Could Braves beat AL or NL All-Star team?

The Atlanta Braves have a franchise record eight players heading to the All-Star game. Could the Braves themselves beat an All-Star team?

The Atlanta Braves of 2023 are really really good.

Eight Braves were named to the All-Star team, a record for the franchise and an absurd amount of representation for any single team in any given year. But Atlanta has earned it, as all eight of the Braves players named to the squad are certainly right to be there.

The Braves are so stinkin’ good that it has me wondering… How close could the Braves be to being an All-Star team on their own?

Let’s answer that question as best we can.

Can the Braves beat an All-Star team as currently constructed?

The short answer here is no, the Braves wouldn’t consistently beat an All-Star team, but I’ll dive into the why behind that after first discussing how this is such a silly question to ask. And yes, that’s coming from the person who posed the question.

All-Star teams are not real. Well, not real in that they don’t exist, but not real in that the collection of talent on All-Star teams is intentionally not something you should be able to mirror when building a roster as an MLB general manager. MLB, like any pro sports league, wants parity. A general manager constructing a baseball team that even comes close to an All-Star team should happen very infrequently due to CBA or bankroll limitations.

That’s what makes the Braves so impressive. Eight players made the team, yet they don’t even crack the top five in most money committed to player payroll, per Spotrac.

Would Braves beat the American League All-Star team?

There are a number of ways this could be simulated, but I opted to go as simple as possible and use wins above replacement (WAR), a cumulative stat that is adjusted for a league-average player. A WAR of zero would be average, anything above is above average, and anything below is below average.

I opted to sum the starting nine and the best pitcher (in terms of WAR) for the Braves and the respective All-Star teams to compare. Here’s where we land:

• Braves: 22.4
• American League All-Star team: 33.2

Here’s the math behind it:

Braves WAR:

1. Sean Murphy: 2.8
2. Matt Olson: 2.6
3. Ozzie Albies: 2.4
4. Orlando Arcia: 1.9
5. Austin Riley: 1.9
6. Eddie Rosario: 0.5
7. Michael Harris II: 1.3
8. Ronald Acuña Jr.: 4.8
9. Marcell Ozuna: 0.9
10. Bryce Elder: 3.3

American League All-Star WAR:

1. Jonah Heim: 2.6
2. Yandy Diaz: 2.6
3. Marcus Semien: 3.7
4. Josh Jung: 2.4
5. Corey Seager: 3.2
6. Mike Trout: 2.9
7. Randy Arozarena: 2.9
8. Aaron Judge: 2.4
9. Shohei Ohtani: 6.7
10. Kevin Gausman: 3.8

Here, while Ohtani would have been the pitcher under the “highest WAR pitcher gets included as the pitcher”, I assume the American League would instead use him as a designated hitter in this scenario.

So, the AL All-Stars are coming out ahead. That makes sense, it’s an All-Star team after all!

I could see the Braves running away with a game or two in a best-of-seven, though.

Would Braves beat the National League All-Star team?

Now this is where it gets interesting. The Braves are a pervasive part of the selected National League roster, and they can’t be in two places at once. So I’m subbing in substitutes from the bench in place of the Braves players hypothetically repping Atlanta in this simulation.

• Braves: 22.4
• National League All-Star team: 27.0

Here’s the math behind it:

Braves WAR: See above

National League All-Star WAR:

1. Elias Diaz: 1.7
2. Freddie Freeman: 3.2
3. Luis Arraez: 3.8
4. Nolan Arenado: 1.4
5. Dansby Swanson: 2.9
6. Nick Castellanos: 2.3
7. Mookie Betts: 3.7
8. Corbin Carroll: 3.7
9. J.D. Martinez: 0.9
10. Zac Allen: 3.4

A lot closer here once the Braves are reduced from the All-Star side of the equation, but Atlanta still comes out below.

For what it’s worth, the Rays come in with a WAR of just 11.1 using this same approach. Considering the Rays have looked as dominant as the Braves at times this season, that should give you a feel for just how stacked this Atlanta roster is.

Atlanta might not be able to beat an All-Star team convincingly, but trust me: It would be a hard-fought battle.