Five Canadian connections to the 2023 MLB All-Star Game

Jordan Romano (All-Pro Reels, Wikimedia Commons)

The 2023 Major League Baseball All-Star Game is in Seattle on Tuesday. Here are five players with Canadian connections.

Jordan Romano

The native of Markham, Ontario leads Major League Baseball with 26 saves. He has a record of four wins and four losses in 39 games and an earned run average of 2.87 with the Toronto Blue Jays. In 37 2/3 innings pitched, Romano has given up 31 hits, 12 earned runs, and 11 walks, to go along with 48 strikeouts and a WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) of 1.12. This will be Romano’s second straight All-Star Game.

Vladimir Guerrero

The Toronto Blue Jays first baseman from Montreal, Quebec won the Home Run Derby on Monday. So far this season, Guerrero is batting .274 with 13 home runs and 58 runs batted in. During 88 games, 384 plate appearances and 343 at bats,  he has scored 42 runs and had 94 hits, 19 doubles, four stolen bases, 31 walks, 152 total bases, three sacrifice flies, an on base percentage of .344 and a slugging percentage of .443. This is Guerrero’s third straight All-Star Game as he played in 2021 and 2022.

Freddie Freeman

The Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman represents Canada internationally because his parents are both Ontario natives. Freeman, who will be the starting first baseman for the National League on Tuesday, and leads the Major Leagues with 31 doubles. He ia batting .320 with 17 home runs and 61 runs batted in. During 89 games, 356 at bats and 407 plate appearances, Freeman has scored 72 ruins and had 114 hits, one triple, 12 stolen bases, 40 walks, 198 total bases, four sacrifice flies, an on base percentage of .396, and a slugging percentage of .556. This is Freeman’s seventh MLB All-Star Game. He represented the Atlanta Braves in 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019, and 2021, and Dodgers in 2022 and 2023. In each all-star game, Freeman played for the National League.

Bo Bichette

The Blue Jays shortstop leads the American League with 122 hits. During 90 games, 385 at bats and 402 plate appearances, Bichette has a batting average of .317 with 15 home runs and 52 runs batted in. He has scored 46 runs and had 22 doubles, one triple, three stolen bases, 15 walks, 191 total bases, an own base percentage of .346, and a slugging percentage of .496. This is Bichette’s second All-Star Game as he also played in 2021.

Whit Merrifield

The Blue Jays second baseman batted .286 with five home runs and 38 runs batted in. During 82 games, 330 at bats, and 301 at bats, he scored 36 runs and had 86 hits, 17 doubles, 19 stolen bases, 24 walks, 118 total bases, and two sacrifice flies, an on base percentage of .342 and a slugging percentage of .392. Merrifield previously represented the Kansas City Royals in the 2019 and 2021 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

 

 

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