The 96th edition of the Midsummer Classic is set to take place tonight at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park. In this star-studded showdown, Phillies ace Cristopher Sanchez will get the nod for the National League. On the other side, American League manager John Schneider will hand the ball to Dylan Cease. Will these two pitchers escape the first inning unscathed, or will there be some early offense this evening?
Ahead of Tuesday’s MLB All-Star Game festivities, here’s my NRFI bet on DraftKings Sportsbook for tonight’s contest.
MLB All-Star Game NRFI/YRFI pick
Sanchez has been an absolute force this season, providing stability atop Philadelphia’s rotation. Over 127.1 innings of work (20 starts), the left-hander has notched a 2.62 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 144 strikeouts (10.2 K/9). In addition, he’s responsible for an MLB-best 1.8 BB/9 ratio. To boot, the Dominican has accounted for a stellar 81% NRFI rate over the past two seasons. When pitching at home, Sanchez has put up a minuscule 0.86 ERA.
Add it all up, and it’s difficult to find a clear and obvious reason to fade Sanchez. Still, this is the All-Star Game; every hitter at the plate has the potential to go deep. The American League will kick things off with Mike Trout, Yordan Alvarez, Shea Langeliers and Junior Caminero. Three of those four batters are right-handed. Hitters from that side of the plate are slashing .293/.337/.438 against Sanchez. The lone southpaw in that group, Alvarez, leads the American League in almost every major hitting category.
On the other side, Cease will toe the slab for his first ever All-Star Game appearance. The 30-year-old has been nearly unhittable north of the border, carrying Toronto’s pitching staff. Over 98.1 innings (17 starts), he’s accounted for a 2.56 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and an AL-best 148 strikeouts (13.5 K/9). The veteran comes into this one on a heater, allowing no runs and four total hits during his previous 15.0 innings pitched. Cease has been even better on the road (2.28 ERA) than on the road (2.82 ERA).
The best time to attack Cease is early, as his 67% NRFI rate since 2025 isn’t very impressive. It often takes the righty some time to find his command; a 4.0 BB/9 suggests that he’s his own worst enemy. If Cease is missing his spots on Tuesday, the National League is poised to take advantage. The top of manager Dave Roberts’ lineup will be Kyle Schwarber, Juan Soto, and Freddie Freeman. With respect to Schwarber, it’s the latter two names that could cause the most trouble. Soto and Freeman are both patient left-handed hitters, more than willing to work the count. Don’t be shocked if both find a way to reach base, even against one of the sport’s premier hurlers.
Best Bet: MLB All-Star Game YRFI (+110)
With respect to both of tonight’s starters, the top of these lineups aren’t messing around. Even the much-maligned American League has enough firepower to make Sanchez sweat. In comparison, Cease’s occasional walk issues can be exploited by Soto and Freeman. Regardless of who coughs up a run first, I’ll back the hitters this evening in Philly.
