

Pushing Past Prince

The first round was a close call for Frazier. Texas Rangers behemoth and two-time champion Prince Fielder put up 13 long balls in a solid performance. Frazier took to the batters box and struggled to find his home run stroke at first.

Just when it was beginning to look as if Frazier would fizzle out in front of the home crowd, he went on a run that saw him tied with Fielder late in the bonus round. With seconds ticking away, Frazier crushed the walk-off home run to inch past the Rangers star into the second round.

Jousting with Josh

Frazier would again need to rally in the second round past Toronto Blue Jays slugger Josh Donaldson. Frazier seemed to be able to rise to the occasion to summon just enough energy from the crowd to knock off his opponents.

Like he had against Fielder and as he would against Pederson in the final round, Frazier inched by Donaldson by one homer, with the final shot coming in the final seconds.

Taming Young Joc

When Pederson‘s round was done, per the ESPN broadcast, he said, at least if Frazier wins, “I made him work for it.” That was certainly the case, as the 23-year-old slugger tied Frazier’s opening round of 14 for the best frame in the contest. At one point, Pederson slugged six straight into the sea of Reds fans to make Frazier’s task look daunting.

Frazier again started slow but caught fire just in time to head into the bonus stage with 14. He didn’t waste time clinching the victory. He clocked his event-winning 15th on his first swing, and the crowd went wild.

Take a look at Frazier’s triumphant moment, per MLB on Twitter:

The New Format is Awesome

In case you aren’t hip to the new HR Derby format and you’re wondering what’s with the head-to-head-matchup talk, Major League Baseball decided to redo the structure of the contest for this year’s event. The 2015 Derby featured tournament-style brackets, timed rounds, 30 seconds of bonus time and a timeout per round for the hitters.

It all worked beautifully. ESPN First Take’s Skip Bayless and ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark were complimentary of the format and Frazier:

There was drama, competition and a sense of urgency. It’s really hard to imagine how it could be done any better. 

What About Next Year?

You know an event was a success when you’re already thinking about next year just hours after the most recent exhibition has wrapped up. 

Pederson looks like a natural for the event, and you have to think he’ll be one of the favorites if he’s healthy and chooses to participate. The All-Star festivities will be held at Petco Park in San Diego, California, in 2016. Perhaps San Diego Padres prospect Yeison Asencio will be with the club and flourishing or current home run leader Justin Upton will take his swings.

After seeing the support Frazier got from the crowd, it would seem every hometown star would want a piece of that energy.

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Simply looking at the rosters for the MLB All-Star Game should get fans excited for the Midsummer Classic.

Between young superstars and veterans who can still play at a high level, there is tons of variety on both the American League and National League squads. The first few innings should be especially enjoyable with a deep pair of starting lineups that didn’t feature much drop-off even after injury replacements.

Meanwhile, very few people could have predicted the starting pitchers for this showcase when the season started, but both are deserving of the honor.   

Although most players will find a way to get into the game eventually, here is a look at the starting lineups for each squad, as announced by the managers.

The big story here is the announcements of the two starting pitchers. Both Bruce Bochy and Ned Yost had difficult decisions with plenty of reasonable options, but Zack Greinke and Dallas Keuchel ended up winning out.

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports is one person who agrees with the choices:

Max Scherzer wasn’t eligible for selection in the National League after pitching on Sunday, although you could argue he still hasn’t been as good as Greinke, even with a no-hitter on his resume. Gerrit Cole also had a legitimate case thanks to his major league-leading 13 wins with a 2.30 ERA.

However, Bochy explained the difference in his decision:

Greinke leads the majors with a 1.39 ERA and hasn’t allowed a run in the last 35.2 innings, a run that spans five games. Although he doesn’t rack up the strikeouts like Scherzer or others, he has been almost unhittable this season, allowing just a single hit in eight innings his last start.

Coming out of the other dugout will be Keuchel, who currently ranks second in the AL with a 2.33 ERA. This came as a bit of a surprise for someone who came into the year as a relative unknown despite a 2.93 ERA last season.

As the Houston Astros star pointed out, the new-age stats have helped him become a star:

Considering he trails only Clayton Kershaw among pitchers with a 4.7 WAR this season, per Baseball-Reference.com, he might be on to something with this assessment. It helps that Sonny Gray—like Scherzer—wasn’t eligible after pitching Sunday, but Keuchel deserves plenty of credit for his incredible run to this point.

As far as the lineup is concerned, fans should be ready for a lot of power from each side.

Between Mike Trout, Josh Donaldson, Albert Pujols and Nelson Cruz, the AL lineup begins with four players who have all hit at least 21 home runs this season. Fans in the outfield better be ready for the possibility of a lot of souvenirs.

In the NL, we have a few more well-rounded hitters in Bryce Harper, Paul Goldschmidt and Buster Posey, players who can hit for a high average as well knock it out of the park.

There are some downsides, as fans were robbed of a chance to see top players such as Miguel Cabrera, Giancarlo Stanton and others, but we will be just fine with Pujols, Adam Jones, Andrew McCutchen and Joc Pederson as replacements.

While he’s not a household name, DJ LeMahieu will also get a chance to shine as a late replacement for the injured Dee Gordon.

With the All-Star Game counting toward home-field advantage in the World Series, these players should provide a quality effort for as long as they are in the game. No matter who wins, though, fans should be ready for quite a show.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for the latest breaking news and analysis.

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What made the All-Star Game so noteworthy in the 1960s and ’70s was the specific identities of the American League and National League.

Players like Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and Roberto Clemente were identified as quintessential National League baseball players, and when they stepped onto the field in an All-Star game, they wanted to win for their league just as they wanted to win for the Giants, Braves and Pirates, respectively, during the regular season.

American League players like Al Kaline, Carl Yastrzemski and Reggie Jackson were clearly identified with their league as well, and they wanted to win just as much as the National Leaguers. However, they simply did not have anything close to the talent level of their National League counterparts.

The game has changed so much since those memorable days. Free agency and interleague play are two of the major factors that have taken away or dulled each league’s specific identity.

As Mike Trout and Josh Donaldson lead the American League into the All-Star Game and Bryce Harper and Buster Posey do the same for the National League, is there the same feeling of league pride on either side?

Former major league commissioner Bud Selig came to the conclusion that neither side had the inspiration to compete in the All-Star Game the way it once did. As a result, Major League Baseball attached home-field advantage to winning in the All-Star Game.

This innovation, which came about after the infamous 7-7 tie in the 2002 edition, has been widely ridiculed since then. Since managers are trying to get as many players in the game as possible, which often seems to be the top priority, the critics have a point.

However, home-field advantage merely alternated back and forth between the two leagues prior to the Selig decision. Home-field advantage in playoff games in the NFL and postseason series in the NBA and NHL go to teams that earned the best regular-season records.

Baseball never went that way, so Major League Baseball never lost anything.

Some of the juice has returned to the All-Star game, and while it may not be at the same level as it was when Mays was running circles around the American League and Johnny Bench was blasting long home runs, fans will get a chance to see the best players in each league attempt to put their imprints on the sport and win for their leagues on Tuesday night.

It may not be perfect, but it is quite a bit better than what the NBA and NHL offer and miles better than the NFL’s weak link of a Pro Bowl.

When: Tuesday, July 14

Where: Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati

TV: Fox

Ticket Info: Score Big

Broadcast Start Time: 7 p.m. ET

Game Time: 8 p.m. ET 

History

There have been three major chapters written as the 86th All-Star Game gets ready to take center stage.

The American League dominated in the early years of the game, winning 12 of the first 16. However, that changed in 1950, when the National League began to turn things around. From that year through 1982, the National League was nearly unbeatable, rolling off a 30-5-1 streak.

The American League rebounded with a memorable 13-3 triumph in Chicago’s Comiskey Park in 1983, and the Junior Circuit has pulled off an impressive 22-9-1 run heading into the 2015 game. The AL has often had the more talented starting lineups and greater depth since the 1983 game, which may be the case again this year.

The National League lineup features slumping rookie Joc Pederson (.230, 20 HR, 40 RBI) of the Los Angeles Dodgers and second baseman DJ LeMahieu (.311, 4, 35) of the Colorado Rockies in the eighth and ninth spots. Those two could be weak spots for National League manager Bruce Bochy, even though Pederson was impressive in the Home Run Derby.

The American League has Kansas City shortstop Alcides Escobar (.290, 2, 33) in the ninth spot; he does not measure up with the other Junior Circuit starters.

The bigger advantage could come off the bench. The American League is going to be able to bring in difference-makers like Manny Machado (.298, 19, 48), Stephen Vogt (.287, 14, 56), Jason Kipnis (.323, 6, 37), Prince Fielder (.339, 14, 54) and J.D. Martinez (.289, 25, 59).

The National League will try to counter with Yadier Molina (.284, 2, 32), Adrian Gonzalez (.283, 18, 55), Nolan Arenado (.293, 24, 70) and Justin Upton (.253, 14, 48). 

The pitching appears to be relatively even on both sides, with Chris Sale (157 K, 2.72 ERA, 0.947 WHIP) of the Chicago White Sox having had the most impressive first half thanks to his consistent ability to strike out top-level hitters.

Prediction: American League 7, National League 5

MVP: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels (2-for-3, HR, 3 RBI). Trout will become the first player to win back-to-back All-Star MVP awards.

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Can you believe the MLB All-Star Game and Home Run Derby are less than one week away? It seems like the baseball season just started, but now all of a sudden it’s the middle of July, and baseball’s Midsummer Classic will be here before you know it.

As you know, the MLB All-Star Game is used to give the players who have had the best season so far a chance to show off their talents. It also determines home-field advantage for the World Series, but that’s another discussion altogether.

The highlight of the All-Star festivities used to be the Home Run Derby. It’s baseball’s version of the NBA’s Slam Dunk Contest. But like its NBA counterpart, the Derby has lost some of its luster over the years.

But MLB is looking to infuse new life into the long-ball contest with a complete overhaul of the rules. This year’s Derby will be held July 13 at 8 p.m. ET. You can see the contest on ESPN and WatchESPN.

Here’s a look at this year’s participants, followed by an explanation of how this year’s Derby will work. Both the lineup and rule changes are courtesy of MLB.com.

The biggest names in the field are Albert Pujols and two-time champ Prince Fielder. But young guns Joc Pederson, Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo will be looking to make a name for themselves under the bright lights.

One of the most notable changes to the format is that the Derby will now be a single-elimination tournament. Here’s the bracket, thanks to ESPN Stats & Info:

Another major change to the contest is that instead of each hitter getting a set number of outs, there will be a running five-minute clock during which the batter tries to hit as many homers as he can. That seems simple enough, but there are also a few wrinkles that can create some excitement.

During the final minute, the clock will stop after each home run hit and will restart after a non-home run lands or the batter whiffs on a pitch. And since we know chicks dig the long ball, batters will be awarded bonus time if they hit two bombs that go at least 420 feet and even more time if they hit another fly at least 475.

For those who prefer visual aids, ESPN Stats & Info also provided a glance at the relevant new rules:

If the NCAA tournament has taught us anything, a win-or-go-home format is inherently more exciting There will be built-in drama when time is running out and players know how many homers they need to advance. 

This may not be a perfect solution to maximize the excitement of the Home Run Derby, but it is certainly a step in the right direction. We will have to see how it plays out, but the Derby has enough star power and potential drama to be a worthwhile watch.

What do you think of the new Derby format? How else could MLB change it to make it better? Sound off in the comments below, or let Justin know on Twitter @JustinNeuman10.

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It’s always fun to talk about All-Star snubs once the starting lineups are revealed, but now that the entire squads have been filled, the debate can truly begin as to which players were dealt the toughest blow.

You can view the full rosters for the 2015 MLB All-Star Game in each league below, courtesy of MLB Communications:

Mike Moustakas and Carlos Martinez are also added to the mix after winning the Final Vote in their respective leagues.

Since we’re talking strictly the voting results, we’ll limit the discussion to All-Stars who are heading to Cincinnati by virtue of the fans or their peers. The managers’ selections will be pushed to the side.

Keeping that in mind, the four players below are among the more arguable additions.

Mike Moustakas, 3B, Kansas City Royals

Once Moustakas was unveiled as a Final Vote candidate, Brian Dozier didn’t stand a chance. You knew Kansas City Royals fans would mobilize to get their guy into the All-Star Game. Kudos to those Royals fans for getting Moustakas to the top of the ballot, but Dozier is more deserving of the honor based on performance.

The Royals third baseman is the stronger of the two defenders, but his American League Central counterpart owns the edge in nearly every offensive category:

After Dozier hit a walk-off homer in the Minnesota Twins’ 8-6 win Friday night, the levels of indignation ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick felt about Dozier’s All-Star slight seemed to increase:

All told, both the fans and players did a good job of selecting the AL All-Star representatives. This wasn’t a year in which you saw a number of guys getting in who had no business going to the Midsummer Classic.

Moustakas is a bit of an outlier, but even he has a convincing All-Star case. It just so happens that Dozier built a stronger body of work.

DJ LeMahieu, 2B, Colorado Rockies

DJ LeMahieu is a tremendous defensive second baseman. His value pretty much stops right there, which makes you wonder why his fellow players in the National League felt that qualified him to go to the All-Star Game.

Even playing half his games in hitter-friendly Coors Field isn’t enough to inflate LeMahieu‘s offensive numbers. He’s batting .309, which is likely somewhat deceiving given his .370 average on balls in play, to go along with a .397 slugging percentage, four home runs and 35 runs batted in.

His .088 isolated power is 62nd among 77 qualified hitters in the National League—approaching Ben Revere levels of futility.

Justin Turner seems the most natural replacement in lieu of LeMahieu. Turner may spend the bulk of his time at third base, but his versatility would’ve given NL manager Bruce Bochy some options. He could’ve filled in at second if the situation called for it.

Turner has more home runs (11) and RBIs (38) than LeMahieu despite getting 94 fewer plate appearances.

Carlos Martinez, SP, St. Louis Cardinals

All-Star voting, at least for the fans, is a popularity contest. In that regard, no player did more to help himself than Martinez, who not only bombarded social media imploring fans to vote but also wisely formed a dual ticket with Moustakas to win over the Royals faithful:

St. Louis Cardinals fans will point to Martinez’s 10-3 record and 2.52 earned run average as support for his All-Star nod. While both figures are impressive, they don’t tell the full story about his season and don’t necessarily mean he’s having a better year than Johnny Cueto or Clayton Kershaw.

Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer summed up the argument as to why ERA can be a bit deceiving about a pitcher’s true value:

Given that we’re well into the 21st century by now, you’re probably already aware of the arguments against judging a pitcher by his record and his ERA. 

But, in the event that you’ve somehow just arrived in the 21st century, here’s the gist: A pitcher’s record and ERA are influenced by too many things he can’t control. For example, the big ones would be the performances of his offense and bullpen for his record and his defense for his ERA.

Let’s take a look at where Martinez stacks up against Kershaw and Cueto when comparing nine-inning averages and FIP, xFIP and SIERA, three sabermetric statistics that better illustrate a pitcher’s isolated performance:

When you level the playing field a bit, you see just how much better Kershaw has been in 2015. He’s allowing fewer home runs and walks while striking out more batters. His more normalized figures also outshine Martinez in all three facets.

Kershaw shouldn’t be a legacy All-Star pick—three Cy Young Awards in four years carry no clout in this discussion. Simply going off 2015, Kershaw has outperformed Martinez.

Even Cueto would’ve been a better selection than Martinez on merit alone.

But this isn’t the first nor will it be the last time players and fans rely more heavily on less reliable statistics in order to overlook a player who deserves All-Star consideration.

Note: Stats are courtesy of FanGraphs.

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Predicting an exhibition is no easy task. 

There are too many outlying variables and factors to consider. While Major League Baseball’s is the only All-Star Game in which athletes play at or very near 100 percent effort—the sport does not really lend itself to playing at anything less—there are still remnants of an exhibition, such as playing as many players as possible or removing the best pitcher after a couple of innings so that he has virtually no impact on the outcome.

With all that said, no game is more fun to predict than this one, played at Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park on Tuesday. The Futures Game is played Sunday, and the Home Run Derby happens Monday.

Rolling the events into one sphere so that the predictions spread across all three is even better. They allow for bold, fun and even absurd prognostications every year.

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If you want to rail about Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game and criticize it as a meaningless exhibition between the two leagues, you can probably find plenty of company.

If you are in that group, you could probably give us a treatise on how stupid baseball is for attaching victory in the All-Star Game to home-field advantage in the World Series.

That may serve as great fodder for the brilliant gurus who man the sports talk-radio shows, but here’s the bottom line: Before baseball gave the winning league home-field advantage in the Fall Classic, that advantage merely alternated between the leagues on an every-year basis.

It did not go to the team that had the best record. Perhaps that would make more sense, but Major League Baseball never went that route. So all the sport did was give some meaning to winning the All-Star Game.

Perhaps the All-Star Game will never have the meaning it did in 1955, when Stan Musial of the St. Louis Cardinals homered off Frank Sullivan of the Boston Red Sox in the bottom of the 12th to give the National League a 6-5 victory. The American League will not be as desperate to win as it was in 1983, when the junior circuit rolled to a 13-3 victory after losing 11 consecutive All-Star Games to the National League.

But both sides will want to win the best All-Star Game in professional sports. The NFL may rule the sports world in nearly every area, but not when it comes to All-Star or All-Pro competitions.

Both sides have game-changing players in their starting lineups. In this piece, we’ll look at four key impact players from both the American League and the National League who will have a chance to put their signatures on the 86th All-Star Game from the Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.

American League

2B Jose Altuve, Houston Astros

Altuve was a nice story for the Astros last year when they were a last-place team in the American League West. He led the league in batting with a .341 average, and he became the best second baseman in the American League.

This year, the Astros are a first-place team, and Altuve is their spark plug with 96 hits, 44 runs scored, 36 RBI and a .755 OPS. There is every reason to think he can play that same role for the American League All-Stars. He has the ability to start rallies and keep them going, and he is also a demon in the field.

Jose Altuve hitting .375 during 14-game hit streak with 1.007 OPS. He has raised his batting average from .287 to .309. @Astros

— Richard Justice (@richardjustice) July 7, 2015

3B Josh Donaldson, Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays have looked to Donaldson for the big hit all season long, and he has delivered quite well. Donaldson has belted 21 homers and knocked in 60 runs, and he also has a .301 batting average and a .901 OPS. Donaldson has fielded his position well, too, and he has been on a tear over the last month with 10 homers in his last 30 games. Donaldson could find Cincinnati’s cozy confines to his liking.

OF Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels

Trout won the MVP in last year’s All-Star Game, and he has all the tools to do it again. Trout is no longer the emerging superstar in the sport; he is fully established at this point because of his power, speed and outstanding defensive play. Trout has already hammered 24 home runs, and he has an eye-catching .998 OPS. National League pitchers will think twice before challenging Trout with men on base.

.@MikeTrout‘s second HR tonight will make you forget about the first: http://t.co/Gz5tmrI7aX #CRUSHED pic.twitter.com/eSbZrk8Fs9

— MLB (@MLB) July 9, 2015

C Sal Perez, Kansas City Royals

Perez is the leader of the defending American League champions, and Kansas City has the best record in the AL through July 10. Perez is a big part of the reason the Royals have been so successful the last two years. While his offensive numbers are good—14 homers and 37 RBI—it’s the way he handles the defensive responsibilities that make him so special. He is a game-changing player who could have a huge impact Tuesday night.

National League

SS Jhonny Peralta, St. Louis Cardinals

The former Detroit Tiger has been one of the best hitting shortstops in the major leagues for years, and he is having a sensational season for the NL Central-leading Cardinals. Peralta has belted 12 homers and knocked in 44 runs, and he has a .289 batting average and an .805 OPS. 

IT AIN’T OVER ‘TIL IT’S OVER! Jhonny Peralta with the 2-run blast to take a 6-5 lead in the top of the 9th! #STLCards

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) July 9, 2015

3B Todd Frazier, Cincinnati Reds

Frazier has been having a huge year, and National League fans took note of his 25 homers, 55 RBI and .923 OPS and put him in the starting lineup. If Frazier can put on a power show in the All-Star Game and lead the National League to a victory, he will have a chance to win the MVP Award for the game. No player competing in his home ballpark has won the MVP since Pedro Martinez did it for the Red Sox while playing in the Fenway Park All-Star Game in 1999.

OF Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals

While few are going to make an argument that Trout is not the best young player in baseball, Harper has a chance to give the Angels superstar a run for his money. Harper is having his best year with the Nationals, and he has put on a brilliant power display through the first half of the season. Harper has 25 homers, 60 RBI and an off-the-charts OPS of 1.181. He has a chance to dominate this year’s All-Star Game.

Bryce Harper is now hitting .528 with 10 HR in 36 AB this season when Max Scherzer is pitching for Nationals.

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) July 8, 2015

2B Dee Gordon, Miami Marlins

When the National League was dominating the All-Star Game in the 1960s and ’70s, the Senior Circuit had a huge advantage in a number of areas. One of their biggest edges was in the speed department with players like Willie Mays, Lou Brock, Maury Wills and Cesar Cedeno. While the American League long ago caught up and passed the National League in talent, Gordon has the kind of speed that could cause big problems for the American League. Gordon has 119 hits, a .333 batting average and 33 stolen bases. If Gordon gets on base, he will test Perez with his base-stealing ability.

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On July 12, the 2015 MLB Futures Game will showcase some of the best minor league talent for this season. The American prospects will face off against the international-born prospects in Cincinnati during All-Star weekend.

The Mets will have two representatives on the American team this year in outfielders Brandon Nimmo and Michael Conforto. This will be Nimmo’s second trip to the Futures Game, with the first appearance occurring in 2013 when the Mets were the host team. Conforto, the Mets’ 2014 first-round pick, is making his first trip to the Futures Game.

What can we expect to see from each of these outfielders in a few days? Let’s find out! Here are some scouting reports on both Nimmo and Conforto.

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