Washington Nationals’ Max Scherzer and Anthony Rendon named to NL roster for 2019 MLB All-Star Game

Heading into play on Sunday in Detroit, 29-year-old Washington Nationals’ third baseman Anthony Rendon led National League third basemen in OBP (.398), SLG (.619), and OPS+ (155), was ranked second in fWAR (3.2), doubles (20), and batting average (.310), and was third in RBIs (57), wRC+ (156), and wOBA (.414). Rendon finished fifth in fan voting for the 2019 MLB All-Star game, however, so if he was going to go for the first time, he was going to have to be added as a reserve.

Asked earlier this season if he would like to be an All-Star, Rendon (sort-of) jokingly said he’d love to be an All-Star if he didn’t have to actually go to the game, which is in Cleveland, OH on July 9th this year.

He’s going to have to make a decision now, because Rendon was added to the NL’s All-Star roster this afternoon when the reserves for the Midsummer Classic were announced.

Joining Rendon on the NL roster is teammate Max Scherzer.

Scherzer started the day with an MLB-best 156 strikeouts, and the 34-year-old, six-(and now seven)-time All Star was ranked first in the majors in K/9 (12.28), second in HR/9 (0.63), third in K/BB ratio (7.09), and innings pitched (114 ¹⁄₃ IP), and fifth in WHIP (1.03), and opponent’s OBP (.272), and opponent’s OPS (.620). He struck out 14 of 18 Tigers’ batters in the start this afternoon, in an eight-inning, 115-pitch performance.

It’s the seventh-straight All-Star selection for Scherzer.

Snubs?: No Juan Soto? No Howie Kendrick? Will either of them end up being added when others inevitably drop out?