Chris Sale leads with 3 picks, Jesse Chavez snubbed

The Atlanta Braves will have no player in the starting lineup for the 2024 MLB All-Star Game for the first time since 2017, but Atlanta will not be without a representative when the National League competes at Globe Life Stadium on July 16.

Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale, one of the favorites for the NL, leads a trio of All-Stars. Sale will be joined in Arlington by two reserves: fellow starter Reynaldo López and outfielder Marcell Ozuna.

Sale, 35, has revived his career in Atlanta. He holds a 2.71 earned run average and leads the NL in wins (11) and WHIP (0.91) in 16 starts and 99.2 innings. Sale’s 127 strikeouts rank sixth in MLB and third in the NL. This is his eighth All-Star nomination, but first since 2018.

Lopez, 30, has shined in his return to the starting lineup, boasting a league-best 1.71 ERA and a 7-2 record through 16 starts. After playing on three teams in 2023 and starting just one game over the past two seasons, the Dominican native has shined en route to his first All-Star appearance.

Ozuna is Atlanta’s only outfielder who played in the game, although outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. was likely on his way to Arlington before suffering a season-ending torn ACL on May 26.

Ozuna leads the NL with 72 RBIs, has a .295 batting average and 23 home runs, which puts him behind only Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani (28) in the senior circuit. Ozuna, now a three-time All-Star, was last selected in 2017.

The Braves’ biggest disappointment is likely reliever Jesse Chavez. Others, including starting pitcher Max Fried and third baseman Austin Riley, have also been considered as possible candidates.

Chavez, who turns 41 in August, received strong support from his teammates in his first All-Star bid, but it was all for naught. A 17-year veteran, Chavez is a reliable pitcher out of Atlanta’s bullpen, posting a 1.67 ERA in 37.2 innings in 28 appearances.

The 2024 MLB All-Star Game begins on July 16 at 8 p.m. on FOX.