Home Baseball MLB, MLBPA Announce Roster for 2018 Japan All-Star Series with NPB

MLB, MLBPA Announce Roster for 2018 Japan All-Star Series with NPB

by St. Louis Cardinals

Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) jointly announced today the expected MLB roster for the 2018 Japan All-Star Series with Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).  The roster, which is subject to change, accompanies this press release.  The All-Star Series will feature seven games (including one exhibition) across Japan from November 8th-15th.

MLB’s squad includes four 2018 All-Stars, with Seattle Mariners outfielder Mitch Haniger and Miami Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto joining the previously announced Yadier Molina of the St. Louis Cardinals and Eugenio Suárez of the Cincinnati Reds.  The two leading contenders for 2018 National League Rookie of the Year will patrol the outfield for MLB, as Juan Soto of the Washington Nationals will join the previously announced Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Atlanta Braves.

Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander and Japanese native Kenta Maeda, coming off of his appearance in the 2018 World Series, will represent MLB’s team.  Maeda is a former member of NPB’s Hiroshima Toyo Carp and played for Team Japan in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.  Relievers Collin McHugh of the Houston Astros and Kirby Yates of the San Diego Padres are among the other pitchers on the roster, which also includes two members of the 2018 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox, Brian Johnson and Hector Velázquez.

Other previously announced participants include Philadelphia Phillies teammates Rhys Hoskins and Carlos Santana; Kansas City Royals second baseman Whit Merrifield, who was MLB’s leader in stolen bases (45) in 2018; and Dodgers infielder/outfielder Chris Taylor, who shared Most Valuable Player honors in the 2017 National League Championship Series.  Milwaukee Brewers All-Star Christian Yelich, who was previously announced on September 10th, has withdrawn following his Club’s extended Postseason run.

The coaching staff under MLB manager Don Mattingly will include Edgar Martinez, the Mariners great and their current hitting coach, and 2009 World Series MVP Hideki Matsui, a legend of the Yomiuri Giants and the New York Yankees; Marlins third base coach Fredi González, the former manager of the Marlins and the Braves; and three World Series Championship-winning coaches: bench coach Hensley Meulens of the San Francisco Giants, pitching coach Brent Strom of the Astros and bullpen coach Henry Blanco of the Nationals.  Mattingly has managed the Marlins since 2016.  From 2011-2015, Mattingly helmed the Dodgers, who earned three consecutive National League West titles in the final three years of his tenure with the Club.  In his 14-year playing career with the Yankees, “Donnie Baseball” was a six-time All-Star first baseman, the 1985 American League Most Valuable Player, a nine-time Gold Glover and the captain of the team.

November’s All-Star Series will resume a longtime baseball tradition that dates back to 1908, marking the 37th time overall that Major Leaguers have toured Japan for exhibition games.  The All-Star Series will be played in Tokyo (Tokyo Dome), Hiroshima (Mazda Zoom Zoom Stadium) and Nagoya (Nagoya Dome).  The events will begin with an exhibition game against the Yomiuri Giants in Tokyo on November 8th, followed by three games in Tokyo from November 9th-11th, one game in Hiroshima on November 13th and two games in Nagoya on November 14th-15th.  MLB Network will provide extensive coverage of the 2018 All-Star Series, including live telecasts of the games from November 9th-15th.

MLB ROSTER FOR THE 2018 JAPAN ALL-STAR SERIES

Roster Is Subject to Change

 

Manager: Don Mattingly (MIA);

Coaches: Henry Blanco (WSH, Bullpen); Fredi González (MIA, Base Coach); Edgar Martinez (SEA, Hitting); Hideki Matsui (Base Coach); Hensley Meulens (SF, Bench); Brent Strom (HOU, Pitching).

 

 

Uni. # PITCHERS Club 2018 Statistics
35 ANDRIESE, Matt (RH) ARI 3-7, 5.26 ERA, 41 G, 78.2 IP, 78 SO
58 BARLOW, Scott (RH) KC 1-1, 3.60 ERA, 6 G, 15.0 IP, 15 SO
60 BREBBIA, John (RH) STL 3-3, 3.20 ERA, 45 G, 50.2 IP, 60 SO
41 GUERRA, Junior (RH) MIL 6-9, 4.09 ERA, 31 G, 141.0 IP, 136 SO
61 JOHNSON, Brian (LH) BOS 4-5, 4.17 ERA, 38 G, 99.1 IP, 87 SO
18 MAEDA, Kenta (RH) LAD 8-10, 3.81 ERA, 39 G, 20 GS, 125.1 IP, 153 SO
31 MARTIN, Chris (RH) TEX 1-5, 4.54 ERA, 46 G, 41.2 IP, 5 BB
31 McHUGH, Collin (RH) HOU 6-2, 1.99 ERA, 58 G, 72.1 IP, 94 SO
44 NORRIS, Daniel (LH) DET 0-5, 5.68 ERA, 11 G, 44.1 IP, 51 SO
38 NUÑO, Vidal (LH) TB 3-0, 1.64 ERA, 17 G, 33.0 IP, 29 SO
61 OTERO, Dan (RH) CLE 2-1, 5.22 ERA, 61 G, 58.2 IP, 43 SO
36 PETIT, Yusmeiro (RH) OAK 7-3, 3.00 ERA, 74 G, 93.0 IP, 76 SO
31 RAMĺREZ, Erasmo (RH) SEA 2-4, 6.50 ERA, 10 G, 45.2 IP, 33 SO
76 VELÁZQUEZ, Hector (RH) BOS 7-2, 3.18 ERA, 47 G, 8 GS, 85.0 IP, 53 SO
39 YATES, Kirby (RH) SD 5-3, 2.14 ERA, 12 SV, 65 G, 63.0 IP, 90 SO
Uni. # CATCHERS Club 2018 Statistics
61 CHIRINOS, Robinson TEX .222, 18 HR, 65 RBI, .338 OBP, 15 2B
4 MOLINA, Yadier STL .261, 20 HR, 74 RBI, 20 2B, .436 SLG
11 REALMUTO, J.T. MIA .277, 21 HR, 74 RBI, .340 OBP, .484 SLG
Uni. # INFIELDERS Club 2018 Statistics
15 MERRIFIELD, Whit KC .304, 12 HR, 60 RBI, 45 SB, .367 OBP,
1 ROSARIO, Amed NYM .256, 9 HR, 51 RBI, 24 SB, 26 2B, 8 3B
41 SANTANA, Carlos PHI .229, 24 HR, 86 RBI, 110 BB, 82 R
7 SUÁREZ, Eugenio CIN .283, 34 HR, 104 RBI, .366 OBP, .526 SLG
3 TAYLOR, Chris LAD .254, 17 HR, 63 RBI, 35 2B, 8 3B, 85 R
Uni. # OUTFIELDERS Club 2018 Statistics
13 ACUÑA, Ronald Jr. ATL .293, 26 HR, 64 RBI, 16 SB, .366 OBP
17 HANIGER, Mitch SEA .285, 26 HR, 93 RBI, 70 BB, 38 2B
14 HERNÁNDEZ, Kiké LAD .256, 21 HR, 52 RBI, 67 R, 50 BB
17 HOSKINS, Rhys PHI .246, 34 HR, 96 RBI, 87 BB, 38 2B
11 PILLAR, Kevin TOR .252, 15 HR, 59 RBI, 14 SB, 40 2B
22 SOTO, Juan WSH .292, 22 HR, 70 RBI, .406 OBP, .517 SLG

 

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