2025 MLB All-Star Game Top Storylines to Track for Both Rosters

The best and brightest of the baseball world are descending upon Atlanta for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game.

The combined skill level of the participants is staggering, as is the number of compelling All-Star storylines. From first-timers perhaps making their initial introductions to the most casual fans to All-Star veterans working their way back to this big stage after injury-induced layoffs, every star has a story to tell.

After laying out the rosters for Tuesday's Midsummer Classic (8 p.m. ET on Fox), we'll dissect a few of our favorite plot points to track.

2025 MLB All-Star Rosters

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American League

Elected starters

C: Cal Raleigh, SEA

1B: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., TOR

2B: Gleyber Torres, DET

3B: José Ramírez, CLE

SS: Jacob Wilson, ATH

OF: Aaron Judge, NYY

OF: Riley Greene, DET

OF: Javier Báez, DET

DH: Ryan O'Hearn, BAL

Pitchers

Hunter Brown, HOU; Kris Bubic, KC; Aroldis Chapman, BOS; Garrett Crochet, BOS; Jacob deGrom, TEX; Carlos Estévez, KC; Max Fried, NYY; Josh Hader, HOU; Yusei Kikuchi, LAA; Casey Mize, DET; Andrés Muñoz, SEA; Drew Rasmussen, TB; Carlos Rodón, NYY; Joe Ryan, MIN; Tarik Skubal, DET; Shane Smith, CWS; Bryan Woo, SEA

Reserves

Alejandro Kirk, TOR; Jonathan Aranda, TB; Alex Bregman, BOS; Junior Caminero, TB; Jazz Chisholm Jr., NYY; Maikel Garcia, KC; Brandon Lowe, TB; Zach McKinstry, DET; Isaac Paredes, HOU; Jeremy Peña, HOU; Bobby Witt Jr., KC; Randy Arozarena, SEA; Byron Buxton, MIN; Steven Kwan, CLE; Julio Rodríguez, SEA; Brent Rooker, ATH

National League

Elected starters

C: Will Smith, LAD

1B: Freddie Freeman, LAD

2B: Ketel Marte, ARI

3B: Manny Machado, SD

SS: Francisco Lindor, NYM

OF: Ronald Acuña Jr., ATL

OF: Pete Crow-Armstrong, CHC

OF: Kyle Tucker, CHC

DH: Shohei Ohtani, LAD

Pitchers

Andrew Abott, CIN; Jason Adam, SD; Matthew Boyd, CHC; Edwin Díaz, NYM; MacKenzie Gore, WAS; Clayton Kershaw, LAD; Trevor Megill, MIL; Jacob Misiorowski, MIL; Adrian Morejon, SD; Freddy Peralta, MIL; David Peterson, NYM; Robbie Ray, SF; Randy Rodríguez, SF; Chris Sale, ATL; Paul Skenes, PIT; Robert Suarez, SD: Logan Webb, SF; Zack Wheeler, PHI; Yoshinobu Yamamoto, LAD

Reserves

Hunter Goodman, C, COL; Pete Alonso, NYM; Elly De La Cruz, CIN; Brendan Donovan, STL; Matt Olson, ATL; Eugenio Suárez, ARI; Corbin Carroll, ARI; Kyle Stowers, MIA; Fernando Tatis Jr., SD; James Wood, WAS; Kyle Schwarber, PHI

The Many, Many First-Timers

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With rosters impacted by injuries and replacements, enough doors have been opened for 30 different players to make their All-Star debuts.

By and large, these players are rising stars whose breakouts played huge parts in how the first half of this season played out. The Cubs probably wouldn't be sitting atop the NL Central standings without Pete Crow-Armstrong making a push for NL MVP honors. The Astros wouldn't be controlling the AL West if not for Hunter Brown's emergency as a bona fide ace.

Speaking of breakouts, have we ever seen one transpire as quickly as Jacob Misiorowski's? Milwaukee only called up the 6'7" flamethrower last month, and he heads to this event—as a replacement for Matthew Boyd—with only five career games under his belt. Not everyone thinks this is a great idea, though Misiorowski has looked like a star so far (2.81 ERA with 33 strikeouts over 25.2 innings).

On the opposite end of the first-timers club, there are a handful of 30-something veterans who invested plenty of blood, sweat and tears on their long trail to this point. The appreciation surely won't be lost on the likes of 31-year-old Ryan O'Hearn, 33-year-old Jason Adam or 34-year-old Matthew Boyd, who's in his 11th MLB season and has never looked better (10-3 with a 2.34 ERA).

The Long Road Back Club

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It feels like not that long ago when Jacob deGrom routinely ranked among baseball's best pitchers. He snagged a pair of Cy Young awards and effectively booked annual All-Star trips.

In actuality, though, repeated run-ins with the injury bug threatened to derail deGrom's career entirely. He made just 20 appearances over the last three seasons combined while working his way around Tommy John surgery.

Thankfully, the 37-year-old has managed to put his injury trouble behind him while securing his first All-Star selection since 2021.

That was also the last time hard-throwing reliever Aroldis Chapman made an All-Star appearance, although his absences were more performance-related. Whatever had been going wrong, though, is suddenly going very much right as he entered intermission with a career-best 1.18 ERA and 58 strikeouts (against 10 walks) in 38 innings.