Shohei Ohtani will bat leadoff for the National League in the All-Star Game at Truist Park. The following players in the batting order include Ronald Acuna Jr., Ketel Marte, Freddie Freeman, Manny Machado, Will Smith, Kyle Tucker, Francisco Lindor, and Pete Crow-Armstrong. Paul Skenes will start for the National League and Tarik Skubal for the American League. Gleyber Torres will lead off for the American League, followed by Riley Greene, Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Ryan O'Hearn, Junior Caminero, Javy Baez, and Jacob Wilson. Skenes and Skubal lead in fastball velocity this season.
"I think when you're talking about the game, where it's at, these two guys ... are guys that you can root for, are super talented, are going to be faces of this game for years to come," Roberts said.
Ohtani led off for the AL in the 2021 All-Star Game, when the two-way sensation also was the AL's starting pitcher. He hit leadoff in 2022, then was the No. 2 hitter for the AL in 2023 and for the NL last year after leaving the Los Angeles Angels for the Dodgers.
Skenes and Skubal are 1-2 in average four-seam fastball velocity among those with 1,500 or more pitches this season, Skenes at 98.2 mph and Skubal at 97.6 mph, according to MLB Statcast.
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