Estrada gets American League All-Star nod
There’s no point guessing what Marco Estrada’s 33rd birthday wish was Tuesday afternoon.
It already came true.
That’s because, for the first time in seven years, the area will have some representation at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game.
Estrada, a Glendale Community College product, continued his mid-career renaissance north of the border as he was one of three Toronto Blue Jays selected to the 87th annual MLB All-Star Game, which will take place in San Diego on Tuesday.
“As soon as I was told, obviously I thought of my family, they were the first ones I called,” Estrada said in a press conference Tuesday evening in Toronto. “I let them know the good news and they’re all very excited. They couldn’t be more proud.”
The all-star selection is the first in his career and first in the area since Freddy Sanchez, another former standout at Glendale Community College who went to Burbank High, was selected to the 2009 All-Star Game as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Estrada was one of 14 pitchers tabbed to the American League roster, but only one of five starters chosen as the selections were announced Tuesday afternoon on ESPN.
“This is a huge honor and it’s something that I always wanted to do, but I never really thought about it,” Estrada said. “I wanted to play baseball and have fun with it, but you always want to be part of an all-star team. I just wasn’t sure if I was ever going to get there.”
During the announcement show, Kansas City Royals and American League Manager New Yost did not reveal whether Estrada would get the start as the right-hander is in consideration along with Texas’ Cole Hamels, Cleveland’s Danny Salazar, Chicago’s Chris Sale, likely the frontrunner, and Boston’s Steven Wright.
“Yup, no decision yet,” Yost said when asked if Sale or anyone else would start.
Estrada earned his selection thanks to another wonderful first half as the pitcher owns a 5-3 record with a 2.93 earned-run average, which is tied for third in the American League with Sale and Hamels.
It appears ERA was a huge factor in determining starting pitching selections as the top five in the American League were all chosen.
So far this season, Estrada has started 16 games and tossed 104 1/3 innings with 99 strikeouts versus 39 walks and 64 hits allowed. Estrada also leads the league in opponent’s batting average (.173), while his walks/hits per innings pitched (.99) is No. 2.
Perhaps Estrada’s win total would be higher if his team swung the bat better during his contests. Estrada is tied for the 12th-worst run-support-per-game average in the American League as Toronto averages four runs per game during his starts.
Estrada’s impressive 2016 comes after a breakthrough 2015 campaign as he finished 13-8 with a 3.13 ERA gained over 181 innings pitched with 131 strikeouts versus 57 walks. Estrada’s ERA was the third-best in the American League, while his WHIP (1.04) was No. 2 and his opponent’s batting average (.203) was tops.
“To finally get the opportunity to be one — to be an all-star — it means the world to me,” Estrada said. “It means the world to my family. They’re all extremely proud and they should be. It took a lot of hard work for everybody, not just myself, but from them.”
