Cody Bellinger Stole the All-Star Show While Aaron Judge Watched From the Bench

The Yankees sent four guys to the All-Star Game this year. Only three of them actually played. And the one who ended up walking away with the MVP trophy wasn’t even the biggest star on his own team.

Aaron Judge got the All-Star nod, no surprise there. But he didn’t play. The Yankees decided to give him the night off, which is fine. It’s an exhibition game and Judge is the kind of guy you’d rather save for a pennant race than risk in a midsummer showcase. Nobody’s really griping about that.

The more interesting no-show was Cam Schlittler. The young pitcher was elected by his fellow players but told manager Aaron Boone he wasn’t going to throw. Boone laid it out over the weekend before the game.

“Cam is not going to pitch Tuesday. He came in today, talked to me about it. Made that decision,” Boone said. “He just feels like on his recovery day, to go back out there throwing 100 mph is something that I think he felt a little apprehensive about. I certainly support that decision, and obviously I think he understands what’s at stake here in the second half too, for us and for him.”

So Schlittler sat. But Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger got the green light, and one of them made the most of it in a big way.

Bellinger’s big moment

It was the bottom of the first inning and the American League had already loaded the bases against National League pitcher Christopher Sanchez. Yordan Alvarez singled, Shea Langeliers walked, and after a groundout from Junior Caminero, Bobby Witt Jr. drew another walk. That brought Bellinger up with nowhere to put him and everything to gain.

He lined a single to center field, scoring Alvarez and Langeliers. Two RBIs on one swing, and he wasn’t done. Bellinger finished the night 1-for-3 with that pair of ribbies, good enough to earn All-Star Game MVP honors. Not bad for a guy who’s been splitting time between the outfield and first base all year.

Rice keeps the history coming

Rice started at first base and hit right after Bellinger in that same first inning. He stepped in with Witt on base and promptly singled to center, driving him home. That made it two Yankees in the same All-Star Game driving in runs — something that hadn’t happened since 1962, when Roger Maris and Tom Tresh pulled it off. Rice got replaced in the fourth inning by Willson Contreras, but the damage was done.

So while Judge watched from the dugout in street clothes and Schlittler had his reasons not to pitch, the Yankees still left their mark on the All-Star Game. Bellinger got the trophy, Rice got a piece of history, and everyone got what they wanted out of a mostly meaningless game that somehow still matters.