Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Fan voting determines starters but leaves key All-Star roster spots to player ballots and manager decisions.
- The AL and NL second base races feature crowded fields with strong performers and unclear qualifiers.
- The NL starting pitcher choice for the Philadelphia-hosted game will spark debate regardless of who NL manager Dave Roberts selects.
On one hand, fans should probably have a voice when determining who will play in the MLB All-Star Game, an exhibition that exists mainly for their own enjoyment. On the other hand, it's clear that the current fan voting has gone in the wrong direction, leading to outrage from those simply hoping to see the best players on the biggest stage in July.
Fans get to vote for who starts the game for each league, but fortunately, they have no say regarding the entire pitching staffs and benches. Given that, let's take a look at the best battles that fans will have no involvement in dictating the outcome of.
6. American League reserve 2B
Ernie Clement has the most votes among AL second basemen by far (and actually leads all AL players in voting, somehow), so he will start. But the question of who will back him up is one worth asking, as there are so many ways the player ballot can go.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. leads all AL second basemen in home runs, stolen bases and fWAR, but he's having a down year by his own lofty standards. Ezequiel Duran leads all AL second basemen in RBI. Chase Meidroth leads all qualified AL second basemen in on-base percentage and runs scored. Travis Bazzana has been the best second baseman in the league since he came up, but he has just 49 games played and not enough plate appearances to qualify for a batting title — does that matter?
My vote would probably go to Bazzana for the simple reason that there are no other great second basemen, but the clutter of options makes this interesting.
5. National League reserve 2B
As crowded as the AL second-base field is, the NL race is loaded and crowded. To put into perspective how much better NL second basemen are than their AL counterparts, eight of the top 10 second basemen in fWAR are in the NL — as are each of the top seven qualifiers in wRC+. That quality competition makes it tough to narrow things down.
Ozzie Albies leads the fan vote, so he'll probably start. But the runner-up, Bryson Stott, won't make the team at all. Will the reserve be Pittsburgh's Brandon Lowe, the leader of the group in home runs with 18? Will it be Milwaukee's Bryce Turang, whose 132 wRC+ leads all second basemen? Will it be the Cardinals' JJ Wetherholt, whose 3.4 fWAR ranks seventh in the Majors regardless of position? Will it be San Francisco's Luis Arraez, a much-improved defender who leads all second basemen with a .321 average? Will Washington's Nasim Nunez and his Gold Glove-caliber defense, to go along with 31 stolen bases, get some love? I haven't even mentioned Ketel Marte's name yet.
Even if two of these second basemen make the team, there will be at least a couple of notable snubs.
4. National League reserve 1B
Freddie Freeman leads all National League first basemen in the fan vote, so he'll almost certainly start, but who will back him up? Matt Olson is having the best all-around year among NL first basemen, so he should be there, but then what does that mean for Bryce Harper? Not only is Harper having a Harper-esque year, much to the surprise (I suppose) of Dave Dombrowski, but this game is set to take place in Philadelphia. Will Harper really not make the team in his own town?
Even if the National League team consisted of all three of those first basemen (which is far from a guarantee), what does that mean for others? Alec Burleson leads all NL first basemen with 57 RBI and is third in fWAR. Cincy's Sal Stewart has been outstanding, particularly for a rookie. Liam Hicks has helped keep the Miami Marlins in the postseason race. Jake Bauers has emerged out of nowhere for the Brewers. There are a ton of options.
3. National League reserve OF
Six or seven outfielders make the All-Star team, so there's room for many great players to earn a spot. But the National League in particular has so many options that it's likely there will be some pretty big snubs.
Andy Pages, Brandon Marsh and Ronald Acuña Jr. lead all NL outfielders in the fan vote, so they'd be starting if the game were today. If Acuña isn't able to play due to his hamstring issue, his teammate, Michael Harris II, is fourth, so he'd start. But while Pages, Marsh and Harris have all had great years, I'm not sure any of them should be starting, and that could result in deserving players not even making the team.
For example, Pete Crow-Armstrong is probably the NL MVP favorite not named Shohei Ohtani right now. Corbin Carroll trails only PCA in fWAR among NL outfielders. James Wood trails only PCA and Carroll in fWAR among NL outfielders. Juan Soto leads all NL outfielders with a 166 wRC+ (albeit in 10-15 fewer games than most). Bryan Reynolds is quietly in the top five among NL outfielders in wRC+ and fWAR. Jordan Walker has been the Cardinals' best player for much of the year, and he's second among NL outfielders in home runs. Jung Hoo Lee ranks second in the NL with his .331 average; will there be room for him?
No matter how you slice it, at least a couple of deserving outfielders will be watching this game from their couches or on vacation somewhere.
2. American League reserve 1B
Fans got a lot wrong in the balloting, but there might not be anything more egregious than Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leading the way among AL first basemen. Don't get me wrong: Guerrero is a great player, and it would've been fair to pencil him in as an All-Star entering the year. But what has he done to deserve a spot so far? He has four home runs and a .729 OPS.
While I'm all for fans getting to see who they want, Guerrero's nod makes things complicated in the AL. Both Nick Kurtz and Ben Rice are legitimate MVP candidates, yet neither of them will start in the All-Star Game, and there's a chance one of them doesn't even make the team. They will probably both be there, but then what does that mean for Munetaka Murakami? What are the odds that four first basemen make this roster?
Murakami probably won't find a spot, but given the impact he's had on the Chicago White Sox, I certainly hope there's a way to get him to Philly.
1. National League starter
Cam Schlittler feels like the obvious pick to start the game for the American League, but who takes the ball for the NL is a battle that is bound to upset at least one fan base.
Jacob Misiorowski is having a historically great season, posting a 1.45 ERA with an unfathomable 39.1 percent strikeout rate in 15 starts this season. Cristopher Sanchez has a 1.80 ERA and isn't striking out quite as many batters as Misiorowski, but he's also thrown 12 more innings in just one more start. Plus, Sanchez has the advantage of being a Phillie, with the game being played in his home ballpark.
The starter will almost certainly be one of these two hurlers, but guys like Chase Burns and Chris Sale, among others, are hard to ignore as well. It should be fascinating to see who National League manager Dave Roberts picks to start this game. I'd probably pick Sanchez for the home crowd element, but either way, it'll generate controversy.
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