Updated 2023 MLB All-Star Game Roster Picks, June Edition
The start of a new month means it's time for an updated version of our 2023 MLB All-Star Game roster picks.
There is still a lot of baseball to be played before rosters are selected and the game's biggest stars converge on T-Mobile Park in Seattle on July 11 for the Midsummer Classic, but a lot has changed since our first round of roster picks were released on May 4.
Using the 32-player roster format, the American League and National League teams were assembled based solely on 2023 performance. Voting trends and popularity did not factor into these decisions. The 32 players who are most deserving right now were selected while sticking to the rule of including at least one player from every team.
For consistency, each roster was made up of 20 position players and 12 pitchers.
We also highlighted three notable snubs from each league, since the players who don't get selected are often a bigger story than the ones who do.
AL Starting Lineup
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Starting Lineup
1. 2B Marcus Semien, TEX
2. CF Mike Trout, LAA
3. RF Aaron Judge, NYY
4. DH Yordan Alvarez, HOU
5. 1B Yandy Díaz, TB
6. LF Randy Arozarena, TB
7. SS Wander Franco, TB
8. 3B Matt Chapman, TOR
9. C Adley Rutschman, BAL
SP Shane McClanahan, TB
Notes
- The closest race here is at shortstop, where Wander Franco (138 OPS+, 24 XBH, 20 SB, MLB-leading 3.4 WAR) and Bo Bichette (149 OPS+, .333 BA, 23 XBH, 3.1 WAR) are both having terrific all-around seasons. Expected both to find their way onto the roster one way or another.
- Underrated Yandy Díaz is the most deserving starter at first base, but he could have a tough time holding off established star Anthony Rizzo in the voting, especially considering he plays in one of the biggest markets in the sport.
- It's a coin toss between Tampa Bay Rays left-hander Shane McClanahan (12 GS, 2.07 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 82 K, 69.2 IP) and Minnesota Twins right-hander Sonny Gray (11 GS, 1.94 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 69 K, 60.2 IP) for the starting nod on the mound. Superior numbers in May ultimately gave McClanahan the edge.
AL Reserves (Position Players)
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Reserves (Position Players)
C Jonah Heim, TEX
C Salvador Perez, KC
1B Anthony Rizzo, NYY
SS Bo Bichette, TOR
3B Josh Jung, TEX
OF Adolis García, TEX
OF Kevin Kiermaier, TOR
OF Josh Lowe, TB
OF Luis Robert Jr., CWS
OF Esteury Ruiz, OAK
OF Masataka Yoshida, BOS
Notes
- The AL outfield is absolutely stacked, and with either Esteury Ruiz or Brent Rooker the likely pick for the Oakland Athletics and Luis Robert Jr. the most deserving Chicago White Sox player, the list of notable snubs is going to be a long one. My preliminary list also included Riley Greene (DET), Austin Hays (BAL), Jarred Kelenic (SEA), Cedric Mullins (BAL) and Alex Verdugo (BOS).
- It's difficult to imagine there only being three backup infielders on the AL roster, but that was the only way to squeeze as many deserving outfielders as possible onto the team. Salvador Perez is the only representative for the Kansas City Royals and Jonah Heim has been terrific, so going with only two catchers is also a tough sell.
- Who is the more deserving pick for the Boston Red Sox between Alex Verdugo (121 OPS+, .294/.368/.456, 22 XBH, 1.9 WAR) and Masataka Yoshida (141 OPS+, .317/.391/.508, 20 XBH, 1.1 WAR)? There's a good chance only one of them will make the team.
AL Reserves (Pitchers)
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Reserves (Pitchers)
SP Luis Castillo, SEA
SP Nathan Eovaldi, TEX
SP Sonny Gray, MIN
SP Shohei Ohtani, LAA
SP Eduardo Rodriguez, DET
SP Joe Ryan, MIN
SP Framber Valdez, HOU
RP Félix Bautista, BAL
RP Emmanuel Clase, CLE
RP Carlos Estevez, LAA
RP Alex Lange, DET
Notes
- They might not be household names, and they are not locked into spot as their team's only representative, but Los Angeles Angels closer Carlos Estevez (13/13 SV, 1.50 ERA, 12.0 K/9) and Detroit Tigers closer Alex Lange (10/11 SV, 1.16 ERA, 12.3 K/9) have been two of the best relievers in baseball this season.
- Two-way star Shohei Ohtani is going to be part of the AL roster, it was simply a matter of whether to count him as one of the 20 position players or 12 pitchers for the sake of roster logistics. He has a 138 OPS+ with 25 extra-base hits and the plate and a 2.91 ERA and an AL-leading 90 strikeouts in 65 innings on the mound, making Ohtani the pitcher the better All-Star candidate this year.
- Just imagine if the Boston Red Sox had re-signed Eduardo Rodriguez (11 GS, 2.13 ERA, 67 K, 67.2 IP) prior to the 2022 season and Nathan Eovaldi (11 GS, 2.42 ERA, 70 K, 74.1 IP) this past offseason. They might be neck and neck with the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL East right now.
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3 Notable AL Snubs
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RP Yennier Cano, Baltimore Orioles
Cano was nearly perfect through his first 17 appearances, tossing 21.2 scoreless innings while retiring 62 of the 67 batters he faced. However, in his last six games, opponents are hitting .375 against him with 12 hits and three earned runs allowed in 7.1 innings. The margin is thin for a non-closer reliever to make the All-Star team and the 29-year-old rookie seems to be coming back to earth a bit.
SP Cristian Javier and RP Phil Maton, Houston Astros
With Dusty Baker managing the AL squad, expect there to be a few more Astros on the team than what we have predicted here. The two most deserving snubs are both part of the pitching staff, with Cristian Javier (11 GS, 6-1, 2.97 ERA, 67 K, 63.2 IP) once again pitching like a frontline starter and setup reliever Phil Maton (23 G, 4 HLD, 0.68 ERA, 10.1 K/9) off to a dominant start.
OF Jarred Kelenic, Seattle Mariners
I've already touched on the ridiculously stacked AL outfield situation and all the potential snubs that could create, and Kelenic stands as the biggest snub in these predictions. The former top prospect posted a .927 OPS over the first month of the season, but that dipped to a .727 OPS in May, and that regression was enough for him to miss the cut.
AL Team-by-Team Breakdown
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BAL (2): C Adley Rutschman, RP Félix Bautista
BOS (1): OF Masataka Yoshida
CWS (1): OF Luis Robert Jr.
CLE (1): RP Emmanuel Clase
DET (2): SP Eduardo Rodriguez, RP Alex Lange
HOU (2): DH Yordan Alvarez, SP Framber Valdez
KC (1): C Salvador Perez
LAA (3): OF Mike Trout, SP/DH Shohei Ohtani, RP Carlos Estevez
MIN (2): SP Sonny Gray, RP Joe Ryan
NYY (2): 1B Anthony Rizzo, OF Aaron Judge
OAK (1): OF Esteury Ruiz
SEA (1): SP Luis Castillo
TB (5): 1B Yandy Díaz, SS Wander Franco, OF Randy Arozarena, OF Josh Lowe, SP Shane McClanahan
TEX (5): C Jonah Heim, 2B Marcus Semien, 3B Josh Jung, OF Adolis García, SP Nathan Eovaldi
TOR (3): 3B Matt Chapman, SS Bo Bichette, OF Kevin Kiermaier
NL Starting Lineup
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Starting Lineup
1. RF Ronald Acuña Jr., ATL
2. LF Juan Soto, SD
3. CF Mookie Betts, LAD
4. 1B Freddie Freeman, LAD
5. 3B Max Muncy, LAD
6. C Sean Murphy, ATL
7. DH Nolan Gorman, STL
8. SS Dansby Swanson, CHC
9. 2B Luis Arraez, MIA
SP Spencer Strider, ATL
Notes
- There is quite the battle brewing for the National League's starting catcher spot, with Sean Murphy (154 OPS+, .286/.398/.553, 21 XBH, 2.1 WAR), Elias Díaz (124 OPS+, .321/.376/.494, 17 XBH, 2.2 WAR) and Will Smith (156 OPS+, .311/.417/.541, 15 XBH, 2.0 WAR) all worthy of consideration. All three would be first-time All-Stars.
- With a 112 OPS+ and strong defensive metrics (7 DRS, 8.4 UZR/150), Dansby Swanson is the best candidate to start at shortstop, though a handful of underperforming stars could change things if they heat up in June.
- On the strength of an MLB-leading 106 strikeouts in 63.2 innings, Spencer Strider gets the starting nod on the mound, but Bryce Elder, Zac Gallen, Marcus Stroman, Logan Webb also have a case to take the ball.
NL Reserves (Position Players)
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Reserves (Position Players)
C Elias Díaz, COL
C Will Smith, LAD
1B Pete Alonso, NYM
1B Paul Goldschmidt, STL
2B Thairo Estrada, SF
SS Geraldo Perdomo, ARI
3B Jeimer Candelario, WAS
OF Corbin Carroll, ARI
OF Brandon Marsh, PHI
OF Brandon Nimmo, NYM
DH Jorge Soler, MIA
Notes
- Will the Philadelphia Phillies really only have one All-Star pick with manager Rob Thomson leading the NL squad? Outfielder Brandon Marsh is enjoying a breakout season, but it's tough to make a compelling case for anyone else on their roster right now.
- Thanks to a streak of five straight games with a home run last week, Jorge Soler has emerged as a legitimate All-Star candidate. The 31-year-old has a 137 OPS+ and his 17 home runs rank second in the NL behind Pete Alonso (20).
- Signed to a one-year, $5 million contract after he was non-tendered by the Detroit Tigers, Jeimer Candelario has emerged as a surprise All-Star candidate for the Washington Nationals. The 29-year-old has a 123 OPS+ with 24 extra-base hits and 2.1 WAR in 53 games, and he could be an in-demand trade chip this summer.
NL Reserves (Pitchers)
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Reserves (Pitchers)
SP Bryce Elder, ATL
SP Zac Gallen, ARI
SP Mitch Keller, PIT
SP Merrill Kelly, ARI
SP Justin Steele, CHC
SP Marcus Stroman, CHC
SP Logan Webb, SF
RP Alexis Díaz, CIN
RP Camilo Doval, SF
RP Josh Hader, SD
RP Devin Williams, MIL
Notes
- Bryce Elder, Zac Gallen, Mitch Keller, Merrill Kelly, Justin Steele and Logan Webb would all be first-time All-Stars on the NL staff, with Keller as the lone representative for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
- Cincinnati Reds closer Alexis Díaz (13/13 SV, 1.69 ERA, 17.3 K/9) and Milwaukee Brewers closer Devin Williams (9/9 SV, 0.51 ERA, 11.2 K/9) are also the only picks from their respective teams, but their numbers are more than deserving of All-Star recognition on their own merit.
- Another option for the NL roster would be to go with Josiah Gray (11 GS, 2.77 ERA, 51 K, 61.2 IP) as the Washington Nationals representative instead of third baseman Jeimer Candelario, though his 1.41 WHIP is enough for him to join a long list of snubs in this round of predictions.
3 Notable NL Snubs
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2B Nico Hoerner, Chicago Cubs
With a .285 batting average and 100 OPS+ to go along with 14 steals and strong defensive metrics (3 DRS, 2.0 UZR/150), Hoerner has been a well-rounded contributor for the Cubs this season while shifting from shortstop to second base. The 26-year-old is currently behind Luis Arraez and Thairo Estrada among NL second basemen.
RP Evan Phillips, Los Angeles Dodgers
After posting a 1.14 ERA and 11.0 K/9 with 19 holds in 64 appearances last season, Phillips has once again been one of baseball's best relievers. The 28-year-old has a 1.66 ERA, 0.79 WHIP and 10.8 K/9 with seven saves and five holds in 22 games. There is no question he's deserving, but so are a number of other NL relievers and only so many will get a spot.
1B Matt Olson, Atlanta Braves
It's simply a numbers game at first base in the National League.
Freeman: 168 OPS+, 34 XBH (10 HR), 35 RBI, 2.8 WAR
Goldschmidt: 148 OPS+, 27 XBH (10 HR), 26 RBI, 2.1 WAR
Alonso: 141 OPS+, 25 XBH (20 HR), 46 RBI, 1.8 WAR
Olson: 137 OPS+, 28 XBH (17 HR), 42 RBI, 1.5 WAR
It's hard to see four first basemen making the roster, and Olson is pretty clearly fourth on that list right now.
NL Team-by-Team Breakdown
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ARI (4): SS Geraldo Perdomo, OF Corbin Carroll, SP Zac Gallen, SP Merrill Kelly
ATL (4): C Sean Murphy, OF Ronald Acuña Jr., SP Bryce Elder, SP Spencer Strider
CHC (3): SS Dansby Swanson, SP Marcus Stroman, SP Justin Steele
CIN (1): RP Alexis Díaz
COL (1): C Elias Díaz
LAD (4): C Will Smith, 1B Freddie Freeman, 3B Max Muncy, OF Mookie Betts
MIA (2): 2B Luis Arraez, DH Jorge Soler
MIL (1): RP Devin Williams
NYM (2): 1B Pete Alonso, OF Brandon Nimmo
PHI (1): OF Brandon Marsh
PIT (1): SP Mitch Keller
SD (2): OF Juan Soto, RP Josh Hader
SF (3): 2B Thairo Estrada, SP Logan Webb, RP Camilo Doval
STL (2): 1B Paul Goldschmidt, DH Nolan Gorman
WAS (1): 3B Jeimer Candelario
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and accurate through Wednesday's games.
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