Nationals outfielder Kyle Schwarber, the NL player of the month for June, and shortstop Trea Turner also earned all-star nods for the first time. Schwarber won’t play because of the hamstring strain he suffered Friday, and Turner said he hopes to play but is going to take it day-by-day and see how his jammed left middle finger feels.
This is the first time the Nationals have had three all-stars since the 2018 All-Star Game at Nationals Park, when Bryce Harper, Max Scherzer and Sean Doolittle represented the host city.
“It’s like a dream for every player to come to the All-Star Game and be around all those stars and famous people,” Soto said. “It’s going to be a great experience to be out there and have fun with all of those guys.”
The 22-year-old is hitting .278 with nine home runs and 37 RBI for a lineup that has been inconsistent. He has reached base safely in 21 straight games, which is tied for the longest stretch of his career.
Soto said he is looking forward to the festivities — and he’s going to record everything he can as a keepsake.
Schwarber said he will try to soak in the experience as well. While with the Chicago Cubs, the left fielder was at the 2018 All-Star Game for the Home Run Derby, losing to Harper in the final. But this time he will partake in all of the All-Star Game activities that he can, even if he can’t play in the game itself.
“You only get one first,” he said, “so I want to experience it and make the most of it. [It] sucks I won’t be able to play; it is what it is. But I’m still very excited to be a part of it.”
Schwarber earned his all-star bid after one of the best stretches at the plate in baseball history. He led the NL in home runs (16), RBI (30), slugging percentage (.760) and on-base-plus-slugging percentage (1.122) in June.
Turner is also in the midst of one of his best seasons as a big leaguer. The shortstop is batting .318, which places him in the top 10 in the majors. He also has 14 home runs, five shy of his career high, and is tied for the NL lead with 18 stolen bases. Turner is the first Nationals shortstop to make the all-star team since Ian Desmond in 2012.
Turner expressed excitement about making his first all-star appearance, but he was shocked that one of his teammates wasn’t included. Scherzer was left off the roster for the first time since 2012 — excluding last season, when there was no All-Star Game amid the coronavirus pandemic.
“If he’s not an all-star, there’s something wrong,” Turner said. “We pulled up the stats when we found out, and I know there’s a lot of good players. I get it. But he’s top five in every category in not just the NL but most of the MLB as well.”
Scherzer, a seven-time all-star who turns 37 this month, is having one of the best seasons of his career. The likely future Hall of Famer has posted career lows in ERA (2.10) and walks-plus-hits-per-inning-pitched (0.848). He ranks fifth in the NL in ERA and is tied for fifth in strikeouts.
“I just thought they didn’t notify pitchers today or something, because that’s the only thing that would make sense to me,” Turner said. “I think he’s more than deserving.”
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Juan Soto, Kyle Schwarber and Trea Turner are first-time all-stars; Max Scherzer is left out - The Washington Post
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