Cristopher Sanchez is in line for the National League All-Star Game start in Philadelphia on July 14, but Jacob Misiorowski is right there with him. MLB still has to choose between two pitchers who have built very different cases for the assignment.
Trea Turner on a home start
Trea Turner said he would like to see a pitcher open the All-Star Game in his own season, and he pointed to Clayton Kershaw starting the 2022 All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium. He said, "There’s so many deserving guys. But I think it’s cool if someone can start in their home season," and later added, "I thought that was really cool. Not that MIsiorowski isn’t more than deserving – he is, he’s had an unbelievable season. But I think the home start’s cool. The fans would love it and I think all of baseball would love it."
Sanchez at Citizens Bank Park
Sanchez has made his case at Citizens Bank Park, where he posted the lion’s share of his 50 2/3-inning scoreless streak. That run is the longest in major league history for a left-hander, and it gives the Phillies left-hander a clean answer when the choice gets narrowed to performance alone.
Misiorowski has the louder raw numbers. The Milwaukee Brewers right-hander leads major league qualified starters with a 1.45 ERA, a 0.78 WHIP and 138 strikeouts in 93 innings, and he has already reached 104.5 mph on the radar gun. On June 12, he threw a one-hit shutout with 15 strikeouts against the Phillies, becoming only the third pitcher to strike out 15 while allowing just one baserunner in a game.
MLB's recent precedent
Major League Baseball already chose Misiorowski for the 2025 All-Star Game after other pitchers were replaced because they started games the Saturday or Sunday before the game in Atlanta. At that point, he had only five starts and 25 innings in his career, while Sanchez had 90 more innings than Misiorowski’s career total. Misiorowski still pitched a scoreless inning in the game and threw nine pitches harder than 100 mph, but his second-half ERA climbed to 5.36.
That history is why this call carries weight in Philadelphia. J.T. Realmuto called the earlier decision hard to swallow, saying, "That’s just how MLB does it now," and, "Nothing against the Misiorowski kid. But (Suarez and Sanchez) are deserving of being on the team in the first place. There's no doubt." MLB now has to decide whether Sanchez, Misiorowski or another pitcher gets the start when the All-Star Game arrives in Philadelphia.
