The 2025 MLB All-Star Game is set for Tuesday at Truist Park in Atlanta. As of Sunday, 79 players have been announced as All-Stars, split into 40 from the American League and 39 from the National League, including injury and workload replacements.
Among them is Jacob Misiorowski, a right-handed pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers, who has only made five career starts yet still earned an All-Star spot. This decision has stirred up debates within major league clubhouses; several pitchers, like Ranger Suárez of the Philadelphia Phillies, have turned down All-Star invites under conditions requiring them to pitch in the game.
Who selects the first All-Star rosters?
Typically, each league’s All-Star roster has 32 players: 20 position players and 12 pitchers, along with any legends selected by Commissioner Rob Manfred. This selection method is encapsulated in Article XV(N) of the collective bargaining agreement.
Selection Steps:
- Fan voting determines starting position players.
- Next nine position players, plus five starting pitchers and three relievers, are selected by players.
- The Commissioner’s office fills the remaining spots.
Replacement Structure
If a starter cannot play, the next player in fan voting takes his place. A similar system applies to replacing omitted All-Stars, driven primarily by player ballots. If that pool runs dry, the Commissioner’s office selects from the remaining players. This was the case when MLB approached Suárez before choosing Misiorowski, as leading pitchers and position players had already dropped out.
The various rules dictating these selections help maintain fair representation, ensuring that a player is either replaced by someone of their position unless special circumstances apply.
