For the second straight season, the A’s will have two players representing them at the All-Star Game in Cleveland.

Matt Chapman was selected by his peers after finishing seventh among third baseman in the fan vote. Newly minted closer Liam Hendriks got the call as a replacement. Chapman will also participate in Monday night’s Home Run Derby.

Here are some things to know about each of Oakland’s All-Stars:

Chapman has eyes on more than All-Star Game, Home Run Derby

The 26-year-old third baseman got his first All-Star nod this season, coming on the heels of a seventh-place finish in MVP voting in 2018. How does one go from being outside the All-Star conversation to the middle of the MVP race by the end of the season?

For Chapman, it was simple. He started swinging at better pitches. Data from Brooks Baseball show Chapman swinging at more pitches on the outer half of the plate and outside the strike zone before the 2018 All-Star break. Since then, he’s been more selective, swinging at more pitches in his wheelhouse: down the middle and on the inner half.

“You look at a lot of the guys with high on-base percentage, who score a lot of runs, who drive in a lot of runs,” Chapman said, “those guys are patient. They wait for their pitch and if they don’t get it, they’re OK with taking the walks. Just finding other ways to get on base and be successful.”

The result? Only Christian Yelich, Mike Trout and Ronald Acuna Jr. have accumulated more wins above replacement than Chapman’s 5.1 since the second half of 2018.

While Chapman said he is predominantly focused on getting the A’s to the World Series, there are couple individual milestones he has his eyes on.

“It’s hard to say. 30 homers sounds good,” Chapman said. “An MVP would be awesome. But I don’t really think like that.”

Chapman finished with 24 home runs last year but connected on 14 after the All-Star break. He only needs nine the remainder of the season to hit the 30-homer mark.

Liam Hendriks’ climb is complete

It was almost a year to the date before Liam Hendriks got the call to his first All-Star Game that he received a less pleasant call: that he had been designated for assignment.

He chose to accept that assignment and take it as an opportunity for an attitude adjustment — and a critical look at his pitching repertoire.

“For me, it was getting rid of the ego and like regardless of how I’m pitching, I don’t deserve to pitch in whatever role,” Hendriks said.

He began a workout regimen with a focus on long-toss and improving his arm strength. It showed in his fastball velocity, which jumped from an average of 95.65 mph in 2018 to 96.17 mph this season. His two-seamer, which he said he’s throwing less of since returning to the majors, is nearly a full mile-per-hour faster on average this season than in 2018.

Opposing batters hit .279 on Hendriks’ fastball and .242 on his slider in 2018, compared to .200 and .167 marks this season.

“He’s quicker to the plate now, got better rhythm now, got better off-speed stuff,” manager Bob Melvin said. “Even his slider wasn’t really a competitive pitch, it was more of a chase pitch, then back to the fastball. And now he’s throwing that for a strike, he’s got a curveball, he’s got a different repertoire.”

Hendriks is proud to be the third Australian All-Star in MLB history

There have only been three Australian-born All-Stars in MLB history. Two of them now have been Oakland A’s relievers.

Brewers catcher Dave Nilsson was the first in 1999, but it’s been all A’s since. Hendriks’ selection this year follows Grant Balfour’s in 2013.

“It’s such an honor,” Hendriks said of representing Australian baseball. “Obviously what (Balfour)’s done for Australian baseball has been huge. … I channel him a little bit just seeing what he’s been able to do.”

Hendriks said he doesn’t know Balfour well, but that there are still some similarities with his fellow countryman.

“We’re both a little crazy,” Hendriks said. “I don’t yell as much, but I have my moments.”

He was also the first Australian to start a postseason game

Although that didn’t go so well. Melvin opted to go with Hendriks as an opener for Oakland’s wild-card game against the Yankees last season. He put the A’s in an early hole, walking leadoff hitter Andrew McCutchen, then surrendering a two-run homer to Aaron Judge. The Yankees went on to win 7-2.

Chapman is in charge of morale … and the aux cord

It was a role thrust onto him, but Chapman has embraced it. Being the team DJ, that is.

His rookie season, veteran Matt Joyce designated him to be carrier of the boombox that travels with the team and provides a soundtrack for the clubhouse before and after games.

“He just turned me into DJ, like the rookie DJ. So I had to carry the speaker everywhere, but I played music, so it was cool,” Chapman said.

Chapman had “Party Up” by Destructo blaring in the clubhouse following the A’s 7-3 win in their first-half finale, but he said J. Cole is his go-to artist.

Chapman entered the role of team leader in charge of morale more naturally.

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While he’s not the type of leader to call a team meeting, he is the guy the clubhouse who will keep the energy up during the doldrums of summer.

“When you’re here for 162 games, there are stretches that get a little grindy,” Chapman said. “So just finding ways to have fun and make things fun, just keep the energy up. When things start to get tough and guys are dragging, if you can just keep the energy up, that makes you want to come to the yard and have fun.”