TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays held a meeting around 11 a.m. on Sunday to inform players of the team’s all-star representatives.
Kevin Gausman didn’t know that such a meeting was taking place. Of course, that’s understandable given that as the starting pitcher in Sunday afternoon’s game against the Boston Red Sox, he had other more important tasks to focus on.
Even so, Gausman doesn’t like to appear as anything other than accountable.
“I pride myself in not missing meetings, so I was kind of upset,” Gausman said with a huge smile.
The smile was present because Gausman was named an all-star on Sunday, along with Blue Jays teammates Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and Whit Merrifield. The quartet will represent the American League and head to Seattle, which will host the Midsummer Classic on July 11 at T-Mobile Park.
So, how did Gausman find out the big news?
“Our dietician told me,” he said, wide grin still affixed to his face. “That was kind of cool. You know, maybe one day I’ll tell my kids about that. That was unique.”
This is the second all-star selection for Gausman and Bichette and the third for Guerrero Jr. and Merrifield. All spots belonging to pitchers and reserves were determined by player ballot choices and selections made by the commissioner’s office.
It’s something that Merrifield doesn’t take lightly.
“That my peers voted me in is really special,” Merrifield said. “Guys that we share the field with who think enough of me to put me in the game means a ton. And just coming off of the struggles I went through last year, to do enough early on to get in this game, it means a lot to me.”
Merrifield, who is hitting .282/.339/.361 with 18 stolen bases in 76 games this season, has produced 1.3 Wins Above Replacement, per FanGraphs. In 139 games last year, a campaign in which he split with Kansas City and Toronto, Merrifield posted 1.5 WAR.
Gausman leads all AL pitchers with 3.5 WAR this season, while Bichette’s 3.0 WAR places him just behind Tampa Bay’s Wander Franco (3.7) among shortstops.
Guerrero Jr.’s 0.5 WAR is well behind his contemporaries at first base, but his 12 home runs are tied for third in the AL and he’ll be participating in the Home Run Derby as part of the all-star festivities.
“It means a lot to me,” Guerrero Jr. said through interpreter Hector Lebron. “Very happy. Every ballplayer, every player that played in the big leagues, wishes to be selected in the All-star Game.
“It is number three [for me],” he added. “I just need six more to tie my dad. If it happens, that would be great. And if it’s seven, even better. That’s my goal.”
The 24-year-old was asked what particularly makes the All-Star Game such a fun experience.
“Basically, just spending time with all the superstars on the team,” responded Guerrero Jr. “Like Mike Trout — I have a chance to be with him, talk to him, to be in the same clubhouse with him. And also, now [Shohei] Ohtani. Superstars like that. It means a lot to me, so that’s something that every year that I go over there, I take with me.”
Bichette joined Guerrero Jr. at the 2021 Midsummer Classic and says his perspective has changed since then.
“I probably took the first one for granted a little bit, thinking I’d be there all the time,” Bichette said. “So not making the last one [in 2022], it feels good to go. I feel grateful. I feel blessed and thankful.”
Gausman was also at the 2021 All-Star Game. It was held at Coors Field in Colorado, not far from where he grew up. However, then a member of the San Francisco Giants, the right-hander didn’t make it into the contest because he had started a game two days prior.
In a few weeks, he might get a chance to finally throw a pitch in an All-Star Game, but that’s not certain as of yet.
Cue Gausman’s trademark accountability.
“It’s been a big workload [this season],” he said. “So, I’ll talk with [Blue Jays manager John Schneider] and [pitching coach] Pete [Walker] and figure out the best thing moving forward. I would love to pitch in the All-Star Game, but we’re trying to win a championship and we’re trying to win a division.
“So, whatever I can do to be prepared for that, as opposed to pitching in Seattle in front of a bunch of people, I’ll think about that.”