Fan voting for the 2022 MLB All-Star Game begins Tuesday, so this week I’m going to highlight one player on every team who merits All-Star consideration but may not be thought of as a star player (yet). Who should be getting more buzz to head to the Midsummer Classic at Dodger Stadium on July 19? Read on to find out.
Gary A. Vasquez/USA TODAY Sports
30. Kansas City Royals (LW: 28)
In a vacuum, the most deserving Royals candidate would be Andrew Benintendi, who ranks in the top 10 among AL hitters in batting average (.321) and on-base percentage (.384). But he’ll be hard-pressed to crack the loaded American League outfield corps, so a more realistic candidate could be reliever Scott Barlow (1.57 ERA, five saves, four holds), who has an AL-high 123 appearances since the beginning of the 2020 season.
29. Cincinnati Reds (LW: 30)
Luis Castillo may be Cincinnati’s representative based on star power if he continues his bounce-back season, but he has only six starts under his belt after missing the first month of the season and has been more solid than All-Star caliber. Then again, that’s pretty much been the ceiling for every Reds player. I’ll go ahead and single out catcher Tyler Stephenson, who leads NL catchers with a .298 batting average and ranks second with a 120 wRC+.
28. Washington Nationals (LW: 29)
Yadiel Hernández would’ve been the obvious pick here a few weeks ago, but the 34-year-old outfielder has badly tailed off lately and his .275/.323/.416 slash line is now nearly identical to the unremarkable one he posted last year. There’s not really a perfect fit here, as Josh Bell’s return to form still leaves him far below the high bar set by the NL’s elite first basemen this season and Juan Soto, who doesn’t exactly fly under the radar, is the only other deserving candidate. Soto will surely be Washington’s representative in 2022, and if the Nationals are smart, for many years to come.
27. Oakland A’s (LW: 24)
Not a single A’s hitter has an OPS over .700 on what’s been MLB’s lowest-scoring offense, so if ace hurler Frankie Montas (3.06 ERA, 78 K in 70 ⅔ IP, 1.00 WHIP) is still in Oakland when the All-Star rosters are announced, he will likely be the selection. If not, Paul Blackburn (2.62 ERA) is a solid backup. The late-blooming 28-year-old is having a nice breakout.
26. Detroit Tigers (LW: 26)
Tarik Skubal leads the AL with a 2.01 FIP, nearly half a run better than second-place Nestor Cortes of the Yankees (more on him later). Not only is he not yet garnering the respect he should among fans, but he’s also the only deserving choice on a woefully underperforming Tigers roster. Although, if the DH spot weren’t locked up for the likes of Shohei Ohtani, J.D. Martinez, Yordan Álvarez and others, it would be fun to see Miguel Cabrera there. He’s slashing .301/.345/.393 with a 113 wRC+. Not Miggy of old, but not bad, either!
AP Photo/Nick Wass
25. Baltimore Orioles (LW: 25)
Trey Mancini was understandably not quite up to his usual standards in 2021, his first season back after missing all of ’20 while undergoing treatment for colon cancer. Now, he’s arguably been better than ever while mostly splitting time between DH and first base, logging a career-high 136 OPS+ thus far and leading Baltimore’s offense with a .305/.377/.437 slash line. If not Mancini, closer Jorge López (1.00 ERA, 0.96 WHIP in 27 innings) is the clear-cut choice from the Orioles pitching staff.
24. Pittsburgh Pirates (LW: 27)
José Quintana has proven to be one of the best, if not the best, bargain bin signings of the offseason, recording a 2.32 ERA in 10 starts after looking pretty washed in a brutal 2021 campaign split between the Angels and Giants. Of course, due to Pittsburgh’s poor run support, he only has one win on the season (his first since ’19!), logged last month against the Dodgers. That’s almost as surprising as the Pirates sweeping the Dodgers in Los Angeles last week, which has to count as the most confounding series result of the season.
23. Colorado Rockies (LW: 22)
I’ve long been singing C.J. Cron’s praises in this space, and he’s the frontrunner to be Colorado’s representative at Chavez Ravine by ranking third in the NL with 14 home runs and fourth with a .557 slugging percentage. Chad Kuhl (3.17 ERA) has also been the lone bright spot in the bitterly disappointing Rockies rotation as his 68 ERA-, which adjusts for the hitter-friendly environment Kuhl confronts in Denver, ranks 10th among NL starters. But at this point, it’d be a shock to see him join a crowded NL pitching staff.
22. Chicago Cubs (LW: 23)
Ian Happ has been the NL’s most valuable full-time left fielder, and third-most valuable full-time outfielder, by FanGraphs WAR (1.6). He’s cut his strikeout rate nearly 10 points from last year, down to a career-low 20.3%, a major improvement that’s helped increase the effectiveness of his above-average batted ball profile.
21. Seattle Mariners (LW: 21)
Ty France is somewhat of a one-tool player, which is why the Padres felt comfortable including him in a trade for catcher Austin Nola in 2020, when there was no DH in the NL. But that one tool, his ability to hit for average, may be good enough to get the former 34th-round pick to the All-Star Game. He leads AL first basemen in wRC+ (169) and fWAR (2.2), and ranks top five in the AL in both batting average (.332) and on-base percentage (.405).
20. Arizona Diamondbacks (LW: 19)
Zac Gallen’s breakout two years ago, which resulted in a top-10 Cy Young finish, happened to occur in the first season without an All-Star Game since 1945. After injuries disrupted Gallen’s ’21 campaign, he should be invited to his first Midsummer Classic this year, as he’s been a top-10 starter in MLB by ERA+ (171).
VERDUCCI: Raising Arizona: How Brent Strom Is Fixing Diamondbacks Pitchers
AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh
19. Chicago White Sox (LW: 15)
Michael Kopech finally gave up his first home run of the season in his 43rd inning on Wednesday against the Blue Jays, who hit two dingers off him in the game. Consider it a minor speed bump in his otherwise smooth transition to the rotation. Opposing hitters have batted just .149 against him, by far the best mark in the majors for pitchers with at least 40 innings.
18. Miami Marlins (LW: 20)
Both Sandy Alcantara and Pablo López would be entirely deserving All-Stars, as they’ve carried Miami’s rotation to a top-10 ERA ranking despite uneven performances from the rest of their peers. If I had to choose one, Alcantara gets the nod for averaging nearly an inning more per start.
17. Texas Rangers (LW: 18)
Somehow, Martín Pérez doesn’t have the most surprising All-Star case for a Rangers player. That honor belongs to Jonah Heim, who may not even be on the fan ballot, as Mitch Garver was their projected starting catcher going into the year. But Heim has forced his way into a regular role. He ranks third among AL catchers (min. 100 PAs) with a .459 slugging percentage while ranking second with fWAR (1.3).
16. Philadelphia Phillies (LW: 16)
Philadelphia’s stars and scrubs approach hasn’t resulted in many, if any, overly pleasant surprises on the roster. It is worth pointing out, though, that J.T. Realmuto ranks second among NL catchers in fWAR (1.6)—behind only Chicago’s Willson Contreras—despite a relatively down offensive season, thanks to his excellent glovework behind the dish.
15. Cleveland Guardians (LW: 17)
Triston McKenzie is a prime candidate for regression as the owner of a league-low .175 pitchers’ BABIP despite ranking in just the 25th percentile (or below) of barrel rate, hard-hit rate and average exit velocity. His strikeout rate steadily dropping since his 2020 debut is also concerning for his long-term outlook. But there’s something to be said for leading qualified AL pitchers in hit rate (5.24 H/9 IP) and opponents batting average (.168).
14. Los Angeles Angels (LW: 10)
It feels like we still haven’t properly appreciated the meteoric rise of Taylor Ward. He’s been the best Angels hitter despite healthy and productive seasons from Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani (recent Trout slump notwithstanding). He’s missed 17 of Los Angeles’s 55 games and yet he still ranks third in fWAR among AL outfielders (min. 150 plate appearances). Unfortunately, he was placed on the injured list with a hamstring strain on Sunday, which is the last thing the Halos needed amid their 11-game losing streak.
13. Boston Red Sox (LW: 14)
Xander Bogearts (2.3) and Rafael Devers (3.2) should be locks to make the AL roster as the fWAR leaders at shortstop and third base, respectively. (Yes, Devers is even beating José Ramírez). But could Trevor Story give Boston three infielders at the All-Star Game if he continues his recent tear? After his early-season swoon, he improbably leads qualified AL second basemen with 1.7 fWAR.
AP Photo/David Zalubowski
12. Atlanta Braves (LW: 13)
FanGraphs has graded Dansby Swanson as the most valuable defender in the National League this season. He’s also put up the third-best wRC+ (116) among NL shortstops. I’m not saying he should start over Francisco Lindor or Trea Turner, but he’s done enough to nab his first career All-Star appearance in his free-agent platform year.
11. San Francisco Giants (LW: 12)
According to fWAR, Mike Yastrzemski (1.4) has been the second-most valuable right fielder in the National League, behind only Mookie Betts and ahead of Juan Soto and Ronald Acuña Jr. The 31-year-old hasn’t displayed as much power as he did during his 2020 breakout effort, but he’s cut his strikeout rate by over six points to 18.1%. He should receive his first All-Star bid after he would’ve been a shoo-in to start two years ago had there been All-Stars that season.
10. Tampa Bay Rays (LW: 8)
Yandy Díaz ranks third in the majors with a .422 on-base percentage thanks to an AL-high 33 walks, nearly double his strikeout total (17). He may not have the sexiest style of play, having collected just three home runs in 46 games, but his combination of plate discipline and contact skill—his 9.2% strikeout rate is sixth-lowest among MLB batters with at least 150 plate appearances—makes for a very useful player.
9. Minnesota Twins (LW: 7)
Luis Arraez leads the majors in batting average and on-base percentage, an incredible feat by the 25-year-old Venezuelan utilityman. Arraez has spent most of his time at first base this season, and his inclusion there would represent an unusual statistical profile for that position; he has only one home run this year. Nonetheless, he’d be a deserving selection.
8. Toronto Blue Jays (LW: 9)
Alejandro Kirk leads all AL catchers (min. 150 PAs) in batting average (.307), on-base percentage (.386), wRC+ (147) and fWAR (1.6), while his strikeout rate (8.9%) is the fifth best in the majors. On an offense loaded with superstars and sons of former major leaguers, Kirk flies under the radar, but he’s a valuable part of Toronto’s lineup and stands out in a down year for his position.
AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar
7. St. Louis Cardinals (LW: 11)
Tommy Edman’s well-rounded game may not win him the All-Star fan vote at second base, but by Baseball Reference’s WAR (3.2), he’s been the most valuable NL second baseman by more than a full win—and the third-most valuable player in the NL, period. Edman is a throwback player who can do pretty much everything well, and FanGraphs has graded him as the league’s best baserunner this year (his 14 stolen bases tie him with teammate Harrison Bader for the most in the NL). He also gets points for moving to shortstop to accommodate Cardinals rookie slugger Nolan Gorman.
6. San Diego Padres (LW: 6)
At this point, it would shock absolutely nobody if NL ERA leader Joe Musgrove is named to his first career All-Star Game this summer. But it would be a surprise if the Padres righthander starts it. The San Diego native is tied for the NL league in pitching fWAR (1.9) and is the only pitcher to rank top 10 in innings (66), WHIP (0.92) and opponents’ batting average (.195). He’s also one of just two pitchers to make at least 10 starts and lose none of them. For the other one, head to the Dodgers section.
5. Milwaukee Brewers (LW: 4)
Who had Eric Lauer leading the vaunted Brewers pitching staff in ERA (2.38) at this stage of the season? The lefthander has gained a tick on his fastball velocity and improved both his strikeout rate (27.7%) and walk rate (7.2%) to career-best levels, and as a result ranks fifth in ERA- (57) among NL starters.
4. Houston Astros (LW: 5)
Framber Valdez has been overshadowed a bit by Justin Verlander’s triumphant return to the mound, but the lefthander’s 2.61 ERA ranks ninth among AL starters.
AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh
3. New York Mets (LW: 3)
On a roster that’s been shaken up quite a bit over the last couple of years, Jeff McNeil has stuck around. He leads qualified NL second basemen with a 134 wRC+ and trails only Francisco Lindor for the team lead in fWAR.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers (LW: 1)
When you looked at the Dodgers’ rotation heading into the season, Tony Gonsolin is probably not the guy you would’ve picked to lead the unit in ERA, let alone the entire National League (though he’s three innings shy of official qualification). But here he is, 10 starts in, with a 1.59 ERA, which ranks as the lowest mark in the NL among pitchers with at least 50 innings.
1. New York Yankees (LW: 2)
Nestor Cortes certainly doesn’t qualify as underappreciated among the Sports Illustrated staff, as Nick Selbe wrote a column on him last month, Nick and I have both featured him in our power rankings write-ups and Matt Martell has regularly professed his admiration (love?) for him on Twitter dating back to 2019. But he’s not famous enough outside of New York for a guy who leads the majors with a 1.50 ERA. An All-Star appearance for Nasty Nestor would help change that, and maybe at least make him the fitting model for a Got Milk? campaign.
