Clayton Kershaw makes his 11th All-Star team, James Wood the youngest All-Star at 22

NEW YORK — Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw was picked for his 11th All-Star Game and James Wood and Elly De La Cruz boosted the 23-and-under group to five when they were picked Sunday for the July 15 showcase at Atlanta’s Truist Park.

Wood at 22 is the youngest of the 65 All-Stars, while the Pirates’ Paul Skenes, De La Cruz and fan-elected starters Pete Crow-Armstrong and Jacob Wilson are 23.

Cal Raleigh and Yoshinobu Yamamoto joined Wood, Wilson and Crow-Armstrong among 19 first-time All-Stars. Wood was acquired by Washington in the August 2022 trade that sent outfielder Juan Soto to San Diego.

“It’ll just be cool being around some of the best players in the game,” Wood said.

Kershaw last week became the 20th pitcher to reach 3,000 strikeouts, and commissioner Rob Manfred made the left-hander the 65th All-Star as a so-called Legend Pick, his first since selecting Miguel Cabrera and Albert Pujols in 2022 under a provision in the then-new collective bargaining agreement.

Kershaw gives the Dodgers at least five All-Stars for the sixth straight season. The oldest NL All-Star at 37 and most senior All-Star with 11 selections, Kershaw is joined by Yamamoto and fan-elected starters Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith.

Kershaw said he didn’t want to discuss the selection on Sunday.

Detroit and Seattle will have four players each at the game.

AL reliever Aroldis Chapman of Boston is the oldest All-Star, born 19 days before Kershaw.

“Red carpet, that’s my thing,” said the Yankees’ Jazz Chisholm, one of six players voted to the AL roster by MLB. “I do have a ‘fit in mind.”

The Chicago White Sox’s Shane Smith became the second player since 2000 to become an All-Star in the season after he was selected in the Rule 5 draft, following Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla in 2006, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Smith was left unprotected by Milwaukee and joined Wilson (Athletics) as the only rookies on the All-Star rosters.

Pittsburgh’s Skenes, Washington’s MacKenzie Gore, Atlanta’s Chris Sale, San Francisco’s Logan Webb and Philadelphia’s Zack Wheeler were elected to the starting rotation by players along with relievers Jason Adam of San Diego, Edwin Díaz of the New York Mets and Randy Rodríguez of San Francisco.

Among the players not picked were Mets outfielder Juan Soto, Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts, Blue Jays outfielder George Springer, Phillies shortstop Trea Turner and Cardinals pitcher Sonny Gray. There usually are about 10 roster replacements between the announcements and the game.