Five All-Stars named for Padres, including three first-timers
Apr 12, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; San Diego Padres left fielder Jurickson Profar (10), center fielder Jackson Merrill (3) and right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) celebrate after the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Major League Baseball announced the rosters for the 2024 All-Star Game, and the Padres have five selections.
Padres fans anxiously awaited the announcement of the National League roster ahead of the 2024 All-Star Game on July 16 in Arlington. Jurickson Profar and Fernando Tatis Jr. were named starters by the fan vote. A combination of player voting and selections from the Commissioner’s office decide the reserves.
The results are in, and as of Sunday evening, the Padres have five players headed to Arlington for the Midsummer Classic (injury replacements might allow for a few more additions around the league in the coming days).
Aside from Profar and Tatis, Robert Suarez, Luis Arraez, and rookie Jackson Merrill heard their names called. Three Friars will be first-timers in Suarez, Profar, and Merrill.
The Padres have an outfield full of All-Stars. Jurickson Profar and Fernando Tatis Jr. were named as starters last week. Jackson Merrill joins them today as a reserve. He's the youngest All-Star in Padres history and the first rookie.
— AJ Cassavell (@AJCassavell) July 7, 2024
Suarez seemed like the most obvious choice, having been one of the more dominant closers in baseball for the first half. He converted 22 of 24 save chances, third best in the NL. His 1.77 ERA is among the best of any closer in MLB.
Merrill went from rookie learning a new position on the fly to MLB All-Star. That is truly an incredible accomplishment in of itself. He shows a knack for making contact. He is in the 95th percentile for expected batting average.
Among qualified NL outfielders, Merrill ranks second in average (.288) and third in fWAR (2.5). He is one of the top five most consistent and productive outfielders in the NL, rookie or not.
The biggest story regarding newcomers to the MLB All-Star Game, perhaps in all of baseball, is Profar. After over a decade in the majors, most of it being something of a “disappointing” former top prospect, Profar made it.
He played in over 1,000 MLB games before being recognized as an All-Star. This year, he earned every bit of it. He currently leads the National League with a .406 on-base percentage. He is fourth in batting average and sixth in OPS. Basically, Profar is a top-five hitter in the National League for the better part of three months. Finally, he gets his due.
Luis Arraez gets his third consecutive All-Star bid. He came into Sunday batting .315, third best in the NL. His average sits at .324 since arriving in San Diego from the Marlins. Thus far, Arraez hasn’t skipped a beat since becoming a Padre.
Hey now, The Kid’s an All-Star 🥹 pic.twitter.com/1FWa2pG1xh
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) July 7, 2024
Though named a starter by the fans, Fernando Tatis Jr. will not play in the game. He remains on the injured list due to a stress reaction in his leg. It may keep him out through the end of July or beyond.
Either way, Tatis gets the honor and another notch in the belt for his resume. This was his second All-Star selection and first since 2021. He earned it with excellent play before he got hurt. His 133 OPS+ is All-Star level, complemented with 14 homers and an .821 OPS.
Five All-Stars on one Padres team is tied for the second most in Padres history, two shy of 1985’s franchise record. It equals the number in 2021, which was the most since 1992.
Native of Escondido, CA. Lived in San Diego area for 20 years. Padres fan since childhood (mid-90s). I have been writing since 2014. I currently live near Seattle, WA and am married to a Seattle sports girl. I wore #19 on my high school baseball team for Tony Gwynn. I am a stats and sports history nerd. I attended BYU on the Idaho campus. I also love Star Wars.