The New York Mets consider Juan Soto to be a bona fide All-Star, regardless of the snub he received from those who selected the NL squad for the Midsummer Classic on July 15. Soto, in his first year with the Mets, has performed well enough to earn the respect of his manager and teammates. In their opinion, he’s deserving of a place in the All-Star Game. Manager Carlos Mendoza says, "He’s an All-Star for us.” Soto drove in the winning run with a sharp single on the first pitch of the 10th inning. That capped a night in which he went 3 for 5 to raise his batting average to .269 with 21 homers and 52 RBIs.

Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood became the third player to announce he will take part in the Home Run Derby. The derby will be held on July 14, the night before the All-Star Game, at Truist Park in Atlanta. Wood joins Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. and Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh, who leads the majors with 33 homers, in the contest. Wood has 22 homers this season. He’s the third Nationals player to take part in the Home Run Derby, joining Juan Soto (2022) and Bryce Harper (2013 and '18). The 22-year-old Wood has 12 homers that have been hit harder than 110 mph.