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Predicting MLB Players Who Will Make 1st All-Star Appearances

After a while, the MLB All-Star Game can become, well, kind of boring.

While it's great to see the biggest names in baseball go head-to-head for the right to home-field advantage in the World Series, it doesn't always reflect the players who are having the best seasons—and isn't that what the All-Star Game is all about?

But this year, with annual participants like Derek Jeter and Johan Santana on the disabled list and others, like Justin Verlander and Matt Kemp, having down seasons, there's going to be a flood of first-time All-Stars appearing at this year's Midsummer Classic.

These players won't be relegated to reserve duty, either, with a handful of them set to start the game, either by way of the fan voting or by way of their phenomenal performances on the mound, leaving their respective team's skippers with little choice but to give them the ball first.

With that said, here's a look at who I think we'll be seeing make their All-Star debuts at Citi Field on July 16.

 

 

*Unless otherwise noted, all statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and current through games of June 28.

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Poll

Best of the American League
Tampa Bay
19%
Boston
19%
Chicago
7%
Minnesota
10%
Los Angeles
17%
Texas
27%
Total votes: 270

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