The Houston Astros will be well represented in the MLB All-Star Game yet again.
Jose Altuve was announced as a starter at second base Friday night, and now four more Astros have been named to the American League team.
Justin Verlander and Framber Valdez were named to the pitching staff, while Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker were named to the squad as well.
This is the first time the Astros have had five All-Stars since 2019, with the franchise record being six which was set in 2017 and 2018.
Houston now has the most All-Stars selections in the Major Leagues since 2017 at 27. Alvarez, Tucker, and Valdez were named to the team for the first time and Verlander made the Mid-Summer classic for the ninth time.
Alvarez, in the middle of an MVP-like season, leads the majors in OPS (1.058) and slugging percentage (.653), third in home runs (26), and fourth in on-base percentage (.405). However, due to being placed on the Injured List today, it’s unclear whether or not Alvarez will play in the contest.
Tucker is also having a nice season, with 15 home runs and ranking fourth in the AL in RBIs.
Valdez is 8-4 in 17 starts this season and also carries a 2.67 ERA. He is also the only pitcher in the AL to have two complete games, and he’s currently 2nd in the AL in innings pitched (109).
Verlander is off to one of the best seasons in his Hall of Fame career at the crisp young age of 39. In 16 starts, Verlander has an 11-3 record with a 2.00 ERA. He leads the AL in wins and ranks second in ERA, opponents average, and WHIP (.87). He even started the All-Star game in 2019 for the AL.
For Jose Altuve, this is the 8th time he has been selected in his career, and it’s his fifth start, which are both franchise records. Altuve surpassed Astros legend Craig Biggio, who had four starts and seven selections.
Altuve leads MLB second baseman in HR (17), OPS (.906), OBP (.370) and SLG (.536). He also ranks third in runs scored.
The All-Star Game for this year is Tuesday, July 19 at Dodger Stadium. The game will be broadcasted on FOX, with the game scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m.