Outside The Confines: Hey now, you’re an All-Star

It’s countdown to All-Star mode! As we enter the final week of the first half of the season, a lot of us are more focused on celebrating than baseball. In Canada we just had Canada Day on Saturday, and obviously USA fans will be enjoying Independence Day tomorrow, but teams are focused on three other things: who will be representing them in the All-Star game; the looming trade deadline; and the draft.

The MLB draft will happen next weekend, and teams are obviously spending a lot of time and consideration contemplating what picks to make and who might be the next All-Star of the future. Then the All-Star break gets into full swing with the Home Run Derby (honestly my favorite part of the whole thing), and then the big game after that.

This week we saw the announcement of the All-Star final rosters, and there’s more on that below. Once the All-Star break wraps up, all eyes will be on the trade deadline (obviously moves are already underway, but things will heat up in earnest after the break).

The rest of this month is primed to be very exciting.

Now on to today’s links!

• Daniel Waldman looks at the spectacular collapse of the Oakland Athletics.
• This isn’t confusing at all.

• Another year, another Bobby Bonilla Day has come and gone. Mike Axisa looks at this unusual baseball anomaly.
• Jay Jaffe assesses the worst team defenses.
• Shanthi Sepe-Chepuru brings us the finalized All-Star rosters.
• Bradford Doolittle looks at the biggest surprises and snubs of the ASG selections.
• Here are 11 fun facts about this year’s All-Star roster. Story by Sarah Langs.
• Jelani Scott reports on fan fury over Aaron Boone’s most recent ejection.
• Jayson Stark breaks down everything weird and wonderful about the Angels-Rockies 25-1 blowout game. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Ben Clemens picks his five favorite things about last week.
• Pete Alonso is looking for a three-Pete as he says yes to another Home Run Derby. Story by Bill Ladson.
• Who ELSE will be competing for Pete’s crown in the Derby? (MLB)
• Kevin Sweeney spotlights the young Cardinals fan whose quick reaction might have saved his friend’s face.
• Ken Rosenthal speculates about how things could look if the Mets decide to be sellers at the deadline. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Dan Lyons looks at the blast that made Shohei Ohtani the first player this season to 30 home runs.
• In case that wasn’t reason enough, Rhett Bollinger looks at why Ohtani is going to be pulling double duty at the ASG this year.
• That number, by the way, is already higher...

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Make it so.