MLB commissioner adds Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera to 2022 All-Star Game

One of the new features of the MLB All-Star Game is that the commissioner of Major League Baseball is allowed to add “legends” to the field if he or she so chooses. On Friday, July 8th, Rob Manfred decided to add Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera to the 2022 All-Star Game rosters, per Jessica Kleinschmidt.

The All-Star game field is largely decided by a popular vote of fans with each team in the MLB sending at least one representative to the game. There are also additional players selected as alternates in case of injuries. This new “Legends” clause in the newest Collective Bargaining Agreement gives the commissioner the power to add one player per side to the game. Cabrera, who plays for the Detroit Tigers, will suit up for the American League while Pujols, who is back with the St. Louis Cardinals, will play for the National League.

Cabrera has been in the league since 2003 when he debuted with the Miami Marlins. He joined the Tigers in 2008 and has been with the team ever since. Cabrera is a member of the illustrious 3,000-hit club and has 505 home runs and 1,835 RBI in his 20-year career. This will be his 12th All-Star appearance and his first since 2016.

Pujols broke into the majors in 2001 with the St. Louis Cardinals and played 11 seasons in his first stint with the franchise. He then spent nine and a half years playing for the Los Angeles Angels and then a half-season with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Pujols returned home to St. Louis in 2022 for what is expected to be his final season. He has 683 career home runs with 2,168 RBI and 3,326 hits. This is his 11th All-Star selection and his first since 2015.