2021 MLB All-Star Game lineups: Shohei Ohtani named AL's starting pitcher and leadoff hitter

Ohtani will be the first batter of the game and then pitch in the bottom of the first

By Katherine Acquavella

Jul 13, 2021 at 8:05 pm ET • 2 min read

USATSI

The MLB All-Star Game is set for Tuesday night at Denver's Coors Field. Earlier this week, we learned exactly what the starting lineups would look like for each team, and it's clear who will get the spotlight in the Midsummer Classic's first inning. Angels two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani will start on the mound for the American League. He will also bat leadoff for the AL and be the first hitter of the game against Max Scherzer, the National League's starting pitcher.

Ohtani, voted as the AL's starting DH by fans and also picked as a pitcher, made history as the first player in MLB history to make an All-Star team as both a hitter and pitcher. The league has changed the DH rule -- something CBS Sports' Mike Axisa argued for last month -- for the All-Star Game to specifically allow the AL to keep the DH after Ohtani exits. Ohtani will be allowed to remain in the game as the DH even after he's removed as a pitcher.

"For this game, we're going to be allowed to use Shohei as two players," American League manager Kevin Cash said during Monday's press conference. Cash said he begged MLB to make the rule change. "This is what the fans want to see."

Ohtani's All-Star appearances on the mound and at the plate will come less than 24 hours after his participation in the 2021 Home Run Derby. Ohtani was ousted in a first-round swing-off against Nationals slugger Juan Soto on Monday night.

Ohtani, 27, is slashing .279/.364/.698 with a league-best 33 home runs to go along with 70 RBI, 65 runs scored, 12 steals. His pitching stats include a 3.49 ERA (132 ERA+) with 87 strikeouts in 13 games started (67 IP). CBS Sports' Dayn Perry recently broke down how Ohtani became one of the league's elite power hitters.

Dave Roberts of the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers will manage the National League, and Cash of the Tampa Bay Rays will manage the American League squad. Roberts will be managing the NL team for a third consecutive All-Star Game. The pair of skippers unveiled their starting lineups (which both feature a DH) at a press conference on Monday afternoon.

Here's how the teams will look to start the game: