Sports

Centerville grad, former WSU Raider to start in MLB All-Star Game Tuesday

Sean Murphy Atlanta Braves' Sean Murphy gestures as he runs towards home plate with a home run in the third inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Wednesday, July 5, 2023, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

SEATTLE, Wash. — A former Wright State Raider is gearing up to make his first start in a Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

Atlanta Braves’ Sean Murphy will be the starting catcher for the National League’s team at Tuesday’s All-Star Game in Seattle.

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Murphy, a 2013 Centerville High School graduate, finished first in voting for his position for The Midsummer Classic.

The 28-year-old was a third-round pick by the Oakland Athletics in 2016 after spending three seasons with the Raiders. He made his big league debut in May 2019 and finished fourth in the American League Rookie of the Year Award voting in 2020.

Murphy also made A’s history by becoming the first catcher in the organization’s history to win a Gold Glove in 2021, according to a Wright State University spokesperson.

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In December 2022, Murphy signed a six-year, $73 million contract extension with the Braves.

Murphy has a .306 batting average in his first year with Atlanta. He’s had 71 hits in the first half of the season, including 17 home runs, 17 doubles, and 55 runs batted in.

He’s making history as the first former Raider to play in the MLB All-Star Game.

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