A year after Cincinnati Reds pitcher Hunter Greene was the losing pitcher for the National League in the All-Star Game, a game in which he gave up the go-ahead two-run home run in the fifth inning to Jarren Duran of the Boston Red Sox, there are no black pitchers currently selected to the 2025 MLB All-Star game for either the American or National League.
The last time two black pitchers started the midsummer classic was 1971, where Vida Blue and Dock Ellis started for the NL and AL.
This season, there are no Melanated Mound Marauders labeled All-Stars, but the all-star game has historically seen its share of rare Black aces and amazing talents; J.R. Richard, Dwight Gooden, Dave Stewart, Mudcat Grant, Sam Jones, Bob Gibson, Vida Blue, Dontrelle Willis, David Price, CC Sabathia, Marcus Stroman among them. “Airbender” Devin Williams has been an all-star in recent seasons, and he was supposed to get back there again as closer for the New York Yankees. However, Williams had some struggles and was demoted to 8th-inning reliever before reassuming the closer’s role recently as the Yankees spiraled out of first place in the AL East.
We also have starting pitchers such as Taijuan Walker (Phillies) Kumar Rocker (Texas Rangers), Chase Burns (Cincinnati Reds) Simeon Woods-Richardson (Minnesota Twins), Taj Bradley (Tampa Bay Rays), and relievers such as Jordan Hicks (San Francisco) and Joe Ross (Phillies), with guys such as Tink Hence (St. Louis Cardinals) coming down the pike.
Black Representation In Baseball Still Lagging
6.2% of Black players appeared on MLB Opening Day Rosters, a slight rise from the 6% last season.
Greg Goodwin, the executive director of athletics for Atlanta said, “Black kids have always played baseball in little leagues and our parks are always overflowing. We tend to lose them at the middle school level to what some call the more glamorous sports. But many of us see baseball as a glamor sport and Atlanta has developed into the right place for Black players to develop and to be seen.”
While there are other more notable names not selected for the All-Star game — which happens yearly — there are other ways into the game like injury replacements. But even that may not guarantee more brothers getting a chance to showcase their talent from the mound.
