A first-time MLB All-Star selection is a big deal for most players and Garrett Cooper is no exception. He got the news on July 12 that he had made the cut as an injury replacement, thanks to the support he had received on the player’s ballot. Speaking about the recognition that same day on Miami Mic’d Up with Jeremy Taché, Cooper described it as being one of the key “personal objectives of mine throughout my whole career.”
An All-Star selection is supposed to validate what a player has accomplished during their current season, serving as positive reinforcement to continue what they’ve been doing in the second half.