Freddie Freeman and Will Smith Named All-Star Game Starters Alongside Shohei Ohtani

Freddie Freeman and Will Smith of the Los Angeles Dodgers will take the field as All-Star Game starters, joining Shohei Ohtani, the National League's leading vote-getter, on July 15.

Ohtani, marking his fifth All-Star selection, topped the voting among National League players, securing his position last week. He will be joined by Aaron Judge from the New York Yankees, representing the American League.

This marks Freeman's ninth appearance in the All-Star Game and his fourth since joining the Dodgers. For Smith, this will be his third selection. Notably, Freeman returns to Truist Park, home of his former team, the Atlanta Braves, adding a personal touch to the event.

The Dodgers stand out as the only National League team with three All-Star selections, a feat matched by the Detroit Tigers in the American League with their trio of Javier Baez, Riley Greene, and Gleyber Torres.

Freeman has maintained impressive performance metrics this season, boasting a .308 batting average with a .381 on-base percentage and .502 slugging percentage. He has also contributed significantly defensively, helping the Dodgers secure an eight-game lead in their division.

Smith is having a standout season as well, leading the league with a .320 batting average and a .418 on-base percentage. He has also recorded 10 home runs and 43 RBIs.

The starting lineups for both leagues feature some of baseball's elite talent:

National League

C - Will Smith (Dodgers, third selection)

1B - Freddie Freeman (Dodgers, ninth selection)

2B - Ketel Marte (Arizona Diamondbacks, third selection)

3B - Manny Machado (San Diego Padres, seventh selection)

SS - Francisco Lindor (New York Mets, fifth selection)

OF - Ronald Acuna Jr. (Atlanta Braves, fifth selection); Pete Crow-Armstrong (Chicago Cubs, first selection); Kyle Tucker (Cubs, fourth selection)

DH - Shohei Ohtani (Dodgers, fifth selection)

American League

C - Cal Raleigh (Seattle Mariners, first selection)

1B - Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Toronto Blue Jays, fourth selection)

2B - Gleyber Torres (Detroit Tigers, first selection)

3B - Jose Ramirez (Cleveland Guardians, seventh selection)

SS - Jacob Wilson (Athletics, first selection)

OF - Aaron Judge (New York Yankees, seventh selection); Riley Greene (Tigers, first selection); Javier Baez (Tigers, third selection)

DH - Ryan O'Hearn (Baltimore Orioles, first selection)

The announcement of All-Star Game reserves and pitching staffs is forthcoming.