The Major League Baseball All-Star Game is the summer spectacle for America’s Pastime.

Baseball’s best gather on the same diamond to display their skills and dazzle the audience in the premier exhibition contest of North American sports.

The Baltimore Orioles are no strangers to the Midsummer Classic in recent years.

The O’s sent nine players to the MLB All-Star Game the past two seasons, five in 2024 and four in 2023.

All nine featured in the games, with Adley Rutschman the lone constant, having earned a nod both years.

Last year, Corbin Burnes became the fifth Orioles pitcher to start for the American League in the All-Star Game.

The crop of All-Stars from Baltimore will likely be smaller in 2025. The O’s begin May in last place in the AL East. Despite a poor start, several players should be on the ballot and earn a few votes.

Orioles’ 35-year-old MLB rookie is dialed in

Baltimore’s signing of veteran right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano was among the offseason’s most intriguing transactions.

After his third MVP season in Japan’s Central League, Sugano carried heavy expectations into the Orioles rotation. He’s pitched rather effectively through his first month in the MLB.

Sugano is 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA in six starts for the O’s. He hasn’t allowed more than three runs in any outing, and threw a pair of quality starts in his last three appearances.

His last start was arguably his best, as Sugano scattered five singles and struck out eight batters across five scoreless innings against the New York Yankees.

Sugano has never been a huge strikeout pitcher, so eight strikeouts against one of baseball’s best offenses is encouraging. The Orioles went 4-2 in his six starts and can hopefully ride the momentum of Sugano’s last game. He’ll be in the All-Star conversation this summer if his ERA hovers around 3.00.

2021 All-Star leading Orioles offense

Where would the Orioles be without Cedric Mullins? The team’s leader in hits, runs, home runs, RBIs, and stolen bases is putting together a strong All-Star campaign.

His production dipped each of the last three seasons after making his first All-Star appearance in 2021, but Mullins is back to consistency at the plate.

Mullins enters May with a .927 on-base plus slugging percentage. That ranks sixth in the American League and 14th in the MLB. He’s on pace for another 30-30 season, albeit by slim margins, with six home runs and five steals. He’s also making playing center field in the majors look too easy.

A free agent at the end of the season, Mullins is trying to prove he still has All-Star caliber play as he enters his 30s.

If April is any indication, Mullins won’t have a problem securing a solid multi-year deal this winter. Helping to turn around the Orioles’ season as their clubhouse leader might add a few dollars to his wallet.

Felix Bautista back in All-Star form

Seeing Felix Bautista back on the mound in an Orioles uniform is a wonderful sight. The towering right-handed closer is once again dominating opposing hitters and anchoring Baltimore’s bullpen with the help of his sidekick, Yennier Cano.

Bautista is five for five in save opportunities and has been nearly flawless.

Outside of a hiccup against the Boston Red Sox when he allowed two runs in a game he entered with a five-run lead, opponents haven’t scored on Bautista. He posted seven consecutive scoreless outings in April, striking out eight batters compared to three walks. His batting average against is a measly .156.

Bautista’s Baseball Savant page is littered with red. As of May 2, he’s in the 98th percentile for expected batting average against and 94th percentile in average exit velocity. No one is making good contact against Bautista.

Pitchers don’t receive traditional votes from fans; instead, they are chosen for the All-Star Game by their peers. Most player ballots should include Bautista’s name if he continues to be lights out.