Every MLB Team's Most Random All-Star of the Last 10 Years
With 32-man rosters and a representative required for every team, there are inevitably a few surprise selections to the MLB All-Star teams each year, at least relative to preseason expectations and career track record.
For every Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani who are staples at the annual Midsummer Classic, there are guys like David Fry (CLE), Willi Castro (MIN) and Kyle Finnegan (WAS) who all ended up at the 2024 All-Star Game.
Digging back through the last 10 years of All-Star history, we selected each team's most random All-Star selection of the past decade, based on expectations for their player entering the year and their career body of work outside of their All-Star campaign.
So sit back and let's remember some dudes while we gear up for this year's All-Star festivities.
AL East
1 of 6
Baltimore Orioles: RP Brad Brach (2016)
Closer Jim Johnson had one of the best seasons in recent memory by a relief pitcher in 2016, but Brach was also lights-out as his primary setup man, finishing 10-4 with 24 holds while posting a 2.05 ERA and 10.5 K/9 over 71 appearances. A 42nd-round pick in the 2008 draft, Brach beat the odds even reaching the majors, and went on to pitch in 531 games over an 11-year career.
Other Random All-Stars: 2B Jonathan Schoop (2017), RP Jorge López (2022)
Boston Red Sox: UT Brock Holt (2015)
Holt hit .280/.349/.379 over a career-high 509 plate appearances during the 2015 season while starting multiple games at every position on the diamond besides pitcher and catcher. He was Ben Zobrist-lite during a productive seven-year run with the Red Sox, and he became the first player ever to hit for the cycle in a postseason game in 2018.
Other Random All-Stars: SP Steven Wright (2016), 1B Mitch Moreland (2018), RP Matt Barnes (2021)
New York Yankees: OF Carlos Beltrán (2016)
With nine All-Star selections on his resume, Beltrán does not fit the same mold as many of the players on this list, but his All-Star campaign in 2016 was every bit as surprising. He was 39 years old and had started to see diminished production since his last All-Star selection in 2013. However, he hit .304/.344/.546 with 22 home runs and 64 RBI in 99 games with the Yankees in 2016 before he was traded to the Rangers at the deadline.
Other Random All-Stars: C Jose Trevino (2022)
Tampa Bay Rays: 3B Joey Wendle (2021)
The Rays sent Joey Wendle, Mike Zunino and Andrew Kittredge to the 2021 All-Star Game on their way to a 100-win season and AL East title, and any of those players would have been a worthy selection for most random All-Star. Wendle was hitting a modest .275/.336/.450 with 29 extra-base hits at the break while serving as the club's primary third baseman.
Other Random All-Stars: RP Brad Boxberger (2015), OF Corey Dickerson (2017), RP Andrew Kittredge (2021), C Mike Zunino (2021)
Toronto Blue Jays: OF Michael Saunders (2016)
Saunders won the AL Final Vote over Ian Kinsler, Evan Longoria, Dustin Pedroia and George Springer to earn his spot on the 2016 All-Star team. A first-time All-Star at 29 years old, he hit .298/.372/.551 with 25 doubles, 16 home runs and 42 RBI during the first half, followed by a .178/.282/.357 line after the break.
Other Random All-Stars: SP Aaron Sanchez (2016), 1B Justin Smoak (2017), 2B Santiago Espinal (2022)
AL Central
2 of 6
Chicago White Sox: C James McCann (2019)
After posting a 76 OPS+ and 1.9 WAR in 452 games with the Tigers, McCann joined the White Sox on a one-year, $5.4 million deal and immediately had a career year, hitting .273/.328/.460 with 26 doubles, 18 home runs and 60 RBI in a 3.6-WAR campaign. He followed that up with a 143 OPS+ over 111 plate appearances during the shortened 2020 season, and parlayed that performance into a four-year, $40.6 million deal from the Mets.
Other Random All-Stars: OF Avisaíl García (2017)
Cleveland Guardians: SP Danny Salazar (2016)
Salazar put together a strong five-year run in Cleveland to begin his MLB career, posting a 3.82 ERA, 1.26 WHIP and 686 strikeouts in 587.1 innings. He went 10-3 with a 2.75 ERA in 104.2 innings during the first half of the 2016 season to earn his spot on the All-Star team, but he scuffled to a 7.44 ERA in eight starts after the break and was a non-factor during the World Series run. Injuries limited him to just four total innings pitched after his age-27 season.
Other Random All-Stars: C/OF David Fry (2024)
Detroit Tigers: RP Shane Greene (2019)
The Tigers acquired Greene in the three-team deal that also sent Didi Gregorius to the Yankees, and after flopping as a starter, he carved out a role at the back of the bullpen. After tallying 32 saves in 2018, he had a 1.18 ERA and 22 saves in 38 appearances the following year when he was traded to the Braves at the deadline. That two-year window accounted for 54 of his 67 career saves.
Other Random All-Stars: SS Jose Iglesias (2015), SP Michael Fulmer (2017), RP Joe Jiménez (2018), SP Michael Lorenzen (2023)
Kansas City Royals: SP Jason Vargas (2017)
Vargas had 1,221.2 innings under his belt as a durable back-of-the-rotation starter when he earned his first and only All-Star selection during a career year in 2017. The soft-tossing lefty finished 18-11 with a 4.16 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 134 strikeouts in 179.2 innings, accounting for 4.1 of his 16.8 career WAR during that peak campaign.
Other Random All-Stars: SS Alcides Escobar (2015), OF Andrew Benintendi (2022)
Minnesota Twins: IF Eduardo Núñez (2016)
A useful utility player with good wheels early in his career with the Yankees and Twins, Núñez hit .296/.325/.439 with 15 doubles, 12 home runs, 47 RBI and 27 steals in 91 games with the Twins to earn an All-Star nod in 2016. He was shipped to the Giants for touted pitching prospect Adalberto Mejía at the trade deadline.
Other Random All-Stars: RP Brandon Kintzler (2017), UT Willi Castro (2024)
AL West
3 of 6
Athletics: 1B Yonder Alonso (2017)
Alonso was the No. 7 pick in the 2008 draft by the Reds and then traded to the Padres in a blockbuster deal to acquire Mat Latos. But it was not until his age-30 season, after joining the A's in an under-the-radar move, that he put together a career year at the plate. He hit .275/.372/.562 with 20 home runs during the first half of the 2017 season, and the A's wisely sold high at the deadline and traded him to the Mariners.
Other Random All-Stars: 2B Jed Lowrie (2018), SP Paul Blackburn (2022)
Houston Astros: RP Chris Devenski (2017)
Devenski finished fourth in 2016 AL Rookie of the Year voting with a 2.16 ERA in 108.1 innings as a swingman out of the Houston bullpen, and he backed that up with a 2.68 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 100 strikeouts in 80.2 innings over 62 appearances the following year to earn an All-Star nod. He is still active and pitching for the Mets but has a 5.38 ERA in 197 games since that stellar two-year run to open his career.
Other Random All-Stars: RP Will Harris (2016)
Los Angeles Angels: 2B/3B Tommy La Stella (2019)
A productive utility player for the Cubs from 2015 through the 2018 season, La Stella got a shot at the Angels' starting second base job in 2019 and hit .300/.353/.495 with 16 home runs and 44 RBI during the first half. A fractured tibia limited him to two games after the All-Star break and he never returned to the form he showed during that brilliant first half.
Other Random All-Stars: SP Héctor Santiago (2015), 1B Jared Walsh (2021)
Seattle Mariners: 1B Daniel Vogelbach (2019)
Vogelbach hit .238/.375/.505 with 21 home runs and 51 RBI in 85 games during the first half of the 2019 season en route to a 30-homer campaign, but a lack of secondary value and struggles against left-handed pitching kept him from building off that breakout performance in the years that followed.
Other Random All-Stars: OF Mitch Haniger (2018), 1B Ty France (2022)
Texas Rangers: DH Hunter Pence (2019)
Pence was 36 years old and five years removed from his last All-Star selection when he signed a minor league deal with the Rangers and won the team's starting DH job during spring training. He hit .294/.353/.608 with 14 doubles, 15 home runs and 48 RBI in only 215 plate appearances during the first half to earn his fourth and final All-Star nod.
Other Random All-Stars: OF Ian Desmond (2016), C Jonah Heim (2023)
NL East
4 of 6
Atlanta Braves: SP Mike Foltynewicz (2018)
Everything clicked for Foltynewicz during the 2018 season when he went 13-10 with a 2.85 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and 202 strikeouts in 183 innings to finish eighth in NL Cy Young balloting. He had a 4.87 ERA in 382.2 innings before that peak performance, and a 5.17 ERA in 259.1 innings on the other side of it, but for one year he was a bona fide frontline starter.
Other Random All-Stars: SP Shelby Miller (2015), OF Ender Inciarte (2017), SS Orlando Arcia (2023)
Miami Marlins: 1B Garrett Cooper (2022)
The puzzling thing about Cooper's All-Star selection is that the Marlins already had two other representatives in Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Sandy Alcántara, yet he still found his way onto the NL roster with a .283/.349/.434 line during the first half that included 21 doubles, seven home runs and 40 RBI. He tallied 3.7 career WAR in 517 games over eight seasons.
Other Random All-Stars: RP AJ Ramos (2016), RP Fernando Rodney (2016)
New York Mets: SP Taijuan Walker (2021)
Walker had a terrific first half (7-3, 2.66 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 95 K, 94.2 IP) and a disastrous second half (0-8, 7.13 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 51 K, 64.1 IP) during the 2021 season, and inconsistency has been a common thread throughout his career. He rebounded with arguably the best season of his career in 2022, and turned that into a four-year, $72 million deal with the Phillies.
Other Random All-Stars: RP Jeurys Familia (2016)
Philadelphia Phillies: RP Pat Neshek (2017)
Neshek was a journeyman reliever playing for his fourth team when he made his first All-Star team as a 33-year-old with the Cardinals in 2014. Three years later, he was back at the Midsummer Classic as a member of the Phillies after posting a 1.27 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 9.2 K/9 in 38 appearances during the first half. He was traded to the Rockies for three prospects at the deadline, only to rejoin the Phillies in free agency during the offseason.
Other Random All-Stars: OF Odúbel Herrera (2016)
Washington Nationals: SP Josiah Gray (2023)
Gray was the lone All-Star representative for a 91-loss Nationals team in 2023, finishing 8-13 with a 3.91 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 143 strikeouts in 159 innings in his age-25 campaign. He made just two starts the following season before he was lost for the year to a UCL strain that ultimately required Tommy John surgery and an internal brace procedure, and he is still on the recovery trail.
Other Random All-Stars: RP Sean Doolittle (2018)
NL Central
5 of 6
Chicago Cubs: RP Wade Davis (2017)
The Cubs acquired Davis to replace Aroldis Chapman when he departed in free agency following their World Series run, sending slugger Jorge Soler to the Royals in a one-for-one swap. He saved 32 games and posted a 2.30 ERA and 12.1 K/9 in what would be his lone season with the Cubs, signing a three-year, $52 million deal with the Rockies in free agency.
Other Random All-Stars: SP Marcus Stroman (2023)
Cincinnati Reds: 2B Scooter Gennett (2018)
After four middling seasons in Milwaukee, Gennett enjoyed a power surge with the Reds in 2017 (123 OPS+, 27 HR, 97 RBI) and 2018 (125 OPS+, 23 HR, 92 RBI), but he played just 42 more games in the majors after that two-year peak. He is one of only 19 players in MLB history to hit four home runs in a single game, accomplishing the feat on June 6, 2017.
Other Random All-Stars: SS Zack Cozart (2017)
Milwaukee Brewers: 1B Jesús Aguilar (2018)
An imposing 6'3", 277-pound slugger, Aguilar joined the Brewers on a waiver claim from Cleveland. After a 16-homer season in 2017, he took over as Milwaukee's primary first baseman and hit .298/.373/.621 with 16 doubles, 24 home runs and 70 RBI during the first half in 2018 to earn an All-Star selection. His OPS dropped 235 points during the second half, and he was traded to Tampa Bay the following summer.
Other Random All-Stars: RP Corey Knebel (2017), C Omar Narváez (2021)
Pittsburgh Pirates: 2B Adam Frazier (2021)
A versatile super-utility player for much of his time in Pittsburgh, Frazier came out of nowhere to hit .330/.397/.463 with 34 extra-base hits during the first half of his age-29 season, and he was voted to start the 2021 All-Star Game. The Pirates sold high and traded him to San Diego for three prospects at the deadline.
Other Random All-Stars: SP A.J. Burnett (2015)
St. Louis Cardinals: SS Aledmys Díaz (2016)
Never regarded as a top-tier prospect, Díaz burst onto the scene as a 25-year-old rookie in 2016 and hit .300/.369/.510 with 28 doubles, 17 home runs, 65 RBI and 2.9 WAR in 111 games while earning an All-Star selection and finishing fifth in NL Rookie of the Year balloting. He had a decent nine-year career as a utility player for the Blue Jays, Astros and Athletics, but never again approached All-Star levels.
Other Random All-Stars: SS Jhonny Peralta (2015), RP Alex Reyes (2021)
NL West
6 of 6
Arizona Diamondbacks: RP Joe Mantiply (2022)
A lefty setup reliever with a 4.54 ERA and 0.3 WAR over 256 career appearances, Mantiply might be the single most random All-Star of the last 10 years. He logged a 2.21 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and a 38-to-2 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 36.2 innings during the first half of the 2022 season, and that was enough to make him the lone All-Star representative for the D-backs.
Other Random All-Stars: 3B Jake Lamb (2017), 3B Eduardo Escobar (2021)
Colorado Rockies: OF David Dahl (2019)
Dahl began his MLB career with plenty of hype as a former No. 10 overall pick who was a mainstay on leaguewide Top 100 prospect lists throughout his time in the minors. He hit .302/.353/.524 with 28 doubles, 15 home runs and 61 RBI during his All-Star season in 2019, but tallied just 0.9 WAR due to his extreme home/road splits and poor defense (-7 DRS, -4.1 UZR/150)
Other Random All-Stars: RP Greg Holland (2017), 1B C.J. Cron (2022), C Elias Díaz (2023)
Los Angeles Dodgers: SP/RP Ross Stripling (2018)
In 14 starts and 11 relief appearances during the first half of the 2018 season, Stripling went 8-2 with a 2.08 ERA, 1.08 WHIP and a 108-to-14 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 95.1 innings. He continued to fill a similar swingman role throughout his time in the majors, and while he never again approached that elite-level production, he logged a respectable 4.17 ERA in 846.1 career innings.
Other Random All-Stars: SP Alex Wood (2017), UT Chris Taylor (2021), SP Tyler Anderson (2022)
San Diego Padres: SP Drew Pomeranz (2016)
Pomeranz has enjoyed a career renaissance this season with the Cubs, but once upon a time he was a touted young starter who was the No. 5 overall pick in the 2010 draft and the centerpiece of the deal that sent Ubaldo Jiménez from Colorado to Cleveland. His best season as a starter came in 2016 with the Padres, with a 2.47 ERA and 115 strikeouts in 102 innings during the first half earning him an All-Star selection. He was traded to the Red Sox that summer in exchange for top prospect Anderson Espinoza in a deal that would later earn GM AJ Preller a 30-day suspension for keeping two sets of medical records on Pomeranz.
Other Random All-Stars: OF Jurickson Profar (2024)
San Francisco Giants: 2B Joe Panik (2015)
Panik took over as the Giants' starting second baseman midway through the 2014 season on their way to a third World Series title in five years. He hit .312/.378/.455 for a 129 OPS+ and 3.7 WAR the following year to earn an All-Star selection, but was a minus-0.1 WAR player in 645 games the remainder of his career.
Other Random All-Stars: SP Alex Cobb (2023)
