Freddie Freeman was named to the National League All-Star roster on Saturday, giving the Dodgers first baseman his 10th selection and adding another veteran star to a club that matched the highest total in the majors. The Dodgers finished with five All-Star selections, tied with the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies.
That is the kind of number that turns a routine roster announcement into a marker of where a team stands. Freeman’s latest nod puts him in a small group of players with double-digit All-Star recognition, and it arrives as the All-Star Game moves toward July 14 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia. The Dodgers’ five selections also underline how broad their representation is this year, from Freeman to Andy Pages, Max Muncy, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shohei Ohtani.
Pages said he had been hearing from teammates for weeks that he would make it, but he did not want to treat it as certain until it was official. “I wanted to participate, but that wasn’t in my control,” he said. “I didn’t want to put it out there until I knew it was for sure.” For him, the call carried the weight of a first selection. “It’s exciting to be able to participate in my first one,” Pages said, adding that he was proud of the work that got him there.
The Dodgers still have one unresolved piece around the roster. Justin Wrobleski was not named an All-Star, though he could yet be added as a possible injury replacement if needed. That leaves the club with five selections for now, a count that reflects both established stars and newer additions, while Muncy’s third selection gives him a chance to become the first Dodger to start the All-Star Game at third base since Ron Cey in 1977. The club’s mix of names also suggests this is not a one-player story but a snapshot of how much of the lineup has been recognized at once.
Freeman’s 10th selection is the cleanest measure of the moment. It is also the one that gives the Dodgers another familiar face on a roster already packed with them. By the time the game is played in Philadelphia, the bigger question may not be who made it in the first round of announcements, but which Dodgers turn a deep selection list into actual starts on the field.
