All-Star Team Baseball Predictions

By Miller Calhoun, Michael Monreal, and Spencer Walden

The MLB All-star break is quickly approaching and the race for a roster spot is very tight. Normally, the all-star voting is a popularity vote, but in this article, we will determine our picks on the most deserving based upon top statistics up until this point.

AL Roster

Catcher: Omar Narvaez, Seattle

Narvaez was a backup catcher for the Chicago White Sox a year ago, now he is the starter for Seattle and holds a .308 batting average with a .904 On-Base Percentage (OPS).

1st Base: Hunter Dozier, Kansas City Royals

Dozier leads all American League (AL) first baseman with 44 hits and a .321 batting average.

2nd Base: D.J. LeMahieu, New York Yankees

LeMahieu, who was not even a every-day starter to begin the season, has filled in quite nicely with a .333 batting average and 45 hits for the injury-riddled Yankees.

Shortstop: Elvis Andrus, Texas Rangers

Andrus has been one of the lone bright spots for a struggling Rangers team, hitting .325 with 51 hits.

3rd Base: Rafael Devers, Boston Red Sox
Devers has had a stellar season up to this point, leading all AL third basemen with 51 hits and 12 doubles.

Outfield: Michael Brantley, Houston Astros

Brantley is tied with his teammate George Springer for the lead among AL outfielders with 55 hits and holds an impressive .335 batting average.

Outfield: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels

Trout is undeniably the best player in the MLB and has hit .287 while battling through some injuries, so expect him to heat up before All-Star Weekend.

Outfield: George Springer, Houston Astros

Springer is tied for the lead in hits among AL outfielders with 55 and leads AL outfielders with 16 home runs.

Designated Hitter: J.D. Martinez, Boston Red Sox

Since the All-Star game moved to the DH format, Martinez fits the bill being Boston’s normal DH and boasting great numbers with a .316 batting average .523 slugging percentage.

Pitchers:

Tyler Glasnow, Tampa Bay Rays

Before going on the injured list, Glasnow led the AL with a 1.86 earned run average (ERA) and has only given up 10 earned runs in 48.1 innings pitched.

Justin Verlander, Houston Astros

Verlander has been one of the most consistent pitchers in the MLB over recent years, holding a 2.51 ERA and is second in the AL with 68 strikeouts.

Jake Odorizzi, Minnesota Twins

Odorizzi is second in the AL among starting pitchers with a 2.32 ERA and leads AL pitchers with .169 batting average against.

Jose Alvarado, Tampa Bay Rays

Alvarado has quickly become one of the most electric relievers in baseball and has backed it up with 1.13 ERA and has only given up two earned runs in 16 innings pitched.

Ty Buttrey, Los Angeles Angels

Buttrey is not a household name, but has an outstanding 0.86 ERA in 21 innings pitched this season.

NL Roster

Catcher: Wilson Contreras, Chicago Cubs

Contreras leads all NL catchers in home runs with 10 so far this season, which is three more than the next closest.

1st Base: Cody Bellinger, Los Angeles Dodgers

Bellinger has a decent lead in RBI’s for NL first basemen this season with 41, and he also leads this group in home runs with 15.

2nd Base: Javier Baez, Chicago Cubs

Along with arguably the best defensive talent in the MLB, Baez also leads all second basemen in the league in home runs with 11 thus far.

Shortstop: Paul DeJong, St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinal’s shortstop in near the top of all categories for NL shortstops, with 7 home runs (2nd), 51 hits (1st), and 19 RBI’s (4th).

3rd Base: Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies

Arenado has posted an impressive 0.317 hitting average so far this season to help him snag an all-star roster spot.

Outfield: Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers

Last year’s National League MVP is off to another good start with 16 home runs and a 0.328 batting average.

Outfield: David Peralta, Arizona Diamondbacks

The Diamondback’s left fielder is leading all NL outfielders in hits this season with 57 and has a 0.324 batting average.

Outfield: Charlie Blackmon, Colorado Rockies

The star outfielder may not be leading any categories among NL outfielders so far, but is still putting up solid all-star-ish numbers.

Designated Hitter: Josh Bell, Pittsburgh Pirates

With the All-star game recently switching to a must-have-a-designated-hitter format, we felt it would be right to put Bell on this list, as he only trails Cody Bellinger (who is already on this list) in most categories.

Pitchers:

Luis Castillo, Cincinnati Reds

With a 4-1 record and a 1.76 ERA in 56 innings pitched, Castillo is a no-brainer for this list.

Hyun-Jin Ryu, Los Angeles Dodgers

Ryu has a 5-1 record this season, which is tied for 2nd in wins among NL pitchers.

Jon Lester, Chicago Cubs

The veteran pitcher, even against the test of time, continues to impress all with solid all around numbers.

Felipe Vazquez, Pittsburgh Pirates

In 18.2 innings pitched as a reliever, Vasquez has a 0.48 ERA and only 15 runs allowed so far this season.

John Gant, St. Louis Cardinals

With an impressive 3-0 record this season, and a 0.77 ERA in 23.1 innings pitched, Gant has been one of the top relievers in the MLB this season.