With full All-Star rosters scheduled to be announced Sunday afternoon, the Cubs are expected to be well-represented, especially with the dominant pairing of Marcus Stroman and Justin Steele at the top of their rotation.

Stroman in particular, is already preparing for his second career trip. The 32-year-old right-hander tweeted: “All-Star. Thankful and grateful always!” Sunday afternoon, ahead of MLB’s planned show releasing the news.

“It’s a great honor to have that validation amongst your peers,” Stroman said after his start Saturday night. “I think Justin Steele is extremely worthy. I think Nico Hoerner is worthy. I think Dansby Swanson is worthy. Probably Adbert Alzolay and [Mark] Leiter [Jr.] in the bullpen as well have been incredible. I would love to see a couple of guys get in there.”

Even after hard luck night Saturday where a pair of two-out rallies and two inherited runners scoring left him with five-earned runs in 5 2/3 innings, Stroman is fourth in the National League with a 2.76 ERA and third in innings pitched. By that combination, Baseball Reference’s win above replacement metric views Stroman as the most valuable pitcher in the MLB in this year’s first half, even ahead of Steele; MLB’s current ERA leader

“He’s been consistent and solid,” said manager Davis Ross. “We talk about him and Steele in the same breath.”

Speaking postgame Saturday night, Stroman said he was undecided on if he would pitch in the All-Star Game if asked, acknowledging that the break is crucial for him to prepare for a strong second half.

Even if Stroman does not wind up showing his abilities against the league’s best hitters on a national stage, his first half stands as a bit of a throwback. Stroman’s velocity does not sit in the high-90s nor does he rank among the league’s strikeout leaders. But his sinker-led mix piles up weak grounders and allows him to soak up innings among the league’s best.

“His sinker is a unicorn,” said catcher Tucker Barnhart. “There’s room for pitches that are that good.”