The annual announcement of the MLB All-Star Game roster is always an exciting time and for the Los Angeles Dodgers this season will be one of many selections. Last year, they sent six players to Arlington, Texas. Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernández, Tyler Glasnow, Shohei Ohtani, and Will Smith all represented LA as All-Stars in 2024.
Will Yoshinobu Yamamoto Get His First All-Star Game For Dodgers?
Looking ahead to 2025, Bleacher Report picked their top 15 Rising MLB Players Primed to Be First-Time All-Stars and they picked Yoshinobu Yamamoto as the lone Dodger on the list. BR writes;
“Armed with a mid-90s fastball and a wicked splitter and curveball pairing that both generated a whiff rate north of 30 percent, Yamamoto showed why the Los Angeles Dodgers made a $325 million investment in his talents last offseason.
Unfortunately, he missed roughly three months with a shoulder injury, knocking him out of the running in what could have been an even more epic NL Rookie of the Year race.
The 26-year-old returned for the playoff run, and he tossed 6.1 innings of one-hit, one-run ball in Game 2 of the World Series. He will join Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and a healthy Shohei Ohtani in leading the Dodgers rotation in 2025.”
Yamamoto enjoyed a stellar 2024 season, compiling a 7-2 record with a 3.00 ERA in 18 starts. He showcased exceptional control, walking just 22 batters while striking out 105 over 90 innings pitched. His 1.11 WHIP and 1.7 WAR further solidified his status as one of the top pitchers in the league.
The Dodgers will return all of the previous year’s All-Stars and have added starting pitcher Snell and utility infielder Hyeseong Kim to the mix. They could also add pitcher Roki Sasaki before the season.
This sets up the potential for a record-breaking nine All-Star selections. The ’24 Philadelphia Phillies, ’23 Atlanta Braves, ’08 Chicago Cubs, ’04 New York Yankees, and ’01 Seattle Mariners are all tied with eight All-Star Selections.