It’s The Whole Team
By: Kipp Branch
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
MLB named starters for the All-Star Game yesterday based on the results of fan voting. The National League starters are:
| Position | Name | Team |
| Catcher | Sean Murphy | Atlanta Braves |
| First base | Freddie Freeman | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| Second base | Luis Arraez | Miami Marlins |
| Third base | Nolan Arenado | St. Louis Cardinals |
| Shortstop | Orlando Arcia | Atlanta Braves |
| Outfield | Ronald Acuña Jr. | Atlanta Braves |
| Outfield | Corbin Carroll | Arizona Diamondbacks |
| Outfield | Mookie Betts | Los Angeles Dodgers |
| Designated hitter | J.D. Martinez | Los Angeles Dodgers |
Let us look at the Atlanta Braves in the starting line-up.
Ronald Acuna Jr.: Acuna is having a monster year. An MVP type season. He is hitting .331 BA, 19 HR, 51 RBI, and 36 stolen bases as of this article.
Acuna is on pace for a 40/60 home run, stolen base season. That has never been done in baseball history.
Acuna is the best player in the game currently. The Braves will have to break the bank and restructure his current contract soon and make him the highest paid player in the game.
Sean Murphy: Another impressive signing by the Braves for 2023.
Murphy is hot currently hitting .375 over the past week. He has 13 homers and is batting .289 for the season currently. Murphy has earned the start in the mid-season classic.
Orlando Arcia: Dansby who? Arcia is batting .303 currently with 6 HR’s. Many thought Arcia would be an offensive liability for the Braves in 2023, but how wrong were we?
Arcia missed games with an injured wrist. How smart was Braves management in signing Arcia to a contract extension before the season began?
Potential Braves All-Stars: (NL Reserves will be named on July 2nd)
Ozzie Albies: Certainly, Albies will be named to the team. 18 HR’s makes him one of the best power hitting second basemen in MLB. He is charismatic and loved by the fans.
Albies should be an absolute selection. Ozzie has played eighty games so far this season and has remained healthy.
Matt Olson: Olson has 26 HR and 62 RBI’s. That ranks him 2nd and 3rd in the National League in those categories.
Yes, he has struck out 102 times so far this season, but he is a very productive hitter. Olson will be named an All-Star.
Austin Riley: Austin is a marquee player but could be on the outside looking in this year. He has a .265 batting average and only 14 home runs so far in 2023.
I look for him to get hot down the stretch, but name recognition alone should get him selected.
Bryce Elder: 6-1 with 2.44 ERA should get Elder selected.
Elder was not being counted on to contribute to the rotation going into 2023, but with injuries to Max Fried and Kyle Wright he had to step into the rotation and should be rewarded with an All-Star selection because he has earned it.
Spencer Strider: 9-2 with a 3.73 ERA with 162 strikeouts after the halfway point. Those are All-Star caliber numbers. Strider will be on the National League squad.
At 53-27 currently, the Braves have the second-best record in baseball and have the best record in the National League.
I do not know if the Braves will have eight players named to the NL All-Star roster, but they absolutely deserve it.
