MLB All-Star Game Rosters 2022: Voting Results for Starters; Predicting Reserves
Major League Baseball fans who determined the starting lineups for the 2022 All-Star Game made easy decisions compared to what the American and National League managers have to do in the next 48 hours.
The Houston Astros' Dusty Baker and Atlanta Braves' Brian Snitker have to select the players in the reserve spots who typically play more important roles than the starters because the game is usually decided in the final few innings.
Shohei Ohtani, Mike Trout, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton headline the American League starters.
The AL could bring Yordan Alvarez, Jose Ramirez and MLB batting average leader Luis Arraez off the bench. Alvarez and Ramirez finished second in voting at designated hitter and third base, respectively.
The NL roster needs more work than the AL. Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Bryce Harper were both voted in as starters, but each of them reside on the injured list.
Two starters will have to be added to the group that includes Mookie Betts, Ronald Acuna Jr. and Trea Turner.
The injury replacement spots could help the NL solve one of the biggest roster issues at first base since there are more deserving players than potential roster spots available.
The reserves for the 2022 All-Star Game will be announced Sunday and then the fan vote for the final player on each roster will take place throughout next week.
American League Starters
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Catcher: Alejandro Kirk, Toronto
First base: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto
Second base: Jose Altuve, Houston
Third base: Rafael Devers, Boston
Shortstop: Tim Anderson, Chicago White Sox
Outfield: Aaron Judge (New York Yankees), Giancarlo Stanton (New York Yankees), Mike Trout (Los Angeles Angels)
Designated hitter: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels
The American League starting lineup boasts a who's who of superstars from the junior circuit. Some of the best power hitters in the game could reside in Nos. 3-8 spots in its order.
Aaron Judge was the first AL All-Star to be named. He received the most votes of any AL player before the starting lineup finalists were announced.
Giancarlo Stanton, Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani joined him in the lineup Friday, but none of them had overwhelming voting victories like the pair of Toronto Blue Jays starters.
Alejandro Kirk won the starting job at catcher with 74 percent of the votes, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. took home 66 percent of the first-base votes.
Some concern emerged that the entire AL lineup would be available for the All-Star Game, as Rafael Devers is dealing with a back injury. Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters that Devers is considered day-to-day.
Jose Ramirez, who lost a 57-43 vote to Devers, would be the likely replacement at third base if Devers' back issue continues to act up.
National League Starters
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Catcher: Willson Contreras, Chicago Cubs
First base: Paul Goldschmidt, St. Louis
Second base: Jazz Chisholm Jr., Miami
Third base: Manny Machado, San Diego
Shortstop: Trea Turner, Los Angeles Dodgers
Outfield: Ronald Acuna Jr. (Atlanta), Joc Pederson (San Francisco), Mookie Betts (Los Angeles)
Designated hitter: Bryce Harper, Philadelphia
Not all of the players voted in as National League starters will be on the field on July 19.
Bryce Harper and Jazz Chisholm Jr. are both on the injured list and will likely need replacements in the starting lineup. That may allow someone like Pete Alonso to start at DH.
Second base is more of an issue for the NL since Ozzie Albies, the second-place finisher in voting, is also on the injured list.
The NL could do two things to solve that issue. The first would be to insert a deserving second baseman, like Jake Cronenworth or Brendan Rodgers, into the spot. Or it could move Trea Turner to second base, where he played for the Dodgers after the trade deadline last season, to allow Dansby Swanson or Willy Adames a chance to start at short.
Turner was involved in one of the closest voting polls. He edged out Swanson by 4 percent. Manny Machado won the third-base vote by 2 percent over Nolan Arenado.
Roland Acuna Jr. was the first NL All-Star named to the squad after he received the most votes before the finalists were named. Paul Goldschmidt received the highest winning percentage. He had 67 percent of the vote compared to Alonso's 33 percent at first base.
Reserve Predictions
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American League
C: Jose Trevino (New York Yankees), Jonah Heim (Texas)
1B: Anthony Rizzo (New York Yankees), Ryan Mountcastle (Baltimore)
2B: Luis Arraez (Minnesota), Santiago Espinal (Toronto)
SS: Javier Baez (Detroit), Bo Bichette (Toronto)
3B: Jose Ramirez (Cleveland), Yandy Diaz (Tampa Bay)
OF: Andrew Benintendi (Kansas City), Julio Rodriguez (Seattle), Cedric Mullins (Baltimore)
DH: Miguel Cabrera (Detroit), Ty France (Seattle), Yordan Alvarez (Houston)
National League
C: Will Smith (Los Angeles Dodgers), Travis d'Arnaud (Atlanta)
1B: Christian Walker (Arizona), Freddie Freeman (Los Angeles Dodgers), Pete Alonso (New York Mets)
2B: Jake Cronenworth (San Diego), Brendan Rodgers (Colorado), Ozzie Albies (Atlanta)
SS: Francisco Lindor (New York Mets), Dansby Swanson (Atlanta)
3B: Austin Riley (Atlanta), Nolan Arenado (St. Louis)
OF: Bryan Reynolds (Pittsburgh), Christian Yelich (Milwaukee), Starling Marte (New York Mets)
DH: Albert Pujols (St. Louis), Kyle Schwarber (Philadelphia)
Some of the reserve predictions are easy to make.
Kyle Schwarber has been on a roll at the plate for the Philadelphia Phillies, and he could join a loaded NL second unit that could include Alonso, Nolan Arenado, Austin Riley and Freddie Freeman.
Freeman and Will Smith should get nods to play in front of their home crowd in Los Angeles.
The former plays at what could be the most difficult position to figure out from an All-Star perspective.
Goldschmidt, Alonso, Freeman, Christian Walker and C.J. Cron are all deserving of an All-Star nod, but one of them will likely be snubbed. Cron seems like the odd man out because Colorado can put Brendan Rodgers forward as its representative. Walker is clearly Arizona's best hitting option to make the team.
The AL reserve roster should have a heavy AL East feel to it. Jose Trevino and Anthony Rizzo should join Yankees teammates Judge and Stanton on the roster, while Santiago Espinal and Bo Bichette could be added to Toronto's contingent of Kirk and Guerrero.
The Baltimore Orioles deserve more than one All-Star. They should get Cedric Mullins into the squad, and Ryan Mountcastle deserves a spot as one of the up-and-coming stars of the game.
Tampa Bay's doubles machine, Yandy Diaz, should be added behind Devers and Ramirez at third base. Diaz could be used at a few infield positions depending on how the game plays out.
Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera are the two confirmed reserves. They were added by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred on Friday.
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