MLB All-Star Voting 2023 Rosters: Starters, Snubs and Predictions for Reserves
The 2023 MLB All-Star game will emanate from Seattle on Tuesday, July 11 and we now know which superstars of baseball will shine on the grand stage following Thursday's starter reveal show.
Ronald Acuna Jr. and Shohei Ohtani were the highest vote-getters in the National League and American League, respectively, but who joined each of those MVP candidates on the field?
Which were left off the starting roster as the biggest snubs and which players might fans expect to see on the reserve roster?
All stats per FanGraphs.
American League Starters
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Announced as AL starters Thursday night were:
- Catcher: Jonah Heim (Texas)
- First Base: Yandy Diaz (Tampa)
- Second Base: Marcus Semien (Texas)
- Third Base: Josh Jung (Texas)
- Shortstop: Corey Seager (Texas)
- Designated Hitter: Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Angels)
- Outfield: Mike Trout (Los Angeles), Randy Arozarena (Tampa), Aaron Judge (New York Yankees)
The effect of the Texas Rangers' explosive offense is evident in the starting lineup for the American League's All-Star squad as Heim, Semien, Jung and Seager represent the AL West leaders.
Their dominance on the ballot and in the starting lineup is as much about the individual performances of the players as it is about fans turning out to support a team winning at the right time
Heim is the second-ranked catcher in baseball in terms of WAR, just behind the Dodgers' Will Smith, while Seager has blasted 10 home runs and batted in 48 RBIs thus far in 2023. Semien is among the best at his position and enjoyed a 25-game hit streak earlier this season and Josh Jung has been better than advertised in his rookie season.
Away from the Rangers, Ohtani has been otherworldly and Diaz has been arguably as good as any other player on a Tampa Rays team that is the best team in baseball entering the break.
National League Starters
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Announced as NL starters Thursday night were:
- Catcher: Sean Murphy (Atlanta)
- First Base: Freddie Freeman (Los Angeles Dodgers)
- Second Base: Luis Arraez (Miami)
- Third Base: Nolan Arenado (St. Louis)
- Shortstop: Orlando Arcia (Atlanta)
- Designated Hitter: JD Martinez (Los Angeles Dodgers)
- Outfield: Ronald Acuña Jr. (Atlanta), Mookie Betts (Los Angeles), Corbin Carroll (Arizona)
Tampa may have the best win-loss record in the sport but one would be hard-pressed to argue against Atlanta as the best team in baseball and it is well represented here, with Acuña as the league's top vote-getter, Murphy making his first appearance as a starter and the somehow underrated Arcia topping Toronto's Bo Bichette at shortstop.
Acuña leads baseball in WAR according to Fangraphs at 4.4 and is projected by the site to finish with 30 home runs, 81 RBIs and 43 stolen bases. Ohtani may receive the praise as the sport's best player but just behind him is Acuña, ready to assume the mantle if his peer falters in the slightest.
Carroll, the presumptive rookie of the year, joins Acuña and Betts in an outfield brimming with talent while veteran all-stars Freeman and Martinez represent a Dodgers team hoping to jump over the talented Arizona squad and win the NL West by season's end.
Top Starter Snubs
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American League: Luis Robert, OF, Chicago White Sox
The dismal season in Chicago undoubtedly hurt Robert with voters but the outfielder was more than deserving of a spot in the starting lineup, thanks to the fifth-best WAR in baseball.
The only players ahead of him?
Acuña, Ohtani, Carroll and Tampa's Wander Franco.
Three of them were named starters in the respective leagues.
Add to his impressive wins-above-replacement stats 23 home runs, 45 home runs, and a ninth-best OPS (.892) and you have a player who would have been a slam dunk if he played for a team on the right side of the win-loss record.
He very well could, and should, make it as a reserve but a player of his skill, having the season he is, was deserving of a spot among the elite in the starting roster.
National League: Juan Soto, OF, San Diego Padres
The sport's biggest names have yet to help the Padres achieve the success many expected from them but one in particular, Soto, has not disappointed.
The 2019 World Series champion is tied for third in the NL with a 3.1 WAR, has hit 14 long balls and batted in 41 RBIs.
He is not hitting the ball as hard as he has in his more explosive years, and he has struck out more than he ever has, but he has already matched his stolen base totals from a season ago, making him a valuable offensive asset elsewhere.
Calling Soto a snub is difficult because of the talent selected ahead of him. Acuña, Betts and Carroll are among the best players in all of baseball in 2023, let alone the outfield and leaving any of them off to put Soto on the roster would be doing a disservice to them and their work this season.
Soto has drawn more walks, gotten on base more and has a higher batting average and OPS than Betts, which should at least put him in contention.
Reserve Predictions
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American League
C: Adley Rutschman (Baltimore), Salvador Perez (Kansas City)
1B: Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. (Toronto), Nathaniel Lowe (Texas)
2B: Whit Merrifield (Toronto), Brandon Drury (Los Angeles Angels)
SS: Bo Bichette (Toronto), Wander Franco (Tampa)
3B: Matt Chapman (Toronto), Jose Ramirez (Cleveland)
OF: Luis Robert (Chicago White Sox), Austin Hays (Baltimore)
DH: Anthony Santander (Baltimore), Byron Buxton (Minnesota)
National League
C: Will Smith (Los Angeles Dodgers), JT Realmuto (Philadelphia)
1B: Pete Alonso (New York Mets), Paul Goldschmidt (St. Louis)
2B: Thairo Estrada (San Francisco Giants), Ketel Marte (Arizona Diamondbacks)
SS: Francisco Lindor (New York Mets), Dansby Swanson (Chicago)
3B: Austin Riley (Atlanta), Jeimer Candelario (Washington)
OF: Brandon Nimmo (New York Mets), Christian Yelich (Milwaukee), Jack Suwinski (Pittsburgh)
DH: Bryce Harper (Philadelphia), Jorge Soler (Miami)
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