Matthew Boyd’s selection to the All-Star game is a life lesson.
At least that’s how Cubs manager Craig Counsell sees it. The 34-year-old left-handed Cubs pitcher was named to the National League All-Star team on Sunday and joins outfielders Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker, who were announced as starters on Wednesday.
Designated hitter/right fielder Seiya Suzuki was not announced on Sunday but is likely to be at the top of a list of those who would be called upon if selected players opt out. He entered Sunday’s action with 75 RBIs, the most in the National League. He was also fourth in home runs with a team-high 24.
Boyd entered Sunday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals with an 8-3 record and a 2.65 ERA, which was sixth in the National League.
From 2021-24, he dealt with injuries and needed Tommy John surgery on his left elbow in 2023.
His comeback gained Counsell’s admiration.
“I’m happy for Matt,” the manager said. “If you look at the last four years of his career, he had all of these injuries. But there is always a reason to keep going and to prove yourself.
“He is in his 11th year and for him to be an All-Star, I think, is a lesson for everybody. This is why you never give an inch. You keep at it. You go about every day the same and you attack every day during your injuries the same. This is one of the rewards for that.”
Boyd was unavailable before Sunday’s game because he was starting against the Cardinals, but after getting the win over the Cleveland Guardians on July 1, he spoke about the possibility of making the All-Star roster.
“That would be quite an honor,” Boyd said. “But I don’t get to make that decision. Someone else does. But if that honor did come, it would be something that would be really special.”
Counsell also appreciates what Boyd can bring to the table during the games when he doesn’t play.
“He’s a player who loves playing and starting,” Counsell said. “And even on days he’s not starting, he’s in the dugout rooting for his teammates. That’s contagious.”
Boyd has a positive outlook after all he has gone through.
“When I got hurt in 2021, I knew that my best was ahead of me,” Boyd said. “It was like ‘OK, this is what I’m gonna do when the ball is in my hand.’
“Unfortunately, it was quite some time before I was healthy and I knew health got in the way of that. But I’m grateful to be healthy and grateful to be out there. And I’m grateful I can do it in a Cubs uniform.”
The All-Star Game takes place on July 15 in Atlanta. The Los Angeles Dodgers lead all teams with five selections.
It will be the first All-Star appearance for Crow-Armstrong and Boyd, and the fourth in a row for Tucker.
It can be argued that a few more Cubs are worthy of making the team, including Suzuki.
But Counsell wasn’t going to blast the system.
“I’m hopeful we can get a few more guys,” he said. “There are a lot of deserving players and we have deserving players. We have guys with cases to be All-Stars.
“But that’s the process.”
The All-Star Game isn’t the only big event happening this week. The MLB draft takes place Sunday and Monday as part of the All-Star Week festivities.
The Cubs have draft pick No. 17, a position that director of scouting Dan Kantrovitz is used to. Since 2020, the Cubs have drafted anywhere from No. 7 to No. 21 in the first round.
“We’ve been picking in that neighborhood quite a bit,” Kantrovitz said. “What’s exciting is that someone could fall to your spot.”
He said this year’s draft is top-heavy with talented high school infielders.
Only once in the past 13 years have the Cubs taken a high school player with their first pick. That was in 2020 when they selected Mount Carmel’s Ed Howard, who started the 2025 season with Double-A Knoxville but went on the injured list in late April.
The Cubs’ three most recent first-round picks were pitcher Cade Horton (2022), infielder Matt Shaw (2023) and infielder Cam Smith (2024).
All three played on June 27 when the Cubs visited Houston. Horton was the Cubs starting pitcher, Shaw started at third base and Smith played right field for the Astros. The Cubs had dealt Smith in the offseason trade that brought Tucker to the North Side.
“Any time you have first-rounders in a game like that, it’s a source of pride,” Kantrovitz said. “Our goal is to pick players and to see them play out here (in the majors).
“During that series, there were a lot of texts going back and forth. It was like a postseason game for the scouts.”
Jeff Vorva is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.
