Strasburg, G. Gonzalez, Desmond named to NL All-Star team (Harper in Final Vote)

Prior to this year, the Nationals had never had more than two players named to the All-Star team in a single season. This season, three Nationals have been selected to the Mid-summer Classic. And that number can possibly grow to four. Nationals pitchers Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonzalez and shortstop Ian Desmond have all been named to the National League All-Star team. This is the first All-Star appearance for both Strasburg and Desmond and marks the second straight year that Gonzalez has been named an All-Star. The lefty made it as a member of the Athletics last season. Rookie outfielder Bryce Harper has also been se;ected as one of five candidates for the National League portion of the All-Star Game Final Vote, which allows fans to choose who will earn the final spot on the NL All-Star roster. Strasburg, 23, is 9-3 with a 2.81 ERA this season. The Nationals ace leads the National League with 122 strikeouts in 93 innings. Gonzalez is tied for the second-most wins in the NL with ten and has a 2.78 ERA entering today's start. He has 108 strikeouts in 90.2 innings and has held opponents to a .191 batting average. In his fourth season in the majors, Desmond is batting .276 with 13 home runs and 43 RBIs. He leads NL shortstops in RBIs, doubles and extra-base hits. Desmond was selected to the All-Star team by National League manager Tony LaRussa. At just 19 years of age, and having spent the first month of the season in the minors, Harper is batting .274 with eight homers and 22 RBIs and has an OPS of .822. He will compete in the Final Vote against Braves third baseman Chipper Jones, Astros outfielder Michael Bourn, Cardinals third baseman David Freese and Diamondbacks second baseman Aaron Hill. To take part in the Final Vote, click here. The Nationals had two players selected to the All-Star Game back in 2005 when Livan Hernandez and Chad Cordero made it. Since then, they've had six straight seasons where only one player represented the organization. This already marks the biggest All-Star haul in Nationals history and it could get larger. It comes in a season in which the Nats currently have the best record in the National League.