Three Atlanta Braves played in All-Star Game

The Braves had eight All-Stars in 2023. None of those players who made the All-Star Game this year made it there last year.

ATLANTA — The 2024 MLB All-Star Game in Texas is fast approaching.

Even if they don’t repeat last season’s appearances of eight players selected, three Braves will head to the All-Star Game.

Pitchers Chris Sale and Reynaldo Lopez are joined by designated hitter Marcell Ozuna.

“It’s pretty cool,” manager Brian Snitker said. “All three of them are awesome. We just had a meeting (after the game). Other than Christmas, it’s one of my favorite days of the year to hand out invitations to the All-Star Game. It’s special. To go to an All-Star Game is an honor and a really special thing for the guys and their families.”

Ozuna has been a pleasant surprise for Atlanta this season. He has played in all 88 games alongside Matt Olson and leads the team with 23 home runs. His total is 10 more than Olson, who is second on the team.

Ozuna also leads the Braves in hits and RBIs with 96 and 72, respectively. He also leads the team in both categories by a wide margin, with 11 more hits and 29 more RBIs than Ozzie Albies, who is second on the team in both categories. He also leads the team in walks and batting average.

He is tied for fourth in MLB in home runs, third in RBIs and 17th in hits. This is his third All-Star appearance and first since 2017.

Sale is having a tremendous bounce-back season after being traded by the Boston Red Sox in the offseason.

Despite being injured for most of the last two seasons, he found his groove in Atlanta, earning his eighth All-Star selection and first since 2018.

Sale is tied for first in MLB in total wins with 11, sixth with 127 strikeouts and eighth with an ERA of 2.71.

Those numbers also lead the Braves in all but the ERA, which is held by López, another player signed by Atlanta in the offseason.

Lopez was signed as a free agent after one season with the Cleveland Guardians and has been a solid starter for the Braves this season.

His ERA is the best on the team and in MLB, while his strikeouts are second on the team. He is also second on the team in wins with seven.

While Atlanta fans initially thought he was brought into the team as a reliever, López has found his way into the starting lineup and has been a big part of it as he makes his first-ever All-Star Game appearance.

Sale and Lopez were both key pieces for the Braves after Spencer Strider was injured early in the season, and now the two are headed to Texas together.

Although some Braves like Austin Riley and Max Fried missed the draft, they could be added as potential replacements in case of injury.