Final 2023 MLB All-Star Game Roster Predictions For Every Reserve
Now we know who'll be in the starting lineups for the American League and the National League in the All-Star Game, but what about the rest of the rosters?
While we wait for Major League Baseball to unveil that information on Sunday, let's make some predictions.
Each squad must fill 32 roster spots, which leaves 23 still open after MLB unveiled the starters on Thursday. In making the picks, 11 hitters and 12 pitchers were selected with the following ground rules:
- For Hitters: Excepting designated hitter, at least one backup for every position
- For Pitchers: Eight starters and four relievers
- General: Each team must have at least one representative and players who'll be on the injured list through the All-Star break (i.e., Yordan Álvarez) were not considered
We considered players' statistics (we hand-picked two notable ones for each) and consulted the gut for who their peers and MLB commissioner Rob Manfred would like to be at T-Mobile Park in Seattle on July 11.
Let's run through the picks before wrapping up with some notable snubs.
American League Reserve Hitters
1 of 5
Infielders
- C Adley Rutschman, Baltimore Orioles: 52 BB, 48 K
- 1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays: .281 AVG, 52 RBI
- 2B Brandon Drury, Los Angeles Angels: 14 HR, .500 SLG
- 3B Matt Chapman, Toronto Blue Jays: 26 2B, 3.0 rWAR
- 3B José Ramírez, Cleveland Guardians: 38 XBH, .892 OPS
- SS Bo Bichette, Toronto Blue Jays: 110 H, .319 AVG
- SS Wander Franco, Tampa Bay Rays: 25 SB, 4.1 rWAR
Apart from being core members of the Blue Jays, Guerrero, Chapman and Bichette were also finalists for the American League's starting lineup. Fans clearly want to see all three in Seattle, and justifiably so based on their numbers.
Given that he's spent the past year as one of the Junior Circuit's elite players, it came as no surprise that Rutschman was also a finalist for the starting nine. And frankly, Franco should have been. Attitude issues aside, his WAR qualifies him as the AL's most valuable hitter.
For their parts, no All-Star Game is complete without Ramírez and Drury has been good enough to get in as a backup second baseman over ostensible fan favorite Whit Merrifield.
Outfielders
- CF Luis Robert Jr., Chicago White Sox: 23 HR, 3.9 rWAR
- CF Esteury Ruiz, Oakland Athletics: 12 HBP, 40 SB
- RF Adolis García, Texas Rangers: 20 HR, 66 RBI
- RF Alex Verdugo, Boston Red Sox: 26 2B, .302 AVG
Aaron Judge technically got voted into the American League's starting lineup, but his toe injury won't allow him to play in the actual game. Chances are his starting spot will fall to García, who also got strong support from the fans.
Robert, Ruiz and Verdugo are the best picks to represent their teams, though each also has solid statistical ground to stand on. That especially goes for Robert, who's quietly been one of the league's best players on both sides of the ball.
National League Reserve Hitters
2 of 5
Infielders
Though they missed out to Sean Murphy and Freddie Freeman, respectively, Smith and Olson absolutely deserve to go to Seattle after getting tabbed by fans as finalists for the NL's starting lineup.
Otherwise, we're zigging with Marte and Swanson where fans zagged with Ozzie Albies and Francisco Lindor. Each of them is having an All-Star-worthy season, whereas Albies and Lindor both have real shortcomings. For instance, both have OBPs in the low .300s.
Given their gargantuan payroll, the Mets should have more deserving All-Stars than just Alonso but, well, that's where we are. McMahon, meanwhile, is the easy choice to represent the Rockies.
Outfielders
- CF TJ Friedl, Cincinnati Reds: .320 AVG, 14 SB
- RF Nick Castellanos, Philadelphia Phillies: .309 AVG, 49 RBI
- RF/DH Jorge Soler, Miami Marlins: 21 HR, .512 SLG
- RF Juan Soto, San Diego Padres: 75 BB, .424 OBP
- RF Lane Thomas, Washington Nationals: 37 XBH, .298 AVG
After what happened last year, who'd have thought that Castellanos would be the Phillies' only deserving All-Star in 2023? Also from the NL East come Thomas to represent the Nationals and Soler just because it's always good to have an exterminator of bothersome baseballs around.
If not because of his average, Friedl should go to Seattle because the NL All-Star squad needs to have somebody besides Corbin Carroll to play in center field. And after starting the year off slow, Soto has gone back to being the toughest out in baseball since May 9.
American League Pitchers
3 of 5
Starters
- RHP Luis Castillo, Seattle Mariners: 1.06 WHIP, 2.86 ERA
- RHP Gerrit Cole, New York Yankees: 2.78 ERA, 3.1 rWAR
- RHP Nathan Eovaldi, Texas Rangers: 105.1 IP, 2.82 ERA
- RHP Kevin Gausman, Toronto Blue Jays: 139 K, 2.54 FIP
- RHP Sonny Gray, Minnesota Twins: 3 HR, 2.67 ERA
- RHP George Kirby, Seattle Mariners: 7 BB, 97 K
- LHP Shane McClanahan, Tampa Bay Rays: 11 W, 2.23 ERA
- LHP Framber Valdez, Houston Astros: 105 IP, 2.49 ERA
Assuming his balky back survives Friday's start and any he makes thereafter, McClanahan is a shoo-in for the American League pitching staff alongside Cole, Valdez and Eovaldi.
Things get a little tricky after those four, but we're putting faith in Gray and Castillo getting in on their ERAs and in Gausman getting the nod based on his league-best strikeout total.
Kirby is the long shot here but, well, call us suckers for pitchers with ridiculous strikeout-to-walk ratios and we can only assume we're not alone there. If so, AL manager Dusty Baker will have two hometown heroes among his starting options.
Relievers
- RHP Félix Bautista, Baltimore Orioles: 76 K, 1.19 ERA
- LHP Aroldis Chapman, Kansas City Royals: 29.1 IP, 53 K
- RHP Emmanuel Clase, Cleveland Guardians: 24 SV, 2.56 ERA
- RHP Alex Lange, Detroit Tigers: 32.2 IP, 21 H
It's unclear whether Eduardo Rodriguez will be fully recovered from his finger injury in time for the All-Star Game, so Lange is currently the best of a slew of uninspiring options to rep the Tigers. As to the Royals, nobody else in Kansas City comes close to Chapman's appeal.
Clase and Bautista should need no introductions. The former is leading the majors in saves for a second straight year and the latter is the best relief pitcher in MLB today.
National League Pitchers
4 of 5
Starters
- RHP Bryce Elder, Atlanta: 96.0 IP, 2.44 ERA
- RHP Zac Gallen, Arizona Diamondbacks: 10 W, 2.74 FIP
- RHP Mitch Keller, Pittsburgh Pirates: 105 IP, 3.34 ERA
- LHP Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers: 10 W, 2.55 ERA
- LHP Justin Steele, Chicago Cubs: 1.06 WHIP, 2.62 ERA
- RHP Spencer Strider, Atlanta: 91.2 IP, 146 K
- RHP Marcus Stroman, Chicago Cubs: 2.47 ERA, 3.5 rWAR
- RHP Logan Webb, San Francisco Giants: 110.1 IP, 21 BB
Stroman's blister and Kershaw's shoulder notwithstanding, there's no way they or Elder are missing out on the National League All-Star squad. And if it's a question of which of the three would be the best starting option, we'd lean toward Stroman.
As for the others, Gallen and Webb have innings eater credentials and Strider is the best strikeout artist in the game today.
Though it wouldn't be surprising if Andrew McCutchen got the nod, Keller is the best choice to wear Pirates colors at the All-Star Game. And what Kirby was to our AL pitching staff, Steele is to our NL pitching staff: a guy who deserves recognition.
Relievers
- RHP Alexis Díaz, Cincinnati Reds: 22 SV, 1.80 ERA
- RHP Camilo Doval, San Francisco Giants: 23 SV, 1.95 ERA
- LHP Josh Hader, San Diego Padres: 0.94 WHIP, 1.26 ERA
- RHP Devin Williams, Milwaukee Brewers: 28.2 IP, 13 H
This list pretty much speaks for itself, no?
Doval and Díaz rank first and second in the National League in saves, while Hader and Williams have them beat in ERA. It's crazy that the latter two were teammates, though not as crazy as said team breaking them up on purpose.
Biggest Snubs
5 of 5
American League
- Infielder: 3B Rafael Devers, Boston Red Sox
- Outfielder: LF Austin Hays, Baltimore Orioles
- Starting Pitcher: RHP Lucas Giolito, Chicago White Sox
- Relief Pitcher: RHP Yennier Cano, Baltimore Orioles
Hays, who's hitting .314, and Cano, who has a 1.14 ERA, are absolutely deserving of All-Star honors. But, alas, the need for reps for the A's, Red Sox, Tigers and Royals nudged them out of the picture.
Speaking of the Red Sox, Devers is having an up-and-down year despite his 19 home runs and 61 RBI. And as generally good as Giolito has been, none of his numbers jump off the page.
National League
- Infielder: 1B LaMonte Wade Jr., San Francisco Giants
- Outfielder: RF Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres
- Starting Pitcher: RHP Eury Pérez, Miami Marlins
- Relief Pitcher: RHP David Bednar, Pittsburgh Pirates
Wade is just casually sitting there with a .416 OBP, but it's hard to make room for him beside Freeman, Olson and Alonso. And while Tatis has indeed played like an All-Star since his return on April 20, one wonders if he still bears the scarlet letters "PED" in his peers' eyes.
The Keller vs. Bednar debate for the Pirates representative is one we went back and forth on before landing on Keller. And as much as we'd love to see Pérez at the All-Star Game, his 1.34 ERA only comes paired with nine starts. Maybe Probably next year, kid.
Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.
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