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Kevin Gausman Named 2021 MLB All-Star

Former Tiger ace is having the best season of his professional career

By Zach Junda
San Francisco Giants v Los Angeles Dodgers Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images

Former LSU pitcher and current San Francisco Giant Kevin Gausman was named an All-Star for the first time in his career on Sunday.

Gausman, the fourth pick in the 2012 draft, is having by far and away the best season of his professional career. Gausman currently has an 8-2 record and a 1.68 ERA, the best among Giant starters. He has struck out 121 batters versus 26 walks in 105.2 innings.

Gausman spent the first six seasons of his career with the Baltimore Orioles. He was traded midway through the 2018 season from Baltimore to Atlanta where he started 26 games in the year and a half he spent with the Braves. Gausman was then claimed off of waivers by the Cincinnati Reds in 2019 working primarily as a reliever before signing as a free agent with San Francisco.

The past two years with the Giants have been the best Gausman has pitched in the majors. Through nearly two years and 28 games—26 starts—he’s 11-5 with 2.40 ERA. Our friends over at McCovey Chronicles point out that Gausman is scheduled to pitch San Francisco’s final game before the All-Star break so he won’t actually pitch in the All-Star Game, though he will make the trip.

Gausman is the 13th former Tiger to be named an MLB All-Star. LSU is currently riding a five-year streak of having a player make an All-Star team. DJ LeMahieu was an All-Star in 2015 and 2017 for the Colorado Rockies and then in 2019 with the New York Yankees; Will Harris was selected in 2016 as a member of the Houston Astros; Aaron Nola (Philadelphia Phillies) and Alex Bregman (Houston Astros) were both selected in 2018 and Bregman again made the cut in 2019. There wasn’t an All-Star game in 2020 due to COVID-19. The other eight former LSU players to make an All-Star team are:

  • Connie Ryan (1944, Boston Braves)
  • Alvin Dark (1951-52, 1954, New York Giants)
  • Joe Bill Adcock (1960, Milwaukee Braves)
  • Albert Belle (1993-1996, Cleveland Indians; 1997, Chicago White Sox)
  • Paul Byrd (1999 Philadelphia Phillies)
  • Brian Wilson (2008, 2010-2011 San Francisco Giants)
  • Brad Hawpe (2009, Colorado Rockies)
  • Aaron Hill (2009, Toronto Blue Jays)

San Francisco owns the best record in baseball at 53-30. The Giants are currently only a half game up on the defending World Series Champion Dodgers in the NL West.

The 2021 MLB All-Star Game is next Tuesday, July 13, at Coors Field in Denver.