Padres' First-Time All-Star: 'I Always Thought I Was This Player'

He has believed in himself long before he became an All-Star.

Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

San Diego Padres outfielder Jurickson Profar was named to the MLB All-Star Team for the first time in his career this year. The 31-year-old outfielder is off to his best season yet, slashing .305/.394/.476 with 14 home runs and 59 RBIs. He ranks ninth in MLB in batting average, and is hitting above .300 for the first time in his career.

While the Padres star has waited over a decade to earn this honor, he has always felt this is what he was capable of as a player.

“I always thought I was this player,” Profar said, via The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. “In my mind, I’m an All-Star. And finally, it’s showing.”

Profar had a long road to making it to this point of his career. A top-100 prospect more than a decade ago, Profar debuted in 2012 with the Texas Rangers, playing two seasons before a shoulder injury caused him to miss two seasons. Following his return, it took time for Profar to regain consistency as he lost playing time and hit a meager .172 in 2017.

Profar then was traded to the Oakland Athletics, where he struggled defensively as a second baseman. The Athletics traded Profar to the Padres, but he left for the Colorado Rockies in 2023, before he returning to the Padres in the middle of the 2023 season after the Rockies released him.

After his up-and-down 2023 campaign, Profar remained unsigned until mid-February, when he re-signed with the Padres. Five months later, Profar is an All-Star for the first time.

The All-Star Game will be a full-circle moment for Profar, who returns to the city where he began his big league career. The Texas Rangers are hosting the game, as well as Monday's Home Run Derby, at Globe Life Field.