Selecting AL and NL All-Star Rosters for the 2020 MLB Season
There will be no All-Star Game during the shortened 2020 MLB season, marking the first time since 1945 that the Midsummer Classic will not be played.
That won't stop us from putting together hypothetical squads.
Using the 34-player roster format that was implemented in 2018, we assembled our AL and NL teams based solely on 2020 performance. Voting trends and popularity did not factor into these decisions. We simply picked the 34 guys who were most deserving, while sticking to the rule of including at least one player from every franchise.
For consistency, each roster was made up of 22 position players and 12 pitchers, with at least one backup selected for each position.
We've also highlighted three notable snubs from each league's roster, since the players who don't get selected are often a bigger story than the ones who do.
Let's get started.
3 Biggest NL Snubs
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OF Michael Conforto, New York Mets
Conforto ranks among the NL leaders in batting average (.336, fifth) and on-base percentage (.426, sixth), making him perhaps the toughest omission among NL position players. Teammate Dominic Smith edged him for the final NL outfield spot.
SP Zach Davies, San Diego Padres
The offseason trade to acquire Zach Davies and Trent Grisham from the Milwaukee Brewers could go down as a defining move for the up-and-coming Padres. Davies, 27, has gone 5-2 with a 2.61 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and 37 strikeouts in 41.1 innings. He deserves an All-Star nod, but so do the 12 pitchers selected over him.
RP Devin Williams, Milwaukee Brewers
Armed with one of the nastiest changeups in baseball, Williams has posted a 0.60 ERA and 0.67 WHIP in 14 appearances out of the Milwaukee bullpen. He has struck out 31 of the 58 batters he's faced, and he has yet to allow a hit with his changeup while throwing the pitch 133 times on the year.
NL Reserves (Pitchers)
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NL Reserves (Pitchers)
- SP Trevor Bauer, CIN
- SP Jacob deGrom, NYM
- SP Max Fried, ATL
- SP Zac Gallen, ARI
- SP Clayton Kershaw, LAD
- SP Dinelson Lamet, SD
- SP Pablo Lopez, MIA
- SP Aaron Nola, PHI
- RP Josh Hader, MIL
- RP Kenley Jansen, LAD
- RP Drew Pomeranz, SD
Let's start with the obvious picks.
Established front-line starters Jacob deGrom, Trevor Bauer and Aaron Nola all have sub-2.50 ERAs and stellar peripherals, while Max Fried (1.60 ERA) has been a breakout star and the ace of a banged-up Atlanta staff. Those four were all were written in Sharpie when the selection process began.
Eight-time All-Star Clayton Kershaw has also pitched well enough with a 1.80 ERA and 0.70 WHIP over five starts after missing time early because of back troubles.
After that, Zac Gallen (1.80 ERA, 54 K, 50.0 IP) and Pablo Lopez (2.10 ERA, 32 K, 34.1 IP) were both locked into spots as the lone representatives for their respective teams.
On the reliever side, Kenley Jansen (10/11 SV, 12.9 K/9) has been lights out in anchoring baseball's best bullpen; Drew Pomeranz (4/4 SV, 0.00 ERA, 0.64 WHIP) has allowed just three hits in 11 scoreless innings; and Josh Hader (9/10 SV, 13.9 K/9) has been his usual overpowering self.
That left one spot that went to strikeout artist Dinelson Lamet (2.62 ERA, 57 K, 44.2 IP) over a long list of candidates that included Davies, Zack Wheeler, Sonny Gray, Adam Wainwright, Max Scherzer, Brandon Woodruff, Williams, Brandon Kintzler and Giovanny Gallegos.
NL Reserves (Position Players)
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NL Reserves (Position Players)
- C Jacob Stallings, PIT
- 1B Brandon Belt, SF
- 1B Paul Goldschmidt, STL
- 2B Robinson Cano, NYM
- 3B Evan Longoria, SF
- SS Corey Seager, LAD
- SS Trevor Story, COL
- SS Trea Turner, WAS
- OF Charlie Blackmon, COL
- OF Ian Happ, CHC
- OF Bryce Harper, PHI
- OF Dominic Smith, NYM
- DH Marcell Ozuna, ATL
Veterans Brandon Belt, Robinson Cano and Evan Longoria have all found the fountain of youth in a shortened season, while Paul Goldschmidt (NL-high .478 OBP) is once again producing at an elite level. Those four claimed the backup corner infield and second base spots with relative ease, though Rhys Hoskins (156 OPS+) was a tough omission.
A loaded NL shortstop group claims three of the reserve spots. Trea Turner leads the NL in batting average (.358) and hits (49), Corey Seager has a 155 OPS+ with nine doubles and nine home runs, and Trevor Story is hitting .306/.383/.576 with nine home runs and an NL-leading nine steals.
Even if he weren't Pittsburgh's lone representative, Jacob Stallings is deserving of the backup catcher spot with a .303 average and .391 on-base percentage in 89 plate appearances. The only other viable candidate was Travis d'Arnaud (126 OPS+).
The outfield is where things get tricky.
Ian Happ (1.068 OPS, third in NL) and Bryce Harper (.989 OPS, 10th in NL) have been among the league's most productive all-around hitters, and Charlie Blackmon (.343 BA, third in NL) looked like he might make a run at a .400 average before cooling a bit. Marcell Ozuna is tied for second in the NL in home runs (12) and is third in RBI (31), so he also earns a spot as the NL's second DH.
That left one spot for a number of worthy outfielders, and Dominic Smith (1.046 OPS, 7 HR, 26 RBI) has a strong a case as any, despite tallying just 113 plate appearances.
NL Starting Lineup
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NL Starting Lineup
- 1. RF Mookie Betts, LAD
- 2. SS Fernando Tatis Jr., SD
- 3. LF Juan Soto, WAS
- 4. 3B Manny Machado, SD
- 5. 1B Freddie Freeman, ATL
- 6. DH Jesse Winker, CIN
- 7. CF Mike Yastrzemski, SF
- 8. C J.T. Realmuto, PHI
- 9. 2B Jake Cronenworth, SD
- SP Yu Darvish, CHC
This was relatively easy.
Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Mookie Betts, Juan Soto and J.T. Realmuto were all layup decisions for a spot in the starting lineup.
Breakout star Mike Yastrzemski (1.014 OPS, 23 XBH, 2.2 WAR) edged Happ and Harper for the final starting position in the NL outfield, while Freddie Freeman got the nod over Goldschmidt at first base in part because of the extra games he's played.
Jesse Winker is hitting .314/.419/.657 with 10 home runs in 124 plate appearances, and his 1.076 OPS ranks second among qualified NL hitters. Ozuna has been great, but the Reds outfielder has been better.
That left second base and starting pitcher as the two toughest decisions.
Jake Cronenworth is hitting .346/.405/.606 with 16 extra-base hits in 116 plate appearances, and he's also played solid defense at multiple positions. There's a strong case to be made for Cano to get the start, but Cronenworth has been one of the best stories of 2020.
The starting pitcher decision came down to Yu Darvish or deGrom, with Fried also in the conversation. Darvish is the NL ERA leader (1.47), and deGrom (1.76 ERA) doesn't have a big enough edge in strikeouts (58 to 52) or WHIP (1.00 to 0.90) to bridge the gap.
NL Team-by-Team Breakdown
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- ARI (1): SP Zac Gallen
- ATL (3): 1B Freddie Freeman, DH Marcell Ozuna, SP Max Fried
- CHC (2): OF Ian Happ, SP Yu Darvish
- CIN (2): DH Jesse Winker, SP Trevor Bauer
- COL (2): SS Trevor Story, OF Charlie Blackmon
- LAD (4): SS Corey Seager, RF Mookie Betts, SP Clayton Kershaw, RP Kenley Jansen
- MIA (1): SP Pablo Lopez
- MIL (1): RP Josh Hader
- NYM (3): 2B Robinson Cano, OF Dominic Smith, SP Jacob deGrom
- PHI (3): C J.T. Realmuto, RF Bryce Harper, SP Aaron Nola
- PIT (1): C Jacob Stallings
- SD (5): 2B Jake Cronenworth, 3B Manny Machado, SS Fernando Tatis Jr., SP Dinelson Lamet, RP Drew Pomeranz
- SF (3): 1B Brandon Belt, 3B Evan Longoria, CF Mike Yastrzemski
- STL (1): 1B Paul Goldschmidt
- WAS (2): SS Trea Turner, LF Juan Soto
3 Biggest AL Snubs
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3B Matt Chapman, Oakland Athletics
With 10 home runs and his usual stellar defense at the hot corner, Chapman has once again been an extremely valuable player for the first-place Oakland Athletics. That said, it's hard to look past his .298 on-base percentage and career-high 31.2 percent strikeout rate.
SP Dallas Keuchel, Chicago White Sox
The White Sox ended up leading all teams with six All-Star representatives, so there were inevitably going to be some tough cuts from one of the most exciting teams in baseball. Signed to a three-year, $55.5 million contract during the offseason, Keuchel has gone 5-2 with a 2.42 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in 48.1 innings.
RP Josh Staumont, Kansas City Royals
With an average fastball velocity of 98.3 mph and a wicked curveball, Staumont has racked up 29 strikeouts in 15.2 innings while posting a 0.57 ERA in 17 appearances out of the Kansas City bullpen. His command is anything but pinpoint with 11 walks for a 6.3 BB/9 rate, but he's been the definition of effectively wild.
AL Reserves (Pitchers)
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AL Reserves (Pitchers)
- SP Dylan Bundy, LAA
- SP Lucas Giolito, CWS
- SP Marco Gonzales, SEA
- SP Zack Greinke, HOU
- SP Lance Lynn, TEX
- SP Kenta Maeda, MIN
- SP Hyun Jin Ryu, TOR
- RP Zack Britton, NYY
- RP Alex Colome, CWS
- RP Liam Hendriks, OAK
- RP James Karinchak, CLE
If not for the otherworldly season that Shane Bieber is putting together, we'd be talking about Lance Lynn as the AL Cy Young front-runner. He ranks second to Bieber in ERA (1.93) and has posted stellar peripherals with a 0.92 WHIP and a stingy .165 opponents' batting average.
Kenta Maeda (AL-best 0.75 WHIP), Dylan Bundy (2.47 ERA, fourth in AL) and Hyun Jin Ryu (2.72 ERA, career-high 10.0 K/9) all changed teams during the offseason and are the aces of their respective staffs.
Marco Gonzales (3.09 ERA, 0.92 WHIP) is the Mariners' lone pitching representative, and Zack Greinke (2.68 ERA, 0.94 WHIP) is the only Houston player present, though he's deserving of a spot regardless.
Among relievers, Zack Britton (8/8 SV, 1.80 ERA) has been terrific while filling in for Aroldis Chapman; Liam Hendriks (10/11 SV, 1.10 ERA, 12.7 K/9) is proving his breakout season was not fluke; and Alex Colome (7/8 SV, 0.68 ERA) continues to succeed in the ninth inning despite middling strikeout numbers.
Rookie reliever James Karinchak has run into some trouble his last two appearances, but he has still struck out an absurd 35 of the 70 batters he has faced this year. He deserves a spot on the AL staff as one of the most electric young arms in baseball.
With one pitcher slot remaining, Lucas Giolito gets the nod as he ranks among the AL leaders in ERA (3.14, 10th), WHIP (1.01, eighth) and strikeouts (66, second). That leaves Keuchel, Framber Valdez, Chris Bassitt, Aaron Civale, Rafael Montero, Tyler Duffey and Jake Diekman among the notable snubs.
AL Reserves (Position Players)
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AL Reserves (Position Players)
- C Salvador Perez, KC
- 1B Luke Voit, NYY
- 2B Hanser Alberto, BAL
- 2B DJ LeMahieu, NYY
- 2B Jonathan Schoop, DET
- 3B Jose Ramirez, CLE
- SS Willy Adames, TB
- *OF Robbie Grossman, OAK
- OF Eloy Jimenez, CWS
- #OF Aaron Judge, NYY
- OF Luis Robert, CWS
- OF Anthony Santander, BAL
- OF Alex Verdugo, BOS
- DH Franmil Reyes, CLE
Luke Voit (1.022 OPS, 13 HR) would be worthy of a starting nod almost any other season, and the same is true of DJ LeMahieu (104 PA, .392 BA) even with the time he's missed because of a thumb injury. Slugger Aaron Judge also deserves recognition for his red-hot start to the season before landing on the injured list (calf strain), so he earns a symbolic nod before ceding to a replacement.
Salvador Perez (.307 BA, 124 OPS+) has returned strong after missing all of 2019 recovering from Tommy John surgery. This would be his seventh All-Star selection, and he's still just 30 years old.
The Orioles have played better than expected this year, and strong offensive seasons from Hanser Alberto (.321 BA, sixth in AL) and Anthony Santander (.909 OPS, 11 HR, 32 RBI) have been a big reason for this success. Second baseman Jonathan Schoop (.879 OPS, 8 HR, 20 RBI) is the clear choice to represent the Tigers.
On the left side of the infield, Willy Adames (170 OPS+) has a case to be the starting shortstop for the AL squad and would be a deserving first-time selection, while Jose Ramirez (.830 OPS, 8 HR, 24 RBI) has been his usual productive self.
Teammates Luis Robert (.902 OPS, 10 HR, 24 RBI) and Eloy Jimenez (.896 OPS, 11 HR, 28 RBI) are shoo-ins for roster spots, and the same goes for Alex Verdugo (.315 BA, 18 XBH) as the lone selection for the Red Sox.
That leaves one open spot, along with the injury replacement for Judge.
Franmil Reyes ranks among the AL leaders in batting average (.336, first) and OPS (.962, eighth), and he's tallied eight home runs and 25 RBI. That's more than deserving of a nod as the second DH on the roster.
For the injury replacement, Robbie Grossman receives the recognition he deserves as an under-the-radar contributor for the Athletics. He quietly ranks among the AL leaders in on-base percentage (.422, third) and OPS (.980, sixth).
#=injured, *=injury replacement
AL Starting Lineup
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AL Starting Lineup
- 1. SS Tim Anderson, CWS
- 2. CF Mike Trout, LAA
- 3. 1B Jose Abreu, CWS
- 4. DH Nelson Cruz, MIN
- 5. 3B Anthony Rendon, LAA
- 6. LF Kyle Lewis, SEA
- 7. RF Teoscar Hernandez, TOR
- 8. 2B Brandon Lowe, TB
- 9. C Pedro Severino, BAL
- SP Shane Bieber, CLE
Veteran sluggers Jose Abreu and Nelson Cruz were easy choices for the starting lineup, and the same goes for Los Angeles Angels teammates Mike Trout and Anthony Rendon, who have done their part on an underperforming team.
There's also no question Shane Bieber gets the starting nod on the mound, as he's putting together an MVP-caliber season.
Rising stars Kyle Lewis (.945 OPS, 8 HR, 21 RBI) and Teoscar Hernandez (.978 OPS, 12 HR) edge out fellow up-and-comer Robert to start alongside Trout in the outfield, though under normal fan-vote circumstances, there's a good chance Robert would have pushed his way into the lineup.
Tim Anderson ranks second in the AL batting race with a .333 average, giving him a slight edge over Adames, who is hitting .322 with a 20-to-15 edge in extra-base hits. Both players are deserving starters, and both are doing it on contending teams. Joining him up the middle is Brandon Lowe, who was an All-Star as a rookie last season and ranks 10th among AL position players with 1.6 WAR.
The biggest surprise of the group is Pedro Severino, who has found a home in Baltimore after being cast aside by the Washington Nationals before last season. The 27-year-old is hitting .310/.384/.520 with five home runs and 21 RBI, making him a worthy starter and third All-Star for the O's.
AL Team-by-Team Breakdown
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- BAL (3): C Pedro Severino, 2B Hanser Alberto, OF Anthony Santander
- BOS (1): OF Alex Verdugo
- CWS (6): 1B Jose Abreu, SS Tim Anderson, OF Eloy Jimenez, OF Luis Robert, SP Lucas Giolito, RP Alex Colome
- CLE (4): 3B Jose Ramirez, DH Franmil Reyes, SP Shane Bieber, RP James Karinchak
- DET (1): 2B Jonathan Schoop
- HOU (1): SP Zack Greinke
- KC (1): C Salvador Perez
- LAA (3): 3B Anthony Rendon, CF Mike Trout, SP Dylan Bundy
- MIN (2): DH Nelson Cruz, SP Kenta Maeda
- NYY (4): 1B Luke Voit, 2B DJ LeMahieu, #OF Aaron Judge, RP Zack Britton
- OAK (2): LF Robbie Grossman, RP Liam Hendriks
- SEA (2): CF Kyle Lewis, SP Marco Gonzales
- TB (2): 2B Brandon Lowe, SS Willy Adames
- TEX (1): SP Lance Lynn
- TOR (2): OF Teoscar Hernandez, SP Hyun Jin Ryu
#=injured, *=injury replacement
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and FanGraphs, unless otherwise noted.
