Los Angeles (AFP) - Los Angeles Angels two-way threat Shohei Ohtani of Japan and American teammate Mike Trout were among the starters named Friday for the 92nd Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
Top players from the National and American leagues meet on July 19 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.
Ohtani was selected as the starting designated hitter for the American League but has been both a pitching and slugging standout for the Angels alongside outfielder and two-time All-Star Game Most Valuable Player Trout.
At the plate, Ohtani is batting .256 with 18 home runs and 53 runs batted in over 305 opportunities.
On the mound, the 28-year-old right-hander is 8-4 with a 2.44 earned-run average and 111 strikeouts in 81 innings.
Trout is hitting .268 with 23 homers and 48 RBIs in 269 plate appearances.
Joining the Angels duo among AL starters are New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, MLB's homer leader with 30, and teammate Giancarlo Stanton in the outfield, with Toronto's Alejandro Kirk at catcher and teammate Vlad Guerrero Jr at first base.
Houston's Jose Altuve will start at second base with Boston's Rafael Devers at third base and Tim Anderson of the Chicago White Sox at shortstop.
For the National League, Bryce Harper of Philadelphia was named the starting designated hitter but is out indefinitely with a broken left thumb after undergoing surgery Wednesday to insert pins.
NL outfielders include Ron Acuna Jr of reigning World Series champion Atlanta, Mookie Betts of the host Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco's Joc Pederson.
NL infielders include Paul Goldschmidt of St Louis at first base, Bahamian Jazz Chisholm of Miami at second base, San Diego's Manny Machado at third base and the Dodgers' Trea Turner at shortstop with Venezuelan Willson Contreras of the Chicago Cubs at catcher.
Reserves and pitchers for each squad will be named on Sunday.
