We are just about at the halfway point of the 2024 MLB season, meaning it's time to dive deep into our All-Star predictions and do right by one of the few All-Star events in sports that still has its fastball. Much of the discussion earlier in the year revolved around pitching injuries, yet pitchers have largely dominated this season with a league average right around .240. Nevertheless, plenty of stars have shined at the plate, with the usual suspects lighting it up and a plethora of rising young stars making leaps far quicker than we could've expected. The pitching remains as good as ever, and we'll have quite a few new faces whose arms are carrying them to their first All-Star Game. Let's go right in.
American League Starters
1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. - Blue Jays
2B Jose Altuve - Astros
SS Gunnar Henderson - Orioles
3B Jose Ramirez - Guardians
OF Aaron Judge - Yankees
OF Juan Soto - Yankees
OF Steven Kwan - Guardians
C Adley Rutschman - Orioles
DH Yordan Alvarez - Astros
SP Seth Lugo - Royals
Notes:
Gunnar Henderson and Bobby Witt Jr. were in a tight race for much of the year, but Gunnar has separated himself as of late with his relentless and a WAR rivaling Aaron Judge. Already an elite player and having just turned 23, this won't be his last time hearing his name called.
Vladdy and Ramirez were the no-brainers in the infield. Vlad has been as hot as anyone as of late and pulled away from a weak class of first basemen in the AL, while Jose Ramirez is doing his thing yet again and still flying under the radar when discussing baseball's best hitters. It's good to see Vlad Guerrero Jr. fully back in form, while JRam has never really left.
Judge and Soto were the obvious choices to kick off the outfield, both in the midst of huge seasons and carrying this Yankees lineup almost entirely. They're the only two guys on the team with an OPS above .700. To put it into perspective, the White Sox have five of those. Judge has the Triple Crown as it stands and may break his own records from 2022, while Soto gets on base almost half the time he's up. These were the easy choices.
A pair of Astros make the cut, as even amidst a somewhat underwhelming start, Altuve and Alvarez continue to hit. The second base spot is weak right now in the AL, but Altuve's .308 average with impressive power is getting him in more often than not. And when you say professional hitters, not many names come to mind before Yordan Alvarez, who's raking again in the middle of this Houston order.
Remember last year's Luis Arraez .400 discourse? Well this year's version is Steven Kwan, who's doing it a lot quieter yet having an even better season. With an on-base machine to begin every game for Cleveland, it's no wonder their offense has been so much fun.
Not many would argue there's a better catcher in baseball than Adley Rutschman, and even less would argue he's the guy in the AL's starting lineup. Like his teammate Gunnar Henderson, he's here to stay in the Midsummer Classic.
Seth Lugo had spent the past five seasons as a reliever before moving to a starting role in 2023, looking solid and proving he could handle the switch even as he approaches his mid-30s. No one could have predicted the leap he's made this season though, as he is 11-2 with a 2.17 ERA this season to lead the league in both wins and ERA. Skubal has been excellent, but you can't dispute the numbers, and Lugo has been the AL's best pitcher through the first half of this season.
American League Reserves
SS Bobby Witt Jr. - Royals
3B Rafael Devers - Red Sox
C Salvador Perez - Royals
OF Jarren Duran - Red Sox
SS Carlos Correa - Twins
1B Josh Naylor - Guardians
OF Kyle Tucker - Astros
3B Jordan Westburg - Orioles
3B Josh Smith - Rangers
OF Brent Rooker - Athletics
SS Isaac Paredes - Rays
Injury Replacement
OF Riley Greene - Tigers
Notes:
If you want to start your franchise with any one player, there's not many better answers than Bobby Witt Jr. Perhaps the game's best five-tool player, Witt would be a starter in most years and is still a top-5 MVP candidate as it stands. His teammate Salvador Perez feels like he has been around forever, but he actually just turned 34 and is in the midst of one of his best season. He deserves the nod as well.
Kyle Tucker was on his way to a starting selection before a shin contusion kept him out from early June to this point, bit his terrific power and a 176 OPS+ is enough to earn him the nod. Houston should be getting him back soon.
Devers and Duran have both been catalysts of Boston's surprise success, with Devers an elite power hitter again and Duran doing a little bit of everything. Who knows how John Henry views the future of this team, but these guys should be at the forefront of it offensively.
Correa has hit well for a Twins team finding some success, with an average up to .310 in a big year after all the free agency chaos that surrounded him this offseason. He's into the All-Star Game for the first time not with Houston.
Cleveland's numbers with RISP are a major reason for their success, and Josh Naylor is a major reason why. With is .333 average with RISP that has him 6th in the league in RBIs, it's been an All-Star season for Naylor.
Jordan Westburg is yet another young Orioles stud growing up in front of our eyes, already playing at an All-Star level with an .833 OPS across 78 games in his age-25-season. He's the third Orioles hitter headed to Arlington.
The Rangers and Rays were two of the AL's best a year ago, so it's wild to see only one representative per team this around. And not only that, but it's a couple of unexpected names in Josh Smith and Isaac Paredes, but both have taken major steps forward and deserve their spots in their first All-Star games.
Brent Rooker snuck in as the Athletics' mandatory representative last season, and he's back there again, though this time with a teammate. Rooker has shown that 2023 was no fluke, as he's been one of the AL's most effective hitters and one of Oakland's few bright spots this season.
American League Pitchers
SP Tarik Skubal - Tigers
SP Corbin Burnes - Orioles
SP Logan Gilbert - Mariners
SP Ronel Blanco - Astros
SP Garrett Crochet - White Sox
SP Tyler Anderson - Angels
SP Tanner Houck - Red Sox
RP Emmanuel Clase - Guardians
RP Kirby Yates - Rangers
RP Andres Munoz - Mariners
RP Mason Miller - Athletics
Notes:
If Seth Lugo didn't exist, there would be a fierce battle between Tarik Skubal and Corbin Burnes for the AL's starting pitcher. Both have been excellent, as Skubal has spent most of this season with an ERA under 2.00 and has taken a step forward in each of his first five seasons in the league. It's hard to imagine where this injury-riddled Orioles rotation would be had they not acquired Burnes in a surprise move the franchise doesn't often make, but the former Cy Young winner has been fantastic again in a season that actually has better numbers than that memorable 2021 campaign.
A team like the 2024 White Sox would usually give some validity to the argument against every team getting a representative. However, Crochet has been the one bright spot this team possesses, with the 25-year-old sitting with a 3.02 ERA and an elite 0.93 WHIP and would be in this game even if the rule didn't exist. Should they hold onto him, he's the face of this rotation for years to come.
With a lineup with no semblance of an All-Star, it was always going to be the arms that occupied the team's selection(s). I'm going with Gilbert, who has a 2.72 ERA and a league-leading 0.88 WHIP this season, and Munoz, who has been a lock-down reliever with a 1.64 ERA this season, career marks both players en route to their first All-Star games.
Ronel Blanco didn't make his MLB debut until he was 28 years old in 2022, and he was just about unheard of until an injury to Justin Verlander plugged him into the Houston rotation to start this season. You may remember him from his no-hitter in his start of this season on April 1st but that was no fluke, as he's been excellent this entire year, helping hold the rotation down despite its injuries and providing the latest Astros gem that came truly out of nowhere.
It's been a pair of bounce-back seasons for Tanner Houck and Tyler Anderson, as after both posted ERA's north of 5.00 a year ago, they've re-gained their mojo and been two of the AL's top starers. Houck is a legitimate Cy Young candidate and had an ERA below 2.00 before last Saturday's blowup, while Anderson is the Angels' only All-Star and should draw serious interest ahead of this year's trade deadline.
Clase has been his usual self, while Mason Miller has come out of nowhere and been almost unhittable for most of his rookie year. Yates, meanwhile, is a terrific story, as the 37-year-old finally returned from three injury-plagued seasons to play a full 2023, and he's turned it up quite a few notches with a dominant 0.95 ERA in 2024. The AL's relievers are strong, with a pair of flamethrowers plus a veteran who hits his spot.
Notable Snubs
SS Corey Seager - Rangers
3B Luis Rengifo - Angels
OF Anthony Santander - Orioles
SP Luis Gil - Yankees
SP Jack Flaherty - Tigers
SP Nathan Eovaldi - Rangers
RP Kenley Jansen - Red Sox
National League Starters
1B Bryce Harper - Phillies
2B Ketel Marte - Diamondbacks
SS Mookie Betts - Dodgers
3B Alec Bohm - Phillies
OF Christian Yelich - Brewers
OF Jurickson Profar - Padres
OF Fernando Tatis Jr. - Padres
C William Contreras - Brewers
DH Shohei Ohtani - Dodgers
SP Reynaldo Lopez - Braves
Notes:
One of the best 1-2 punches the game has ever seen have both lived up to the billing this season, making Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts two of my choices as All-Star starters. With a sole focus on hitting, Shohei Ohtani has been the NL's best and has a legitimate chance at the Triple Crown, while Betts' scorching start quickly secured his spot in Arlington, even while a hand injury will keep him out of the actual event. Now hitting for the best average of his career by a good margin, Ohtani is reaching new levels at the plate, and his counterpart Betts isn't all that far behind when healthy.
Bryce Harper hasn't stopped raking, and he's putting together another fantastic season for a Phillies team that has looked as good as anyone through the first half of this season. Harper has had an MVP-caliber year and while keeping up with Ohtani isn't for the weak, he's done his best and would be the runner-up if the season ended today. His teammate Alec Bohm has made a leap in each of his first five seasons, and this one is enough to land him his first All-Star selection with an OPS at .834. With these two at the corners, it's easy to see while Philly is so dangerous.
From 2023 DFA to 2024 All-Star starter, it's hard not to appreciate Jurickson Profar's turnaround. The former top prospect was on the verge of being out of the league entering this season, and all he's done is post an .876 and provide an unexpected spark to these Padres. And there's Fernando Tatis Jr., who has been returned to his electrifying ways and been really heating up before an injury that has kept him out the last couple weeks, Tatis does it all, and this has been a much-needed strong season for him as he moves past that dark PED phase.
The Brewers are grinding out wins once again, withstanding a traditionally low payroll and a new manager led by a pair of All-Star starters. William Contreras has a legitimate chance to be the first catcher to finish top-5 in MVP voting since 2014, and he's got the best batting average in baseball among catchers with solid power to go with it. Christian Yelich has earned his stripes as well, as he looks back to his menacing ways at the plate with a .329 average higher than his 2018 MVP mark, not to mention 19 stolen bases and impressive fielding to top it all off.
Consistently one of the most underrated players in baseball, Ketel Marte has had a great first half and has been far and away the best second baseman in the National League. He'll be in the starting lineup for manager Torey Lovullo.
Just like my other projected starting pitcher Seth Lugo, Reynaldo Lopez also made the switch back to a starting role deep in his career, a change that similarly producing. a wildly successful result. In his first year starting since 2020, Lopez has been phenomenal with a league-best 1.87 ERA, a mark too impressive to give anyone else the starting nod. I'm willing to look past what is a bit of a smaller sample size, as Lopez has kept the Braves' rotation rolling as a surprising new ace replacing the injured Spencer Strider.
National League Pitchers
SP Ranger Suarez - Phillies
SP Zack Wheeler - Phillies
SP Cristopher Sanchez - Phillies
SP Max Fried - Braves
SP Chris Sale - Braves
SP Shota Imanaga - Cubs
SP Paul Skenes - Pirates
SP Sonny Gray - Cardinals
RP Tanner Scott - Marlins
RP Jesse Chavez - Braves
RP Bryan Hudson - Brewers
RP Robert Suarez - Padres
Notes:
Lopez may get the nod as the NL's starting pitcher, but the Phillies may have the three next best candidates. Suarez has rode his big postseason right into a career year here in 2024, opening the season 9-0 and now sitting 10-2 with a 2.27 ERA, a 0.99 WHIP, all while remaining the best fielding pitcher in baseball. We've grown more accustomed to Wheeler's dominance, but he's on pace for a career year so far, while Sanchez is putting up career bests with a 2.41 ERA over his first 16 starts.
Alongside Lopez, Max Fried and Chris Sale have also done wonders for the Braves' efforts to fill Spencer Strider's void. Fried has a 2.91 ERA and has been on fire as of late, and he's the only pitcher in baseball with two complete games and quietly worthy of another All-Star selection. Sale couldn't stay healthy towards the end of his Red Sox tenure, but he's been a monster this season at 10-3 with a 2.79 ERA over 15 starts, already nearly halfway to his total starts recorded in the entire 2020s prior to this year. Boston fans have to be a bit frustrated, as Sale has quickly returned to his All-Star self now healthy once again. With three All-Star starting pitchers, it's no wonder the Braves are serious contenders yet again.
Shota Imanaga flew completely under the radar coming out of Japan for this season as the Cubs signed him to a deal that didn't scrape the surface of that of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but Imanaga has been just as impressive and was the favorite to start the All-Star game for much of this season. Imanaga has gotten hit hard a bit in recent games, but he's still looking at a 3.07 ERA and a well-deserved selection in his first season. He should cruise to the ROY, and he'll be a scary sight as he gets more settled in later in his career.
I'm pulling the trigger on Skenes, who was drafted less than a year ago and called up less than two months ago, but has been nothing short of dominant to open his career. The No. 1 pick is 4-0 with a 2.06 ERA and 70 strikeouts over his first 9 starts, a start as good as any we've seen in recent memory. The argument he hasn't played enough is obviously difficult to oppose, but Skenes has been fantastic enough for me to look past that here and embrace the rising superstar.
Sonny Gray was the Cy Young runner-up a year ago, and he's followed that up with another big season for St. Louis. Gray got roughed up a bit in his last start but still has an ERA under 3.00, and the veteran should hear his name called in another strong year.
Picking these four NL relievers was the hardest part of this whole list, and is probably the biggest reason I'd consider leaving Skenes off. Tanner Scott being the only Miami selection helps his case, though he deserves it as it is with what's been a fantastic season. Jesse Chavez gets his first All-Star nod at age 40 which is awesome in itself, and how about Bryan Hudson, who was DFA'd late last December but now has a blistering 0.99 ERA through 30 games this season. Suarez edges out Ryan Hesley by a hair statistically, putting up tremendous numbers in his first year closing for San Diego.
National League Reserves
DH Marcell Ozuna - Braves
1B Freddie Freeman - Dodgers
1B Christian Walker - Diamondbacks
C Will Smith - Dodgers
SS Trea Turner - Phillies
SS Elly De La Cruz - Reds
OF Teoscar Hernandez - Dodgers
SS C.J. Abrams - Nationals
OF Brandon Nimmo - Mets
OF Ryan McMahon - Rockies
OF Heliot Ramos - Giants
Injury Replacements
2B Brice Turang - Brewers
OF Jackson Merrill - Padres
Notes:
Ozuna has put together his best MLB season here in 2024, helping this Braves offense stay afloat after Ronald Acuna Jr.'s devastating injury. Ozuna's OPS ranks behind only Ohtani and Harper in the NL, and he's in the top 3 in the NL in both HRs and RBIs. The only thing keeping him from starting? Shohei Ohtani.
Ohtani and Betts are great, but it certainly doesn't end there when facing the LA Dodgers. Freddie Freeman, Will Smith, and Teoscar Hernandez are all All-Stars, making it five of the nine in the Dodgers' order that are on their way to Arlington.
Maybe the best player in baseball still never to reach an All-Star Game, this should be the year Christian Walker hears his name called. Walker still hasn't lost a step now in his 11th season in the league, and it should culminate in his first All-Star selection.
Trea Turner has missed much of the year with an injury, and that's likely the only thing keeping him out of the NL's starting lineup. He's hitting .338 with an .846 OPS over 46 games looking as sharp as ever, and should hear his name called even with the small sample size.
De La Cruz has been even more exciting than expected since entering the league last season, quickly solidifying himself as the face of this Reds franchise. His hitting has taken a leap from a year ago and the speed speaks for itself, as he's already at 40 stolen bases and is a good bet to reach 70. He's the only Red represented this time around.
Abrams has made exactly the leap Washington was hoping for and with no one else in the lineup giving much of any case for an All-Star selection, the 23-year-old gets the call for the first time in his career.
It was a tight battle between Brandon Nimmo and Francisco Lindor as the Mets' lone selection, but Nimmo's .824 OPS gives him the narrow edge in my book. Pete Alonso wasn't too far off either.
McMahon gets in as the only only Rockies player, though he's had a strong enough season with 14 HRs and a .803 OPS. Rookie Ezequiel Tovar was the only other candidate.
The Giants needed an All-Star, and it just about came down to Heliot Ramos and Logan Webb. Through two months Ramos has continued to produce, hitting .298 with a .897 OPS and providing somewhat of a lifeline to this inconsistent Giants offense. The Phillies and Braves' starting pitching dominance pushed out Webb, and Ramos is an All-Star in the first year of his career.
Notable Snubs
SS Francisco Lindor - Mets
3B Joey Ortiz - Brewers
SP Logan Webb - Giants
SP Tyler Glasnow - Dodgers
RP Kyle Finnegan - Nationals
RP Matt Strahm - Phillies
RP Ryan Helsley - Cardinals
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