The 2025 MLB All-Star Game took place on Tuesday night in Atlanta, and the Washington Nationals were represented in the Midsummer Classic by two of their budding young superstars; James Wood and MacKenzie Gore.
It was the first time either player had been selected for the prestigious event, and both selections were well-deserved given their stellar play over the first half of the season.
More News: Nationals First Overall Pick Eli Willits Has Star Potential If This Aspect Develops
Wood put on a show during Monday night's action-packed Home Run Derby, but went 0-for-1 in his lone at-bat of the evening during the main event.
Gore, on the other hand, was superb in the one inning of work he received on the bump for the National League, reminding everyone once more just how elite he has become.
NL skipper Dave Roberts sent the Nationals' ace out to start the fifth inning, and tasked him with preserving the team's 2-0 lead.
More News: Industry Was Shocked by Nationals' Selection of Eli Willits in MLB Draft
Gore was more than up for the task, as he completely shut down the bottom of the star-studded American League order.
The electric left faced three batters in total: Tampa Bay Rays slugger Junior Caminero, Detroit Tigers star Javier Baez and emergent Athletics rookie shortstop Jacob Wilson.
It took Gore just nine pitches to sit the three of them down in order, forcing each of the elite hitters to groundout to short in a masterful inning of work.
MACKENZIE GORE GROUNDER TO SHORT MERCHANT pic.twitter.com/v98N4n8ZUU
— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) July 16, 2025
It was one of the best showings any player had on either side all night long, and it showed the crowd at Truist Park that Gore belongs on the field with the rest of baseball's biggest stars.
The NL ultimately ended up blowing a very sizable lead down the stretch in dramatic fashion, but they also pulled out the victory thanks to some heroics from Philadelphia Phillies' star slugger Kyle Schwarber.
More News: Nationals Reached New Level of Futility Right Before the All Star Break
Things might not be going well for Washington this year, but seeing their budding ace perform as well as he did on the game's biggest stage has to take some of the sting out of what's become another lost season.
If Gore continues to pitch as well as he has in 2025 moving forward, then there are sure to be plenty more All-Star Game nods in his future.
For more Nationals news, head over to Nationals On SI.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!