The All-Star Game is an imperfect but entertaining best-of-show for the MLB midseason break. Ostensibly, the game and its surrounding activities like the Home Run Derby and Futures Game are meant to spotlight the best and brightest MLB has to offer. It’s an opportunity to feature the players who are, in theory, at the top of their respective positions across both leagues.
It’s easy to scoff at the All-Star Game, which is an exhibition and has no bearing on the season, and also no longer counts for home-field advantage in the World Series. It is, truly, meaningless, but it’s also a wonderfully fun way to introduce new fans to the game and highlight the players whose names everyone should know in a season.