2012 All-Star Game: First-Time Honorees Who Will Make Multiple Returns to Game

Baseball’s future is bright.

The 2012 MLB All-Star game will feature a handful of first-time honorees that will make their appearance in the event an annual occasion. Each player on the list is loaded with athleticism, youth and talent, and if any of them doesn’t become a fixture in the exhibition, it’d be an absolute shock.

Here’s a trio of names that you better get used to hearing because they aren’t going away.

3. Bryce Harper

Repeat after me: Bryce Harper is 19 years old—19 years old.

The Washington Nationals outfielder is a hype machine, but he deserves every bit of the attention that he receives. This year Harper is hitting .282 with eight home runs and 25 RBI. He’s already an All-Star and he hasn’t even scratched the surface of his potential—that should horrify every other baseball club.

Harper will be the face of the majors soon enough.

2. Mike Trout

Mike Trout is just right for Hollywood because he’s going to be a star well into the next decade.

In 2012, he’s hitting .341, good for sixth in MLB. He also has 12 home runs, 40 RBI and a whopping 26 stolen bases—the second-most in the majors. Trout is putting up similar numbers to the most dangerous offensive weapons in the league, and he’s only 20 years old.

Hank Aaron had 25 consecutive All-Star appearances. Trout is a long way off from touching that mark, but he definitely has the talent to pull it off.

1. Stephen Strasburg

Strasburg would’ve been an All-Star by now if it weren’t for an injury. After Tommy John surgery, many wondered if he’d ever develop into the all-world pitcher he had been hyped as.

The answer to their question: Yep.

At 23 years old, Strasburg has nine wins, a 2.82 ERA and league-leading 128 strikeouts this season. As long as he stays off the DL, he’ll be a dominant force in the league for a long time.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

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