Exclusive: A’s slugging catcher Shea Langeliers not interested in Home Run Derby
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- Shea Langeliers said he is not interested in competing in the Home Run Derby.
- Langeliers cited catching wear and tear and wanting to be fresh for the second half.
- Langeliers led all AL catchers in Phase 1 voting with more than 2 million votes.
Despite online speculation, Athletics slugging catcher Shea Langeliers said he that he is not interested in competing in the fan-favorite Home Run Derby, citing the physical demands of catching.
Langeliers has hit 19 home runs this season, tied for the 13th-most in the MLB, as part of a stellar campaign that has him on a path to starting the All-Star game for the American League.
“As a catcher, with the wear and tear of the season, I kind of want to use that break, even if I’m lucky enough to go to the All-Star game, to get my feet back underneath me,” Langeliers said before Monday’s loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
He said he wanted to make sure he was fresh for the second half of the season.
MLB announced last Thursday that Langeliers, 28, led all AL catchers in votes received during the first phase of fan voting for the All-Star game with more than 2 million. Voting opened at 9 a.m. Monday on MLB.com’s website and ends at 9 a.m. Thursday.
If Langeliers receives more votes than Toronto Blue Jays backstop Alejandro Kirk in Phase 2, he would become the first Athletics catcher to start the All-Star game since Terry Steinbach in 1989 and the second A’s position player to earn a fan-elected starting spot in the last two seasons. A’s designated hitter Brent Rooker made the 2025 All-Star game as a reserve and participated in the Home Run Derby, losing in the first round despite a strong showing.
“It’s a childhood dream to be able to play an All-Star game, so the fact that I got to move on to Phase 2 is really cool,” Langeliers said, later noting the country’s 250th anniversary and the game’s location in Philadelphia as an additional motivating factor.
“It’s just gonna be a pretty cool celebration,” he said. “I think Philadelphia is going to be a really cool place to be.”
Besides the home runs, Langeliers has had a stellar campaign, slashing .268/.334/.500 with 16 doubles in 74 games as one of the most consistent catchers in the league.
Kurtz would be ‘unbelievable’ in HRD
His superstar teammate Nick Kurtz, who also has 19 long balls this season, has made a strong case for the Home Run Derby, too.
Langeliers strongly supports that idea.
“Personally, I think he would be unbelievable for the Home Run Derby,” Langeliers said Monday. “It would be really cool, really fun to watch somebody you know with his talent to do the Home Run Derby, but it’s obviously not my decision.”
Kurtz, who has played his way into AL MVP talks as a likely AL All-Star reserve selection, hasn’t addressed the idea recently, but last season reportedly said he would “probably” do it if asked. Having grown up about 70 miles from Philadelphia, the game may hold extra significance for Kurtz, a Lancaster, Pennsylvania native.
On Monday, A’s manager Mark Kotsay said the Home Run Derby is a “cool” opportunity for his players, saying the only potential downside — the amount of swings players take during the multi-round contest — is minor.
“I’m going to support whatever decision if they’re invited to participate,” Kotsay said. “Both of these young guys have earned that right and, hopefully, they’ll get the option to make their choice.”
