We are less than a month away from Major League Baseball’s midsummer classic, the All-Star Game. The National League and the American League will face off in the game that showcases the league’s best talent.
Here are our predictions for the starting lineups, pitchers, and reserves that will fill out the National League All-Star Game roster.
Starters
Catcher – Drake Baldwin – Braves
Last year’s NL Rookie of the Year has only gotten better. Even with missing some time due to an injury, he still paces NL catchers in most stats.
First Base – Matt Olson – Braves
Mr. Consistency is having another great year. He plays every day, and has for years, as his Iron Man streak is at 850 games. Olson also leads the league in total bases.
Second Base – Brice Turang – Brewers
The Platinum Glover from a couple of seasons ago continues to play great defense. Combine that with a newfound power stroke, and this guy is a fantastic second baseman for the Crew.
Third Base – Max Muncy – Dodgers
Muncy has been a stable force at the bottom of a stacked Dodgers lineup. He brings a consistent bat and glove to the game every day, and is one of the less-talked-about players who make the Dodgers a juggernaut.
Shortstop – Elly De La Cruz – Reds
Elly De La Cruz has been one of the most electric players in baseball since he came up. This season looks to be another huge stepping stone for him, as his slugging and batting average are up, and his defense has improved.
Outfield – Andy Pages – Dodgers
Andy Pages started the season scorching hot and hasn’t come down to earth much. He leads the NL in RBI and provides a ton of great value in center field with his glove.
Outfield – James Wood – Nationals
James Wood rakes. This guy was a highly touted prospect, and he has proven why. He has some of the best power in the league, but also a great eye, leading the league in walks.
Outfield – Juan Soto – Mets
The defense still leaves a lot to be desired, but you just can’t argue with his plate production. Soto has an OPS over .900 for the 4th season in a row.
Designated Hitter – Shohei Ohtani – Dodgers
Simply the best player on the planet. As a pure DH, you could argue for Kyle Schwarber, but Ohtani is going to win the vote and start at DH.
Starting Pitcher – Jacob Misiorowski – Brewers
After some groans from the baseball community last year about his All-Star bid, this one is going to be earned and then some. He leads the league in many major stats and has been about as dominant as one can be.
Pitchers
Cristopher Sanchez – Phillies
He is now third on the all-time scoreless streak list after 50.2 scoreless during May. The lefty has become the unquestioned ace of a staff that also includes Zack Wheeler and Jesus Luzardo. I wouldn’t be surprised if Sanchez starts the All-Star Game due to it being in Philadelphia.
Chris Sale – Braves
Chris Sale has done what Chris Sale has done for years: shut hitters down. He’s one of many Braves on my predicted all-star team, and the 37-year-old just continues to roll right along through opposing lineups.
Paul Skenes – Pirates
It’s been an up-and-down season for the reigning NL Cy Young, but to quote Aaron Rodgers, “down years for me are career years for most.” Skenes has still pitched very well overall.
Chase Burns – Reds
Burns has become the Reds’ best pitcher in a year where they have desperately needed it. He has been lights out for Terry Francona’s club when their other arms have struggled.
Braxton Ashcraft – Pirates
Braxton Ashcraft has had a really good year out of a very deep Pirates starting rotation, which also includes Paul Skenes. His WHIP is hovering around one, and his walk rate is very low.
Kyle Harrison – Brewers
The Red Sox are kicking themselves about a lot of things, most of all trading away this guy. Even after a blow-up outing in Vegas, his ERA is still under three, and he is striking out a ton of batters.
Mason Miller (RP) – Padres
Possibly the most dominant closer we’ve seen in a while. Miller combines triple-digit gas with one of the league’s best sliders.
Jhoan Duran (RP) – Phillies
A pretty good formula for a closer is a guy who strikes out a lot of hitters and doesn’t walk many. Duran is second in the league behind only Mason Miller in K/BB ratio. He continues to be a good investment for the Phillies ‘ bullpen.
Robert Suarez (RP) – Braves
Suarez has the lowest ERA in the league among pitchers who have thrown at least 10 innings with a 0.61. Likely the only reason he doesn’t have a lot more saves is that his fellow bullpen Brave is also on this list.
Raisel Iglesias (RP) – Braves
Iglesias’s era isn’t much worse than Suarez’s (1.21), but he strikes out a lot more batters and has been with the Braves for a lot longer, which probably gives manager Walt Weiss more trust in him.
Riley O’Brien (RP) – Cardinals
O’Brien has been nails closing out games for the Redbirds this year. He gained the closer role in the absence of a guy like Ryan Helsley. His ERA is a bit higher than others on this list, but it’s mostly due to a few rough outings. He’s tied with Duran with 17 saves.
Reserves
Oufield – Corbin Carroll – Diamondbacks
Corbin Carroll is a guy who takes advantage of everything he can. He uses his park and speed to hit a ton of triples, the most in the league. He also plays great defense for the Snakes.
Outfield – Jordan Walker – Cardinals
Jordan Walker struggled mightily last year, but has turned it around and then some. He is slugging over .500 on the year. It seems like every week, he turns in another fantastic set of at-bats.
Shortstop – Otto Lopez – Marlins
Otto Lopez leads the NL in batting average and hits, becoming a threat at the plate after a couple of decent seasons in Miami.
Second Base -Xavier Edwards – Marlins
Edwards is the second half of the middle-infield dynamic duo for the Marlins. His offensive production has also taken a big leap from last year.
Designated Hitter – Kyle Schwarber – Phillies
The slugger leads the league in home runs with 24. This dude does nothing but mash, pitcher-handedness aside. It will always be interesting that they have him hitting leadoff, considering the power and RBI potential he has.
Outfield – Brandon Marsh – Phillies
Marsh has been a solid player for a while, but he’s having a career year at age 28. The Phillies outfielder is among league leaders in hits and batting average.
First Base – Jake Bauers – Brewers
Bauers has come out of nowhere to be the most consistently good hitter in the Brewers lineup. He leads them in HR and forces Pat Murphy to keep him in the lineup every day.
Shortstop – CJ Abrams – Nationals
Abrams needed consistency after last year, and he has found it. After getting sent down to the minors towards the end of last season, the electric young player has found his footing in a scary Nats offense.
Second Base – Luis Arraez – Giants
Arraez has one goal when he gets to the plate: don’t strike out. His K% is by far the lowest in the league. Arraez gets on base a ton, and his defense has picked up as well.
Catcher – Hunter Goodman – Rockies
Goodman is having another solid year, and he is arguably the best player on another horrendous Rockies team.
Outfield – Pete Crow-Armstrong – Cubs
Crow-Armstrong is perhaps one of the most streaky players in the league. He started off the season rough, but he has been very good the last month. Thanks in large part to his defense, he leads the NL in bWAR.
Honorable Mentions
Freddie Freeman, Liam Hicks, Sal Stewart, Ivan Herrera, Paul Sewald, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Mike Soroka, Eduardo Rodriguez, Ben Brown
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