A guy like David Fry wasn¡¯t supposed to be an All-Star. Just ask him.

¡°Maybe a Triple-A All-Star,¡± Fry quipped.

The closer Fry got to a potential professional career, the clearer the reality became of how difficult it would be to make it to the Majors. This was a T-ball player who dreamed of this life and was positive it would be his future. This was a kid who grew up 20 minutes from Globe Life Park in Irving, Texas, and would grab cheap tickets to games every chance he had.

There were days in elementary school when Fry and his classmates were told to dress up like what they wanted to be when they got older. He was the only one in baseball pants.

¡°That was me,¡± Fry said. ¡°That was my life.¡±

Baseball remained his life, but as he matured, the realism set in. He was nearing the end of his time at Northwestern State University of Louisiana, determined to remain in baseball, but playing didn¡¯t seem obtainable. So, he had his mind set on becoming a college coach. But then the Brewers came calling in the seventh round of the 2018 MLB Draft. But even still, Fry knew it was a long shot.

¡°It was like this is pretty much my internship for being a college coach,¡± Fry said. ¡°This will buy me not having to be a volunteer assistant -- and then I get to Double-A, Triple-A and I was like maybe this is a real thing? I don¡¯t know.¡±

Fry played through Milwaukee¡¯s Minor League system over the next year. Then, COVID-19 cancelled his season in ¡¯20, causing him to lose a critical year of development. He made it to Triple-A in ¡¯21, but there was still no callup to the Majors.

The Guardians had traded pitcher J.C. Mej¨ªa to the Brewers in November 2021 for a player to be named later. That player ended up being Fry. But the 26-year-old spent the 2022 season with Triple-A Columbus and still had no call up to the big leagues.

Now, it¡¯s beneficial for Fry to have Stephen Vogt as his manager since the two had nearly identical career paths, while playing the same backup catcher/utility roles. Still, the two reminisce about their grueling paths.

¡°It¡¯s like we¡¯re talking to our wives how they¡¯re making money and we¡¯re not,¡± Fry said. ¡°It¡¯s like, ¡®Please, can I continue to live off you for a little longer? Maybe this will work out.¡¯¡±

Finally, it did. The Guardians promoted Fry to the Majors on May 1, 2023, and had a decent season while getting sporadic playing time at different positions. It was enough to allow him to feel comfortable in the big leagues, but it wasn¡¯t enough to be confident that he¡¯d be back on the roster again this year.

Fry spent Spring Training battling for his spot on the roster. Even in the final days of camp, it was unclear if there would be enough space on this roster for a third catcher and yet another versatile defensive player.

¡°Trying the whole time not to make that like ¡®I got to go make the team,¡¯¡± Fry said. ¡°It¡¯s like no. Just go have fun. Whatever God¡¯s plan is, is how it¡¯s gonna work out.¡±

Apparently that plan was pretty special.

Fry made the Opening Day roster and was set to be a right-handed bat off the bench who can mash lefties. But instead, he was so electric he forced his way into the lineup against righties and lefties in any position Vogt could find for him. Through June 1, Fry was hitting .355 with a 1.128 OPS in 41 games.

¡°It¡¯s self-made for David,¡± Vogt said. ¡°We talk about how he hits lefties and he hit lefties so well we couldn¡¯t take him out of the lineup and [he] earned more playing time.¡±

And it earned him recognition among his peers, too. Last weekend, Fry learned that he had been voted in to the All-Star Game as a reserve, joining teammates Jos¨¦ Ram¨ªrez, Steven Kwan, Josh Naylor and Emmanuel Clase.

From confident T-baller to realistic college kid to a player to be named later to 27-year-old Minor Leaguer to Major League All-Star at his home park in Arlington, Texas -- just down the road from where he fantasized about this future -- Fry knows this statistically shouldn¡¯t have been his outcome.

And yet, it was.

¡°To see somebody who wasn¡¯t supposed to make it to the big leagues ¡­ and then is elected by his peers to go to the All-Star Game,¡± Vogt said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t be more proud of David. It¡¯s just such a great story.¡±