Inside The Orioles

Baltimore Orioles Veteran Finally Makes First All-Star Team

After years of getting snubbed, this Baltimore Orioles slugger is finally an All-Star.

Tyler Maher

Jun 25, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander.
Jun 25, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander. / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

It took Anthony Santander eight MLB seasons, but he's finally an All-Star.

It was announced on Thursday that the Baltimore Orioles outfielder is going to his first All-Star Game. He was chosen as an injury replacement for Houston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker, who is on the injured list with a shin issue and has not played since June 3.

Minnesota Twins infielder Willi Castro was also added to the AL roster on Thursday as a replacement for Astros star Jose Altuve, who is sitting out the game with a sore left hand.

This marks the first career All-Star selection for both Santander and Castro.

They'll make the trip to Arlington, Texas for next Tuesday's annual Midsummer Classic, which is being hosted by the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field.

Santander will join teammates Gunnar Henderson, Adley Rutschman, Corbin Burnes and Jordan Westburg.

For Santander, his first All-Star nod has been a long time coming. He's quietly been one of the AL's best and most consistent sluggers over the past half-decade, launching 133 home runs since the start of the 2019 campaign.

Despite having All-Star caliber seasons in 2022 and 2023, Santander was not selected either year. He swatted 33 homers with 89 RBI in 2022, then followed it up by cracking 41 doubles and 28 homers in 2023. Both times, he was overlooked in the All-Star voting.

With Santander and the Orioles both off to a great start in 2024, it looked like this might finally be his year. His 23 home runs are one of the 10 highest totals in baseball, plus he just had a sensational June with 13 homers last month.

While Santander wasn't chosen by the fans or picked as an initial reserve, he finally got his due as an injury replacement.

It's not the ideal way to get selected, but at the end of the day, it doesn't matter.

Better late than never.

Published
Tyler Maher
TYLER MAHER

Tyler grew up in Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He went to Tufts University and played club baseball for the Jumbos. Since graduating, he has worked for MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel and Forbes. When he's not writing about baseball, he enjoys running, traveling, and playing fetch with his golden retriever.

Home/News