MLB All-Star Game starters: Rising star Fernando Tatis Jr. voted as NL starter at shortstop

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

SAN DIEGO – El Niño has punched a ticket to his first MLB All-Star Game.

On Thursday, Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. was named as the National League starter at shortstop in this month’s Midsummer Classic scheduled for July 13 at Coors Field in Denver. With the announcement, Tatis becomes the first Padre to get voted into the starting lineup since legendary outfielder Tony Gwynn in 1999. Gwynn did not play in the game due to injury, but he also was voted to start during the 1998 season.

Tatis’ teammate Wil Myers was the last Padre to start an All-Star Game, which he did in 2016 at Petco Park after being penciled into the lineup as a designated hitter.

“It’s a dream-come-true,” Tatis said in a Thursday news conference. “Something that you dream about. Something that you always see the best doing it. Now, seeing myself accomplishing this, I feel like it’s a huge step in my career and for the organization too.”

CINCINNATI, OHIO – JUNE 29: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres signs a ball for a fan after their 5-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on June 29, 2021 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CA – JUNE 25: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres is congratulated in the dugout after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park on June 25, 2021 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 25: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 and Trent Grisham #2 of the San Diego Padres celebrate an 8-7 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers in eleventh innings at Dodger Stadium on April 25, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
San Diego Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. reacts with teammates after hitting a home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Friday, June 25, 2021, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
San Diego Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. watches his two-run home run hit during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Friday, June 25, 2021, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
SAN DIEGO, CA – JUNE 25: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres is congratulated after hitting a two-run home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Petco Park on June 25, 2021 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 23: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 congratulates Manny Machado #13 of the San Diego Padres after his solo homerun during the first inning of a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at PETCO Park on June 23, 2021 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
San Diego Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. reacts after hitting a grand slam during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets at Citi Field, Sunday, June 13, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
San Diego Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) celebrates after Jake Cronenworth (9) hit a two-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Monday, June 21, 2021, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)
HOUSTON, TEXAS – MAY 28: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 and Jake Cronenworth #9 of the San Diego Padres celebrate defeating the Houston Astros 10-3 at Minute Maid Park on May 28, 2021 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
San Diego Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. tosses his bat after hitting a solo home run during the sixth inning of the team’s baseball game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles, Saturday, April 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Kyusung Gong)
San Diego Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. throws out San Francisco Giants’ Austin Slater at first base during the fifth inning of a baseball game in San Francisco, Sunday, May 9, 2021. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
SAN DIEGO, CA – APRIL 5: Fernando Tatis Jr. #23 of the San Diego Padres bats during the third inning of a baseball game against the San Francisco Giants at Petco Park on April 5, 2021 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Denis Poroy/Getty Images)
San Diego Padres’ Fernando Tatis Jr. leaves the field in the sixth inning of a spring training baseball game against the Oakland Athletics, Thursday, March 18, 2021, in Peoria, Ariz. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

As of Thursday, Tatis, 22, leads all of baseball with a 1.092 OPS in 63 games for the Padres. He is batting .300 on the season with 26 home runs, 56 RBIs and 16 stolen bases.

In the offseason, Tatis signed a record 14-year, $340 million deal to keep him in San Diego until he’s 35 years old. It is the longest contract in baseball history, topping 13-year deals signed by Giancarlo Stanton of the New York Yankees in 2015 and Bryce Harper with the Philadelphia Phillies in 2019.