Dodgers: What to Watch For in the 2019 MLB All-Star Game

The 2019 midsummer classic has arrived. Later on today the Dodgers and their five all-stars will look to defeat the American League.

It’s hard to believe but the Dodgers are already at the All-Star break and later on this evening the All-Star game will be played in Cleveland, Ohio.  Fresh off another World Series appearance, Dave Roberts will manage the National League and with him, he brings five Dodgers in Hyun-Jin Ryu, Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Cody Bellinger, and Max Muncy.

Hyun-Jin Ryu in his first All-Star Game will do something not even Clayton Kershaw has done which is start the All-Star Game for the National League.  It’s a fact that is hard to imagine given the illustrious career that Kershaw has had while being the best starting pitcher of this generation.  Kershaw will be making his eighth All-Star game appearance so it is nothing new for Clayton.

Ryu will likely pitch an inning or two and Dave Roberts has said that Clayton Kershaw will likely follow Ryu.  Walker Buehler figures to pitch later in the game as Jacob deGrom will follow Kershaw and then Dave Roberts will come up with a plan for the rest of the pitchers on his staff.  With only one inning to pitch, Walker Buehler could hit 100 MPH on the radar gun.

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This is the first time the Dodgers have had three All-Star pitchers in the same season since 1962 when two All-Star games were played.  Outside of the three starting pitchers, the Dodgers will also have Cody Bellinger and Max Muncy at tonight’s game.  Bellinger will bat cleanup and follow Freddie Freeman in Dave Robert’s lineup.

Max Muncy will be a factor later on in the game as subs start to come in for the starters.  Given Muncy’s newfound versatility it will be interesting to see where Muncy plays.  He could play at first, second, or third base and provide a big hit later on in the game.  There is also the designated hitter spot where Muncy could also pinch-hit.

The Dodgers have not had an All-Star game MVP since 1996 when Mike Piazza was the most valuable player for the National League.  In that game, Piazza went 2-3 with two RBI’s as he homered off Charles Nagy and also doubled in a run.  The Dodgers will look to end that drought this season with Bellinger one of the favorites to win All-Star game MVP.

Tonight’s game will start right around 4:30 PM Pacific time and will be televised on FOX.  Make sure to tune in and root the Dodgers on as well as the rest of the National League.  It will be the one time Dodger fans will be rooting for Christian Yelich and Javier Baez to do well in a game.