MLB All-Star Game 2018: Rosters and Predictions for the Midsummer Classic

The Midsummer Classic is still the main draw of all the festivities during All-Star week.

Many young fans get turned on by the home run hitting contest and the distances players like Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber can hit the ball. Hard-core fans watch every pitch of the Futures Game with a scout's eye in order to get a view of the players who are likely to become the game's stars in the next three-to-five years.

But while interleague play, free agency and the frequency of seeing the game's great stars on television may have taken some of the mystery out of the All-Star Game, there's still something fascinating about seeing the sport's best players line up against each other while representing their leagues.

The American League comes into the 89th All-Star Game at Nationals Park in Washington D.C. riding a five-game winning streak and having put together a run of 23-6-1 over the last 30 years. That hot streak enabled the American League to tie the all-time series at 43-43-2 last year, and a win Tuesday night will give the AL the lead in the series for the first time since 1963.

Chris Sale of the Boston Red Sox will take the mound for the Junior Circuit for the third straight year, while Max Scherzer of the Washington Nationals will start for the second year in a row and the third time in his career. 

American League manager A.J. Hinch of the Houston Astros and National League manager Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers announced their starting lineups Monday.

Patrick Smith/Getty Images

National League Lineup

1. Javier Baez, 2B, Cubs

2. Nolan Arenado, 3B, Rockies

3. Paul Goldschmidt, DH, D-backs

4. Freddie Freeman, 1B, Braves

5. Matt Kemp, LF, Dodgers

6. Bryce Harper, CF, Nationals

7. Nick Markakis, RF, Braves

8. Brandon Crawford, SS, Giants

9. Willson Contreras, C, Cubs

Max Scherzer, P, Nationals

American League Lineup

1. Mookie Betts, RF, Red Sox

2. Jose Altuve, 2B, Astros

3. Mike Trout, CF, Angels

4. J.D. Martinez, DH, Red Sox

5. Jose Ramirez, 3B, Indians

6. Aaron Judge, LF, Yankees

7. Manny Machado, SS, Orioles

8. Jose Abreu, 1B, White Sox

9. Salvador Perez, C, Royals

Chris Sale, P, Red Sox

Here's a look at some information ahead of the game and the full rosters for both teams.

2018 MLB All-Star Game

Date: Tuesday, July 17

Time: 8 p.m. ET

TV: Fox

Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images

Rosters

American League Starters

Wilson Ramos. C, Tampa Bay*

Jose Abreu, 1B. Chicago White Sox

Jose Altuve. 2B, Houston

Jose Ramirez, 3B, Cleveland

Manny Machado, SS, Baltimore

Mike Trout, OF, Los Angeles Angels

Aaron Judge, OF, New York Yankees

Mookie Betts, OF, Boston

J.D. Martinez, OF, Boston

American League Reserves

Salvador Perez, C, Kansas City (designated as a starter after Ramos injury)

Yan Gomes, C, Cleveland

Mitch Moreland, 1B, Boston

Jed Lowrie, 2B, Oakland

Gleyber Torres, 2B, New York Yankees*

Alex Bregman, 3B, Houston

Francisco Lindor, SS, Cleveland

Jean Segura, SS, Seattle

Michael Brantley, OF, Cleveland

Shin-Soo Choo, OF, Texas

Mitch Haniger, OF, Seattle

George Springer, OF, Houston

Nelson Cruz, DH, Seattle

American League Pitchers

Trevor Bauer, Cleveland

Jose Berrios, Minnesota

Aroldis Chapman, New York Yankees*

Gerrit Cole, Houston

Edwin Diaz, Seattle

J.A. Happ, Toronto

Joe Jimenez, Detroit

Craig Kimbrel, Boston

Corey Kluber, Cleveland*

Charlie Morton, Houston

Chris Sale, Boston

Luis Severino, New York Yankees

Blake Treinen, Oakland

Justin Verlander, Detroit*

National League Starters

Willson Contreras, C, Chicago Cubs

Freddie Freeman, 1B, Atlanta

Javier Baez, 2B, Chicago Cubs

Nolan Arenado, 3B, Colorado

Brandon Crawford, SS, San Francisco

Nick Markakis, OF, Atlanta

Matt Kemp, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

Bryce Harper, OF, Washington

National League Reserves

Yadier Molina, C, St. Louis

Buster Posey, C, San Francisco*

J.T. Realmuto, C, Miami

Jesus Aguilar, 1B, Milwaukee

Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, Arizona

Joey Votto, 1B, Cincinnati

Ozzie Albies, 2B, Atlanta

Scooter Gennett, 2B, Cincinnati

Eugenio Suarez, 3B, Cincinnati

Trevor Story, SS, Colorado

Charlie Blackmon, OF, Colorado

Lorenzo Cain, OF, Milwaukee

Christian Yelich, OF, Milwaukee

National League Pitchers

Patrick Corbin, Arizona

Zack Greinke, Arizona

Jacob deGrom, New York Mets

Sean Doolittle, Washington*

Mike Foltynewicz, Atlanta

Josh Hader, Milwaukee

Jason Jeffress, Milwaukee

Brad Hand, San Diego

Kenley Jansen, Los Angeles Dodgers

Jon Lester, Chicago Cubs*

Miles Mikolas, St. Louis*

Aaron Nola, Philadelphia

Max Scherzer, Washington

Ross Stripling, Los Angeles Dodgers

Felipe Vazquez, Pittsburgh

*-denotes player won't be participating in All-Star Game.

On the surface, it looks like the American League has the advantage once again based on both the starting lineup and the reserves coming off the bench. 

Betts (.359/.448/.691) is having a spectacular season and could easily ignite the American League with an extra-base hit. Altuve (.332/.394/.470) is the defending MVP and is never intimidated. Trout (.310/.454/.606) is almost certainly the best all-around player on the planet.

Yes, that's a formidable top of the lineup, but Scherzer is not the type to back down from any challenge. He said last week during an interview with the MLB Network that he is not planning to hold back and that he plans to fire for "a couple of innings" if Roberts plans to use him that long. 

The question of great pitching vs. great hitting will once again be tested.

Sale has been on one of the hottest streaks of his career, as he has struck out 11 or more batters while walking one batter or fewer in his last five starts for the Red Sox.

Since the American League is designated as the home team—even though the game is in a National League city—he has a chance to set the tone against Baez, Arenado and Goldschmidt.

Baez (19 home runs, 72 runs batted in) will usually take on an all-or-nothing attitude quite often when he is at the plate, but since he is leading off the game, he may just take what the defense gives him. He is a free swinger who hardly ever walks.

Arenado (23 homers, 68 RBI) is an exceptional hitter while Goldschmidt (21 homers, 52 RBI) has been hot in recent weeks. Still, it would be a surprise if the National League does any real damage against Sale.

The American League is a minus-130 favorite, according to OddsShark, while the National League is a plus-110 underdog. A bettor taking the American League would risk $130 to win $100, while a National League supporter bets $100 to win $110.

Predictions

The belief here is that Scherzer and Sale will do their jobs quite well, and so will deGrom and Severino, who are likely to follow the starters for their respective leagues.

However, the rest of the pitchers may have to face reality. In particular, we see the next wave of NL pitchers having problems with Betts, Martinez, Trout, Ramirez and Machado among the starters.

When the American League brings Lindor, Bregman, Springer and Cruz off the bench, it will have the opportunity to score quite a bit.

The National League will take its cues from Arenado, Goldschmidt and Freeman, but that won't be enough. Votto, Aguilar and Cain are solid coming off the bench, but they may have a hard time producing like their American League counterparts.

We like the American League to make it six wins in a row and take the all-time lead in the series, but the NL has one wild card. If Baez gets off to a brilliant start, hits a long ball and makes one or two of his classic plays in the field, it would not be a shocker if the Senior Circuit steals a win.