10 greatest individual performances in All-Star history featuring Derek Jeter, Ichiro Suzuki & more
The All-Star Game is a celebration of the best and brightest stars in the MLB. Some cement their legacies with historically great performances. The game is an opportunity for the best of the best to test themselves against each other on a global stage.
When the lights are the brightest, some players are able to elevate their games to the next level. Some of them are batters who put the offense on their backs; others are pitchers who shut down future Hall of Famers. These performances etch names into history as the best efforts in All-Star Game history. Let's take a look at the top 10.
#10 Shane Bieber - 2019
We start this list with a recent performance from Shane Bieber. Bieber represented the Cleveland Indians (now Guardians) in 2019. He pitched only one inning as pitchers often do in the All-Star Game, and he recorded three straight strikeouts. While the sample size was small, no pitcher could have done better.
Shane Bieber was rewarded by being named MVP for the game.
#9 Shohei Ohtani - 2021
While leading the MLB in home runs, Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani started the game on the mound for the American League in 2021. The Japanese phenom pitched a perfect inning in the first and was credited with the win as the American League came out victorious.
#8 Derek Jeter - 2000
This list would be incomplete without the presence of former New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter. In the 2000 All-Star Game, Derek Jeter was perfect at the plate with three hits and two RBIs. This was the first All-Star appearance for a young Derek Jeter, who was named MVP of the game.
This was not the last time we saw Derek Jeter in this spotlight, but it was his best outing.
#7 Tim Raines - 1987
Tim Raines, representing the Montreal Expos, put on a show in 1987. He went perfect at the plate with three hits, and he did not enter the game until the sixth inning. The game went into extra innings. Tim Raines drove in the winning run with a triple and won himself the MVP.
#6 Babe Ruth - 1933
The Sultan of Swat was too great a player to be left off this list. In 1933, Babe Ruth hit the first home run in All-Star Game history. It's only fitting that the first king of home runs was the one to achieve this feat. This homer electrified the crowd and was integral to his team's victory.
#5 Ted Williams - 1946
Ted Williams played so well in All-Star Games that the league named the MVP trophy after him.
In 1946 Ted Williams of the Boston Red Sox went a shocking 4-for-4 at the plate with two home runs. More impressively, this was his first All-Star Game after returning from three years of military service in World War 2. He came back in dominant fashion, accounting for half of his team’s 12 runs as they won in a rout.
#4 Bo Jackson - 1989
In 1989 Bo Jackson was one of the most famous athletes in the world, and his All-Star Game performance lived up to all the hype. Hitting a home run and dazzling with his athleticsm, nobody could take their eyes off the Kansas City Royals star.
Bo knows how to hit leadoff dingers.
#3 Carl Hubbell - 1934
For those of you who weren't around to watch Carl Hubbell of the New York Giants in 1934, you missed something special. Carl Hubbell was one of the top pitchers in baseball, and he proved it with this performance. Hubbell pitched three innings and recorded six strikeouts. Five of the six batters he struck out would go on to become Hall of Famers.
#2 Ichiro Suzuki - 2007
Like others on this list, the Seattle Mariners star went perfect at the plate with three hits and a home run, but Ichiro Suzuki's home run was different. He hit the first inside the park home run in All-Star Game history, showing off his incomprehensible speed.
#1 Pedro Martinez - 1999
Pedro Martinez represented the Boston Red Sox on the mound in 1999, and put in the single best performance in All-Star Game history. Pitching for two innings, Pedro Martinez struck out five of the six batters he faced. It was as close to perfection as any player could hope for, and he did it against the best the league had to offer.
Be sure to come back to Sportskeeda for coverage of the 2022 MLB All-Star Game. Sound off in the comments with who you think will win the MVP in this year's game and be added to this illustrious list.