Miami Marlins’ Luis Arraez named starter for 2023 MLB All-Star Game
For a second consecutive year, and for the first time with the Miami Marlins, Luis Arraez is an All-Star.
Arraez on Thursday was named the National League’s starting second baseman for the 2023 All-Star Game, set to take place July 11 at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park. Arraez became the starter by winning the two-phase fan vote, edging out the Atlanta Braves’ Ozzie Albies for the nod.
“I don’t think there’s anyone more deserving — at least on our team — to start and represent our ballclub,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “He represents what we’re all about. It’s not just the production, but all the work he puts in. He’s a winning player.”
Schumaker told Arraez in the clubhouse pregame Thursday before the Marlins’ eventual 2-0, series sweeping win over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway park. He got a round of applause from his teammates in the moment and a celebratory toast with champagne after the game.
“This is fun,” Arraez said in a speech to his teammates after being given the news. “I worked hard for this. I want to say thanks God [and] thanks to you guys. You guys are my teammates. Thank you to the staff, coaches, everybody here. Ahhh! I made it. That’s why I work hard. Thank you guys. Love you. I’ll go out there and enjoy it for you guys, too. Let’s go.”
It’s easy to see why Arraez got the nomination. In addition to his personality and energy, he’s chasing a feat that hasn’t been accomplished in more than 80 years.
Through Thursday’s game against Boston, Arraez is hitting .392 batting average — 61 points ahead of the next closest competitor (the Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr., at .331) and 98 points ahead of the next closest second baseman (the Philadelphia Phillies’ Bryson Stott and Arizona Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte, both at .294). No qualified MLB player has finished a season with at least a .400 batting average since Ted Williams in 1941.
He is also trending to be the first player to win batting titles in consecutive years but in different leagues. Arraez was the American League batting champion last season with the Minnesota Twins before being traded to Miami in the offseason for right-handed pitcher Pablo Lopez and a pair of prospects.
But perhaps not talked about as much has been Arraez’s reliability on defense. A key reason the Twins were willing to trade the hit collecting infielder is because they thought he didn’t have a defensive home. He primarily played first base and designated hitter last season for Minnesota. With Miami, 70 of his 72 starts have been at second base (he has one start apiece at first base and designated hitter). Fangraphs has Arraez at one defensive run saved, making him one of eight qualified second basemen to have a positive result with the metric.
This marks the second consecutive year a Marlins second baseman won the All-Star Game fan vote for the position. Jazz Chisholm Jr. beat Albies for the right to start in the 2022 All-Star Game. Chisholm, however, was not able to play in the game due to injury.
Should Arraez play and start, he’ll be the first Marlins infielder to start an All-Star Game since Hanley Ramirez in 2010.
(Dee Strange-Gordon was also named a starter at second base for the 2015 All-Star Game but did not play).
It will also be Arraez’s first time starting an All-Star Game. He made the 2022 team as a reserve for the American League.
The pitchers and reserve position players for the All-Star Game will be announced Sunday.
