MLB All-Star Game Fast Facts

No. 20: Justin Upton, $22.125 million – The Detroit Tigers left fielder is a former overall No. 1 draft pick and three time All-Star. Upton came in fourth in MVP voting in 2011, when he batted .289 with 31 home runs, 88 RBIs and 21 stolen bases for Arizona. He heads into the second year of a six-year $132.75 million contract.

No. 19: Max Scherzer, $22.123 – Washington Nationals pitching ace Max Scherzer is the reining National League Cy Young Award winner (his second), has pitched two no-hitters in the same season (2015), and co-holds the single game strikeout record (20). The 32-year-old has a career 125-69 record, and is in the third of a seven-year $210 million contract.

No. 18: Buster Posey, $22.178 million – San Francisco Giants’ catcher Buster Posey has called the pitches for three World Series championships, is a former NL Rookie of the Year, and a four-time All-Star with a career .307 batting average. In 2012 he was both the Comeback Player of the Year and NL Batting Champion. Halfway through an eight-year $159 million deal, Posey is deservedly baseball’s highest-paid active catcher.

No. 17: Adrian Gonzalez, $22.357 million – The Los Angeles Dodgers 34-year-old first baseman has nearly 2,000 career hits and is a regular on the MVP ballot. As recently as 2014 he finished seventh in NL MVP voting with 27 HRs and 116 RBIs. Though Gonzalez has led the Dodgers to four consecutive post seasons, a World Series appearance has been elusive. He is entering year six of a seven-year $154 million deal.

No. 15 (tied): Yoenis Cespedes, $22.5 million – The New York Mets’ Cuban-born center fielder has missed the playoffs just once in his five-year MLB career, and that’s no coincidence. The 31-year-old slugger is known for his flashy cars — which he can accumulate with ease given his four-year $110 million deal.

No. 15 (tied): Cole Hamels, $22.5 million – The 2008 World Series MVP suffered a temporary dip in form when niggling injuries took their toll in 2013. But the lefty came back in 2015 with a no-hitter, and followed that up with in 2016 with a stellar 15-5, 200 strikeout season for Texas. Hamels is in the fifth of a six-year $144 million deal.

No. 14: Hanley Ramirez, $22.75 million – Boston first baseman Ramirez (center) will assume cleanup hitter duty now that fellow Dominican David Ortiz (left, with bucket) has retired. The 2009 NL batting champion is coming off a 30 HR, 111 RBI season and will likely switch to a full-time designated hitter spot for the Red Sox. He is halfway through a four-year $88 million deal.

No. 13: Joe Mauer, $23 million – Mauer, a former catcher turned first baseman, nabbed the biggest contract in Twins history when Minnesota signed him to an eight-year $184 million contract in 2011. Last year, however, the 33-year-old, three-time AL batting champion endured his worst season, batting just .261. The Twins will need better production from Mauer if they are to return to the postseason for the first time since 2010.

No. 12: Johnny Cueto, $23.5 million – The San Francisco Giants’ right-hander is coming off an 18-5 season with a 2.79 ERA. In an era of controlled pitch counts, the 30-year-old Dominican is not afraid of a working his arm — leading the MLB with five complete games last season. Cueto, who won a World Series with Kansas City in 2015, signed a six-year $130 million deal last season.

No. 11: Robinson Cano, $24 million – At 34, Cano is still an elite second basemen. The seven-time All-Star and former Yankee signed a 10-year $240 million deal with Seattle in 2014. He rewarded the Mariners with 39 HR, 103 RBI and a .298 batting average in 2016, placing him eighth in AL MVP voting.

No. 9 (tied): John Lester, $25 million – With a 19-5 record, John Lester had the best MLB winning percentage in 2016 and finished second in Cy Young voting. The lefty, who earned two World Series rings in Boston, made three crucial appearances for the Cubs in the 2016 World Series — including a winning start in Game 5 and a relief appearance on the way to winning Game 7. He is halfway through a six-year $155 million contract.

No. 8: Albert Pujols, $26 million – A three-time NL MVP and two-time World Series champion, Albert Pujols is simply one of the greatest power hitters in history. At 37, he’s currently ninth on the all-time home run leaders list (591) and his power is not waning. A 2012 move to the American League’s Los Angeles Angels — on a 10-year $240 million deal — enabled the Dominican to switch to designated hitter, where he posted 31 HR and 119 RBI last year.

No. 7: Felix Hernandez, $26.857 million – At 30, Venezuelan-born Felix Hernandez is already the Seattle Mariners’ all-time leader in wins and strikeouts, and pitched the franchise’s only perfect game in 2012. Although the Mariners rewarded the 2010 Cy Young winner with a seven-year, $175 million contract, its 15-season, league-leading playoff drought continues.

No. 5 (tied): Miguel Cabrera, $28 million – The Detroit Tigers’ catcher will forever be known for his 2012 feat of posting the first batting triple crown in 45 years — leading the league with 44 HR, 139 RBI and a .330 batting average. “Miggy” — who won the 2003 World Series as a rookie with the Florida Marlins, when he made all of $165,000 — signed an eight-year, $248 million deal in 2016.

No. 5 (tied): Justin Verlander, $28 million – Forming an expensive battery in Detroit with Cabrera is 2011 pitching triple crown winner Justin Verlander. The four-time AL strikeout leader — who posted a remarkable 24-5 record in 2011 — is also a workhorse, topping 200 innings pitched in all but two of his 11 full seasons. Currently fourth on the active career wins list, Verlander is halfway through a six-year, $162 million deal.

No. 4: Jayson Heyward, $28.167 million – The 27-year-old right fielder was an integral part of the Cubs’ epic 2016 World Series win, firing up the team with an impassioned speech during the 17-minute rain delay in Game 7. Justin Heyward, a three-time Golden Glove winner who signed an eight-year $184 million contract in 2015, is perhaps the lone position player in the top 20 credited more for his defense.

No. 3: David Price, $30 million – The 2012 Cy Young winner and five-time All-Star was awarded a seven-year $217 million contract by the Red Sox in 2016. David Price, who posted a 17-9 record in his first year at Boston, has twice led the Majors in innings pitched (2014, 2016) and once in strikeouts (2014). His performance has dipped in the postseason, however, where he’s accumulated a 2-8 record and 5.54 ERA over nine playoff series.

No. 2: Zack Greinke, $34 million – Though Zack Greinke has enjoyed a sterling career — including a 2009 Cy Young award — it took his sixth team, the Arizona Diamondbacks, to finally commit to a long-term deal. The righty’s 19-3 season in 2015 with the Dodgers earned him a six-year $207 million deal. Though Grienke’s record dipped to 13-7 in Arizona last season, he did earn his third straight Golden Glove award.

No. 1: Clayton Kershaw, $35.571 million – Before an injury-plagued 2016, Clayton Kershaw was the most consistent pitcher in the game. He posted the NL’s lowest ERA during a four-year stretch between 2011 to 2014. In addition to his three Cy Young awards — all with the Los Angeles Dodgers — Kershaw is one of only 10 pitchers in history to win MVP and Cy Young awards in the same season (2014). The righty is entering the third of a seven-year, $215 million deal.

Honorable mention: Mike Trout, six years, $144.5 million – Los Angeles Angels centerfielder Trout is widely considered the most dominant position player in the sport. The 25-year-old signed a six-year, $144.5 million deal which will catapult his 2018 salary to over $34 million.