6 Astros earn spots in All-Star Game
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Six Houston Astros players have been named to the 2019 American League All-Star Team.
This is the third consecutive season the Astros will have six players at the All-Star Game.
On Sunday, the MLB announced that right-handed pitchers Gerrit Cole, Ryan Pressly, and Justin Verlander would be joining the squad.
Alex Bregman, Michael Brantley and George Springer earned spots on the AL team when the results of the Starters Election were announced Thursday.
There were seven total Astros on the ballot. Jose Altuve, Robinson Chirinos, Josh Reddick, and Carlos Correa just missed out.
Bregman's nod, his second, represents the first-ever All-Star starting spot for an Astros third baseman. Bregman garnered nearly half of the votes for his position on the AL team, besting Minnesota's Hunter Dozier and the New York Yankees' Gio Urshela.
Three-time All-Star Springer and Brantley, who is earning his fourth nod, make up two-thirds of the AL outfield. They are joined by Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout.
Brantley's nod was close. The first-year Astro squeaked by the Yankees' Aaron Judge by .9% of the vote.
Pressly will be an All-Star for the first time in his career. He has been one of the elite relief pitchers in the Majors.
Verlander was named to his second All-Star team and the eight of his career. He joins a group of 20 pitchers to be named to at least eight All-Star teams.
According to MLB, the top three vote-getters for each infield position and the top nine outfielders from the first round of fan balloting moved on to the Starters Election, where each player starts from scratch.
Fans voted in the Starters Election during a 28-hour period that started Wednesday.
The All-Star Game will be played on Tuesday, July 9.
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