Bryce Harper earns 'Legend Pick' nod as MLB All-Star Game rosters revealed

"If you want to speak about that," Harper told Manfred, "you can get the [expletive] out of our clubhouse."

Manfred certainly showed there are no ill feelings, offering Harper an olive branch Saturday, naming Harper as his "Legend Pick," to represent the Phillies at the 96th All-Star Game on July 14 at his home ballpark at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.

Harper, who’s having his finest first half since 2021, hitting .274 with 20 homers and 57 RBI, might have been the biggest All-Star snub without Manfred stepping in and selecting him. Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman, one of four Dodgers starting players, won the fan balloting while Atlanta’s Matt Olson won the player balloting.

Harper, a nine-time All-Star, joins four of his Phillies teammates: DH Kyle Schwarber, who actually received more player votes than the Dodgers' two-way star Shohei Ohtani; outfielder Brandon Marsh; closer Jhoan Duran and starting pitcher Cristopher Sanchez. Sanchez is expected to be the National League’s starting pitcher with Ohtani scheduled to be strictly a DH and Milwaukee Brewers All-Star Jacob Misiorowski scheduled to start on the last day before the break, making him ineligible to pitch in the All-Star Game.

The Dodgers, the two-time defending World Series champions, will have five players in the All-Star Game, including four starting players for the first time since 1980. Ohtani, who won the fan balloting as the DH, will start along with Freeman, third baseman Max Muncy and first-time All-Star center fielder Andy Pages. World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto also was selected. Muncy becomes the first Dodgers third baseman to win the fan balloting since Ron Cey in 1977.

The New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays lead the American League with four All-Star players apiece. Perhaps the most controversial of those selections is Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who won the fan balloting despite having his worst season, batting .268 with just four homers, 35 RBI and a career-low .699 OPS. He has the fewest homers and RBI than any starting position player, and ranks only 10th among all qualified American League first baseman.

Certainly, no one will be complaining they were snubbed more than the Boston Red Sox. First baseman Willson Contreras, their best player the first half, hitting .283 with 18 homers and 53 RBI, was ignored by the fans and the players and didn’t make the team. Neither did their best pitcher, starter Sonny Gray, despite being 9-1 with a 2.36 ERA.

“I can’t believe my brother didn’t make it,’’ his younger brother, Brewers All-Star catcher William Contreras, told USA TODAY Sports. “Look at his numbers. He’s got to be there.’’

The St. Louis Cardinals might not be too far behind in legitimate complaints with second baseman JJ Wetherholt, closer Riley O’Brien and starter Michael McGreevy being left off the team. They wouldn’t have had a single player chosen if MLB didn’t step in and select right fielder Jordan Walker.

The other notable snubs include: Starting pitchers Zack Wheeler of the Phillies, Nick Martinez of the Rays, Kyle Harrison of the Brewers, Ben Brown of the Chicago Cubs, and Braxton Ashcraft of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The leading position players who have legitimate complaints being left off are Brewers second baseman Brice Turang and first baseman Jake Bauers, Rockies first baseman TJ Rumfield, Nationals first baseman Luis Garcia, White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery and Blue Jays third baseman Kazuma Okamoto.

There are 26 first-time All-Stars, including four rookies: Kevin McGonigle of Detroit, Travis Bazzana and Parker Messick of Cleveland, and Sal Stewart of Cincinnati. McGonigle, the youngest All-Star at 21 years old, is the first Tigers rookie to make the All-Star team since Matt Nokes in 1987, and was emotional hearing the news with the game played in his hometown.

“I've always dreamed about going to an All-Star Game in Philly, just to go and watch,” he said. “That's always been a dream,’’ McGonigle told reporters this week. “Now that I might have the opportunity to, you know, play in one? That would be surreal.’’

And the Guardians are only the fifth team in MLB history to send multiple rookies to the All-Star Game, last accomplished by the 2014 Yankees with pitchers Dellin Betances and Masahiro Tanaka. There are 11 All-Star selections who are 24 or younger, including Bazzana, who’s just the fourth Australian native to be an All Star.

While three-time MVP Aaron Judge will be unable to play in the game with his broken rib, it is the ninth consecutive season the Yankees have had at least one player voted to the game, the longest streak in MLB.

The Athletics, with catcher Shea Langeliers winning the fan balloting, have had All-Star starters in back-to-back years for the first time since 1992. A’s shortstop Jacob Wilson won the fan balloting a year ago, but this time Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. won the player and the fan balloting.

The American League players who won the fan and player balloting: Blue Jays second baseman Ernie Clement;, Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero; Witt, Houston Astros DH Yordan Alvarez; and outfielders Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins and Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels.

Trout, who earned his 12th All-Star selection, is on the injured list with a strained hamstring but is expected to be activated this week and play in the All-Star Game, which is 45 minutes from his hometown of Millville, N.J. It would be his first time playing in the All-Star Game since 2019.

There were only two National League Players who won the fan and player balloting: Washington Nationals shortstop CJ Abrams; and Muncy.

While the fans voted Marsh, Juan Soto and Pages as their NL starting outfield, the players chose Pete Crow-Armstrong of the Chicago Cubs, Corbin Carroll of the Arizona Diamondbacks and James Wood of the Washington Nationals.

The fans voted for Guerrero mostly out of name recognition and his past accomplishments, the same could be said for defending NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes, 6-8 with a 3.62 ERA. Skenes, who started last year’s All-Star Game, hasn’t won a game since May 12, going 0-6 with a 5.63 ERA since May 12. Yet, while Skenes was chosen, Detroit Tigers’ two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal (4-4, 3.15 ERA) was left off after missing five weeks with elbow surgery.

MLB made six selections apiece in the NL and AL, with four of the picks used to represent clubs that did not have an All-Star.

The six AL picks: pitchers Bryan Baker of the Tampa Bay Rays; Jacob Latz of the Texas Rangers; Ranger Suarez of the Boston Red Sox and Michael Wacha of the Kansas City Royals; along with first baseman Ben Rice of the Yankees and catcher Adley Rutschman of the Baltimore Orioles.

The six NL selections: Pitchers Max Meyer of the Miami Marlins; Eduardo Rodriguez of the Arizona Diamondbacks; Logan Webb of the San Francisco Giants and Yamamoto; outfielder Jordan Walker of the St. Louis Cardinals and catcher Hunter Goodman of the Colorado Rockies.

Certainly, there will be plenty of position player substitutes and pitchers who will be ineligible to pitch in the game before they arrive next weekend in Philadelphia. Surely the Phillies’ fans would love to see Wheeler, 37, make an appearance after his comeback from thoracic outlet decompression surgery last September. Nick Martinez, who turns 36 next month, would be a fabulous feel-good story earning his first All-Star berth with his 7-2 record, 2.61 ERA.

And come on, who wouldn’t want to see Contreras scream at any National League pitcher who dares to pitch inside at the All-Star Game?

In the meantime, let the fireworks begin.