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These 5 guys should absolutely be first time All-Stars

By Joshua Sadlock

DENVER, CO - APRIL 08: Nick Markakis #22 of the Atlanta Braves circles the bases after hitting a solo home run in the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on April 8, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - APRIL 08: Nick Markakis #22 of the Atlanta Braves circles the bases after hitting a solo home run in the sixth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on April 8, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /
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Making MLB’s All-Star Game is a huge honor, and these players are poised to get the call for the first time this season.

Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game will take its show to Washington, D.C. this year with the 89th edition set for July 17 at Nationals Park. Based on the early vote totals that have been making their way out, many of the usual suspects will be in attendance. As expected, lots of New York Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Dodgers and Houston Astros love is being shown by fans across the league.

It’s a foregone conclusion that players like Mike Trout, Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge, Mookie Betts and Jose Altuve will be making trips to the All-Star Game, as they should. There are a lot of slam-dunk picks, and a sizable portion of the players at the game will be making return trips to the Midsummer Classic.

But what about the first timers?

While the All-Star Game has lost some of its luster (not just in baseball, every league has this problem), getting picked for the first time is always a huge cause for celebration for MLB players. With so many young players breaking through this year, the rosters will have plenty of ASG rookies. These five stand out as the most interesting to watch with the game about a month away.

5. Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies

After a lengthy rebuild, the Philadelphia Phillies are finally ready to contend again. The division is starting to get away from them slightly thanks to a slumping offense, but a finish over .500 should be in the cards for the first time since 2011. Ace right-hander Aaron Nola is a big reason the rebuild has ended ahead of schedule.

Nola is 8-2 with a 2.27 ERA in 14 starts this year and has built upon last year’s solid recovery from an injury-plagued 2016 effort. The 25-year-old is blasting past every reasonable expectation the Phillies could have had for him when the nabbed him with the seventh pick in the 2014 draft. At the time, he was viewed as more of a mid-rotation arm than frontline starter.

Over in the American League, Cleveland Indians right-hander Trevor Bauer is a leading candidate for his first All-Star nod. Last year’s breakout has continued into this season. Bauer is 5-5 but has a 2.69 ERA and is striking out 11.6 per nine while leading the league in home runs per nine. The constant tinkering has paid off in a big way.

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