The oldest rivalry in baseball resumes tonight: American League vs. National League. The 96th edition of the MLB All-Star Game will take place in Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park. As is always the case during the Midsummer Classic, big names abound for both lineups. Still, only one side can win; who has the edge going into Tuesday’s star-studded showdown?
The National League All-Stars are favorites (-135) over the American League, with the over/under set at eight runs. Below, I’ve laid out my preview, prediction, and best bet for Tuesday’s showdown between the AL and NL on DraftKings Sportsbook.
MLB All-Star Game pick, best bet
- National League ML (-135): The American League might hang around during the first few frames, but a far deeper National League roster should chip away en route to a victory.
MLB All-Star Game prediction, preview
It’ll be Cristopher Sanchez on the bump in front of his home crowd in Philadelphia. It’s been a terrific season for the left-hander, owner of a 2.62 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 144 strikeouts (10.2 K/9). Even more impressive, he owns an MLB-best 1.8 BB/9 ratio. The Dominican is projected to face Mike Trout, Yordan Alvarez, Shea Langeliers and perhaps Junior Caminero. Three of those four batters are right-handed. Hitters from that side of the plate are slashing .293/.337/.438 against Sanchez this season, a disappointing number from an otherwise lethal hurler. Regardless, the southpaw has put up a minuscule 0.86 ERA when pitching at home.
The lower half of the lineup might tilt in the AL’s favor; big bats such as Bobby Witt Jr., Ben Rice and Riley Greene will step up to the plate. A lefty-heavy bottom of the order sets the Junior Circuit up nicely against what will most likely be a right-hander during the second and/or third innings. Jacob Misiorowski, Shohei Ohtani and Philly’s own Zack Wheeler won’t take the mound tonight. However, there’s still plenty of quality arms at manager Dave Roberts’ disposal. Big-time arms such as Jesus Luzardo and Logan Webb can help out during the early innings. That’s before a lethal bullpen is able to take the mound. Elite relievers in Jhoan Duran, Raisel Iglesias and Mason Miller make scoring a difficult proposition in the late innings. In comparison, the American League comes into Tuesday missing impact bats such as Aaron Judge, Byron Buxton and Nick Kurtz.
As for the AL, it’ll be Dylan Cease on the bump in Philly. It’s been a terrific debut in Toronto for the eighth-year pro. Since signing with the Blue Jays, the right-hander has put up a 2.56 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and a league-leading 148 strikeouts (13.5 K/9). Still, he’ll have his hands full tonight against a litany of big-time hitters (even without Ohtani). Kicking off this National League lineup will be Kyle Schwarber, Juan Soto, Freddie Freeman and CJ Abrams. That’s a dangerous quartet of experienced, savvy hitters that could strike in the first inning. Cease, who occasionally has trouble finding the plate (4.0 BB/9), could have trouble with patient hitters in Soto and Freeman as well.
Perhaps the most significant advantage for the NL is depth. Whereas the American League is missing plenty of big bats, the Senior Circuit has several over-qualified backups. Just look at these star-studded reserves, to name a few:
- Bryce Harper
- Matt Olson
- Corbin Carroll
- James Wood
- Pete Crow-Armstrong
- Jordan Walker
It’s no exaggeration to say that at least half, if not more, of these players would make the American League’s starting lineup. To boot, the visitors aren’t quite as intimidating during the late innings. First-time All-Stars in Bryan Baker, Cade Smith, Jacob Latz and Louis Varland will likely make an appearance during high-leverage situations tonight.
Best Bet: National League ML (-135)
For all the talk about National League dominance, the Junior Circuit has a lethal starting lineup. The issue comes in the later innings, where depth shifts heavily in favor of the home team. To boot, the NL comes into this one with a raucous crowd and more proven All-Star Game participants. At -135, take the National League on Tuesday night.
