2024 MLB All-Star Game: Top Storylines to Track for Both Rosters

The best and brightest of Major League Baseball will take center stage Tuesday night in Arlington Texas as the league presents its annual Midsummer Classic, the MLB All-Star Game.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, Shohei Ohtani, Tre Turner, and Fernando Tatis Jr. lead a star-studded field of competitors who will play for the opportunity to win for their individual leagues and, potentially, secure the game's MVP award.

There are several stories to track throughout this year's game, including a rookie phenom, a red-hot team's suddenly ice-cold bats, and the potential for an underdog MVP.

Rookie Phenom: Paul Skenes Rides History into All-Star Start

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MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JULY 11: Paul Skenes #30 of the Pittsburgh Pirates throws a pitch during the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on July 11, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)

Paul Skenes will start the All-Star Game for the National League, manager Torey Lovullo revealed Friday on the Dan Patrick Show.

Skenes joins Hideo Nomo (1995), Fernando Valenzuela (1981), Mark Fidrych (1976) and Dave Stenhouse (1962) as the only rookies to start the game and the honor is not lost on the 22-year-old.

"There are a lot of really good pitchers that have been in the league for a little bit that probably are also deserving. To even be in the conversation is really cool, and obviously, to be named the starter, it's surreal," he said after the announcer.

Perhaps there are veterans deserving of the starting nod but Skenes has earned his spot.

Skenes made history, joining Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander, and Nolan Ryan as the only players to record no hits and 10 strikeouts in more than one outing in a single season, according to ESPN.

Add to that a 1.90 ERA through 66.1 innings, 89 strikeouts, and a grand total of 48 hits allowed, and you have a player whose work on the mound is undeniable. That he is undefeated in 11 starts, with a 6-0 record, only further adds credence to his starting role.

Considering how careful the Pirates have been not to let Skenes overdo it on the mound, including taking him out of both of those aforementioned no-hitters, it is unlikely we see an abundance of throws from the rookie, but he will have the distinction of starting the first All-Star Game he is eligible to and, if the trend continues, the first of many more to come.

Can Orioles Reignite Sleepy Bats?

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BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JULY 11: Anthony Santander #25 of the Baltimore Orioles bats against the Chicago Cubs at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 11, 2024 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)

The Orioles stopped the skid Sunday, halting a five-game losing streak with a come-from-behind, ninth-inning victory over the New York Yankees on a two-run walk-off double from Cedric Mullins.

Even considering the six runs the team scored in its win over the Bronx Bombers, the team's offense has been unusually sleepy. The bats are not producing and the team is not scoring runs.

According to StatMuse, the Orioles have tallied just 10 runs in the last six games. The long ball has not been there, either, with the team hitting just three homers in that same span.

Eight RBI will not do it, nor will hitting for less than .250 in every one of those six contests.

The just barely AL East-leading O's enter the midway break with questions at key positions, but none more significant than whether they can reignite the offense that appears to have slumped amid an exhausting run that included a month of June with just one day off.

Some of those questions could be answered Monday, with Gunnar Henderson's Home Run Derby appearance. He has hardly been the problem with the Orioles' offense, with 28 home runs.

Anthony Santander, Jordan Westburg, and Adley Rutschman will all play in the game itself. It will be of great interest to see if any of the three can get their bats going and shine some positive light on a team that has had flashes of greatness at times this season but has also gone through several baffling stretches of lackluster offense or head-scratching losses.

Potential Surprise MVPs

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ST. PETERSBURG, FL - JULY 14: Cleveland Guardians Outfielder Steven Kwan (38) at bat during the regular season game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Tampa Bay Rays on July 14, 2024, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

A year ago, in a game with stars the likes of Mookie Betts, Freedie Freeman, Adley Rutschman, and Ronald Acuña Jr., it was Colorado Rockies catcher Elías Díaz that won All-Star Game MVP honors.

No matter how god or reliable he is, Díaz was hardly anyone's first pre-game pick to win the prestigious award.

We could see a repeat of that scenario this year.

Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians is gaining some notoriety for his performance at the plate this year, and rightfully so. In 69 games, he has amassed 99 hits, 27 RBI, and eight home runs for an MLB-leading .352 batting average that is .026 greater than the second-best hitter.

If he can continue that level of performance Tuesday, he could easily steal the thunder out from the game's higher-profile stars.

Another candidate on the American League side of things is Jarren Duran, who has been electric for the Boston Red Sox this season.

Duran has already accumulated 113 hits, 10 home runs, 41 RBI, and 22 stolen bases. He has been an igniter for the Red Sox offense and is a major reason the team sits in third place in the AL East, 11 games over .500.

Either one of those stars could easily steal headlines coming out of Tuesday's game and build on that momentum to continue their superb 2024 seasons.