Whom The All-Stars Are Looking Forward to Seeing

Because of  interleague play, many of this season’s All-Stars have already seen who’s on the other side. But there’s a unique opportunity to see the best of the other league on one field in Minnesota. So I asked some All-Stars if they were looking forward to a particular matchup today.

Ian Kinsler: You don’t really look forward to matching up against All-Star pitchers. Is Aroldis Chapman here? I don’t even know who’s on their team.

Daniel Murphy: I just hope I don’t get Chris Sale in the seventh or eighth when I get in. The American League side can feel free to use him early. I got a day off against him two years ago and was not upset.

Kyle Seager: You’re talking about the best of the best. I don’t think there’s anyone here you want to face. It’s overwhelming. I haven’t thought about the potential matchups. In the National League, you have guys like Chapman, who are throwing so hard. That will be interesting. You got guys like Craig Kimbrel, so many guys; your Clayton Kershaws. I faced Kershaw before… it didn’t necessarily go well for me.

Michael Brantley: Looking forward to it? I don’t want to say I’m looking forward to it. They’re all great pitchers. It’s a really exciting battle, no matter who I face. I faced Kershaw in the minor leagues and obviously he’s getting better, just like I am. But I’ve seen him before, and it’s a great pitch, and he’s a great pitcher, just like all of these guys.

Derek Norris: I’ve heard so many great things about Yasiel Puig and how he plays. I’m looking forward to seeing it with my own eyes and seeing his highlights all over the place. That’s the one guy who’s obviously one of the more exciting guys in baseball. Realistically, I’ll only get one, maybe two at bats, so I’m just looking to seeing everyone play on the same field.

Devin Mesoraco: I think I’ll be more excited to be catching some of the guys on our side, like Clayton and Adam Wainwright. You get to see what it’s all about. I think it’ll be more interesting to me to catch those guys to see how everything moves. Really see what makes them so successful.

Aroldis Chapman: There’s no particular player to go up against. This is a show. I’m here to enjoy the show. I just wanna play whatever I have to play. Whoever comes to hit against me today, I’m ready.

Charlie Blackmon:  I don’t know a lot of those guys. Not enough interleague play in my career so far to know who those guys are. There’s nobody in particular, and if there was, I can’t let them know who they are.

Hunter Pence: I don’t even know the whole roster. I should probably look that up. You have no idea who you’re going to face.

Tim Hudson: I don’t even know who’s going to be in the lineup by the time I get there. It won’t be scrubs. Whoever it is, it ain’t going to be a walk in the park.

Tyson Ross: Probably Josh Donaldson. He was actually my catcher in Double- and Triple-A. That would be a fun matchup. He’d definitely have the advantage because he’s seen everything I’ve got. That would be a pretty cool experience.

Giancarlo Stanton: None of these guys you want to see.