Luis Castillo first Mariners player named 2023 MLB All-Star
Jul 2, 2023, 4:52 PM | Updated: Jul 4, 2023, 4:37 pm
Seattle Mariners pitcher Luis Castillo reacts following a strikeout on April 16, 2023. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
(Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
Update July 4: The Seattle Mariners’ George Kirby and Julio Rodríguez have been named injury replacements for the American League team in the 2023 MLB All-Star Game, giving Seattle three All-Stars. Original story below.
The Seattle Mariners’ ace will be staying home for the first MLB All-Star Game hosted at T-Mobile Park in over two decades.
Details on the MLB All-Star Game at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park
Luis Castillo was named a member of the American League pitching staff Sunday afternoon when the full rosters for the midsummer classic were announced. He is the lone Mariners player set to represent the team for the annual exhibition, which was last in Seattle in 2001.
This is the third career All-Star nod for Castillo and first as a member of the Mariners. He also made the National League squad in 2019 and 2022 while he was with the Cincinnati Reds.
Seattle made a blockbuster trade for Castillo just prior to the 2022 MLB trade deadline, and he signed a five-year contract extension with the Mariners worth $108 million not long after.
While the M’s haven’t lived up to expectations in the first half of this season, Castillo has done his part. Entering his start against the Rays on Sunday, he had a 2.86 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 3.77 FIP over 16 starts and 94 1/3 innings pitched. His 108 strikeouts tie for eighth in the AL.
The Mariners’ struggles this year have dashed any hopes of repeating their robust representation in the 2001 All-Star Game when Seattle seemed to be the center of the baseball universe. With those M’s well on their way to an MLB record-tying 116 wins at the 2001 break, they had a franchise-high eight All-Stars. As things stand, the 2023 MLB All-Star Game will look more like the 1979 midsummer classic hosted by the Mariners at the Kingdome in terms of representatives. That year, first baseman Bruce Bochte was a reserve as the lone Seattle player on the AL roster.
The Mariners do have some candidates to be picked as injury replacements this year, however, including starting pitcher George Kirby, who leads MLB in strikeouts-per-walk ratio (9.556) and walks per nine innings (0.802), and reliever Paul Sewald (2.70 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, 15 saves).
There will still be plenty for Mariners fans to cheer about during the nearly week-long All-Star festivities. Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. is the namesake of the inaugural Swingman HBCU Classic, which will feature standout players from historically Black colleges and universities on Friday. The MLB All-Star Futures Game on Saturday will include Mariners prospects Harry Ford and Jonatan Clase, with a host of M’s legends serving on the coaching staffs. Some Mariners legends and famous Seattle-ites will also take part in the All-Star Celebrity Game, another Saturday event set for after the Futures Game. And on Monday, 2022 AL Rookie of the Year Julio Rodríguez will compete in his second straight Home Run Derby.
The MLB Draft will also take place on Sunday and Monday, with the first round on Sunday taking place across the street from T-Mobile Park at Lumen Field.
Take A Look: MLB unveils uniforms for All-Star Game hosted by Seattle Mariners
