Three Detroit Tigers position players are set to start in Atlanta on July 15th
Now that Phase 2 of the newly-designed All Star Game fan voting process is completed, it’s official: at least 3 Detroit Tigers will be starting the Midsummer Classic! Riley Greene and Javier Baez will join Aaron Judge in the outfield and newcomer Gleyber Torres will man second base for the American League. The All Star Game will take place in Atlanta this year at 8pm ET on July 15th and will be aired on FOX.
This year, Baez – the early favorite for Comeback Player of the Year – is hitting .285/.323/.460 while making the remarkable transition from shortstop to centerfield while Parker Meadows was unavailable, and now back to shortstop. After an underwhelming Tigers career as a whole, Baez underwent hip surgery this winter and it seems to have restored much of his early-career athleticism and power. He recently transitioned back into the infield, but his impressive production and star power pushed him through to share the outfield with Greene.
Greene is having the best season of his young career so far and is starting to gain some recognition for it. So far, he’s slashing .296/.348/.539 and already has 19 home runs and 63 RBIs. It’s a notable level-up from an already very strong 2024, and he is currently in the best stretch of his career since the beginning of June. His ascendance has helped to transform the Tigers’ offense from middling in 2024 to strong in 2025.
Torres is the third Tiger hitter to make the All Star Game on the back of his .284/.386/.437 slash line. His 137 wRC+ leads all American League second basemen and far outweighs his slightly below average defense at the keystone. Torres has provided a much needed righty bat to the top of Detroit’s lineup. He is just the fourth All-Star starter at the second position for the Tigers, joining Charlie Gehringer, Lou Whitaker, and Placido Polanco.
As the best team in baseball, there are a few other hitters who would merit consideration as replacement players chosen by a ‘Players Ballot’. Spencer Torkelson has cooled off a bit after a torrid start, but his .806 OPS, 17 home runs and much improved defense have him on track for a career year. Zach McKinstry’s breakout has led to an .807 OPS and strong defense at many positions, including third base. Dillon Dingler is having a strong rookie season at catcher, too. After a recent slump, his .731 OPS is 5th among AL catchers, and his defense is arguably the best.
The pitching staff is is filled out by the ‘Players Ballot’, too. Tarik Skubal is a lock to join the roster after improving on his AL Cy Young and Triple Crown season. Casey Mize has been solid with an ERA at 2.86, but his early season injury probably keeps him out of serious consideration. The bullpen has some candidates, too; Tommy Kahnle’s 1.77 ERA ranks 7th in the league and Will Vest is 11th in Saves. Suffice to say, the top end of their pitching staff has gotten the job done.
The 23 additional reserves and pitchers will officially be announced on Sunday evening at 5:30pm ET. Not everyone listed here will make it, especially since every team needs at least one representative. Still, the Tigers are already well represented and seem poised to add a few more in the coming days.