Predicting the 2025 MLB All-Star Game reserves after starters are revealed

The starters for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game were revealed on Wednesday night, and as seems to be the case every year, there were some ... interesting results of the fan vote that might have some people up in arms. But while snubs are never fun, take heart: There's more than one path to the Midsummer Classic, and deserving players still have a chance to make the roster as a reserve.

Both the AL and the NL will carry 32 players, 20 position players and 12 pitchers. That means that we're working with an 11-man bench, to be filled by a combination of player ballots and the discretion of the commissioner's office. How might those benches shake out? We have a better idea now that the starters have been revealed, so let's dive in.

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Projected American League All-Star reserves

Kirk is swinging the bat like he did the last time he made the All-Star Game back in 2022, with a .778 OPS on the year, and he also happens to be graded as the best framer in the sport this season. Aranda might be the best player you haven't heard of, leading all AL first basemen in wRC+ by a considerable margin, while Lowe is slugging .495 and is simply a cut above Jackson Holliday right now (both are middling defensively, but Lowe's bat is doing way more damage).

Really, either Witt Jr. or Pena should be starting at the 6 for the AL, but Jacob Wilson of the Athletics is having a remarkable season in his own right and has that shiny .339 average to point to. Either way, all three are more than deserving — they're the clear top three choices at the position by fWAR — and all three should make it, though Pena's rib fracture might cost him a shot to actually play. Speaking of guys who should be starting: Byron Buxton has been a dark-horse MVP candidate this season, finally staying healthy and delivering on his five-tool promise, but the misery that is the Twins has made sure no one is paying attention. He's second in fWAR among AL outfielders behind only some guy named Aaron Judge.

The rest of the outfield picture in the AL is pretty crowded, with lots of viable but few slam-dunk candidates. In the end, I tried to reward true two-way players like Abreu and Kwan, although Springer's bat (140 wRC+, fourth among AL outfielders) wound up being too loud to ignore.

Projected National League All-Star reserves

A Rockies representative! Goodman is more than just a token, too; he's a legit stud, good enough behind the plate while consistently mashing at it (.869 OPS). Alonso probably should've gotten the nod over Freeman, even though he's cooled off a bit since his absolutely scorching start to the season. Still, he has Freeman beat soundly in slugging stats, and neither are particularly impressive defenders at this stage of their careers.

Good luck figuring out the NL shortstop race. Francisco Lindor was a tough-luck snub the past couple of years, and he finally got rewarded for it in 2025, even though for one another player (notably De La Cruz) had the stronger statistical case. Still, Elly should make it as a reserve, as should Turner, which could leave Nationals star CJ Abrams on the outside looking in.

At least, it will if both Suarez and Muncy get nods, which they deserve to as two of the better hitters in the NL right now. Kyle Stowers might sneak into the outfield picture here if the Marlins need a representative, but for now I'll go with what I think are the three best players in Soto, Wood and Carroll; all due respect to Fernando Tatis Jr. and Andy Pages, I don't think their defensive value is enough to make up the gap at the plate.