ATLANTA — Major League Baseball has named Braves' outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. and first baseman Freddie Freeman as starters for the National League in the 90th MLB All-Star game.
The game will take place on July 9 at Progressive Field in Cleveland Ohio, and the two were selected via fan vote in the Google MLB All-Star Starters Election. This will be Freeman's second straight year being selected and Acuña's first.
“It’s always an honor to play in the All-Star Game, and to be voted as a starter for the second straight year is really special,” Freeman said. “I want to thank all of the fans who voted for me and my teammates, and I’m looking forward to representing the Braves in Cleveland.”
According to a release from the Braves, Freeman is batting .312/.396/.598 over 81 games on the season. His 22 home runs are the most by a Braves first baseman prior to the ALl-Star break since 1998. He leads the National League first basemen with 100 hits, second with 22 doubles and holds a tie for third with 22 home runs. The Braves report he's only the second player in franchise history to amass at least 20 doubles, 20 homers, 60 runs and 60 RBI before the break.
Acuña, meanwhile, is batting .287 (93-for-324) with a .372 on-base percentage and .503 slugging percentage in his first season in the major leagues. He also has 19 home runs and 51 RBI. He also became only the eighth player in franchise history to be named National League Rookie of the Year when he earned the award last season according to the Braves.
“First and foremost, I would like to thank God for giving me the opportunity to be in my first All-Star Game," Acuña said in a statement translated from Spanish. "Hopefully there will be many more to follow. Thanks to all the fans for their support, to my family and to all my people from Venezuela.”
The remaining roster for the National League club will be determined through "Player Ballot" and selections made by the Commissioner's Office. The remaining spots in the ALl-Star roster will be announced on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN.