My AL All-Star Game Starters

American League

Nowadays, the All-Star Game starting lineups are chosen via fan voting. The fans, at large, came together to vote on who they believe are worthy of starting. Democracy! In this article, instead of letting the fans set the lineup, I had a singular fan (me) make my picks. Below, I’ll reveal my American League All-Star Game starters and provide my thought process for each selection.

AL stats as of 7/10/23

AL stats are more recent than NL

Catcher

Jonah Heim, TEX (Runner up: Adley Rutschman, BAL)

The Texas Rangers have emerged as one of the most pleasant surprises of the 2023 MLB season. They have some flashy and more well-known players performing well, but Jonah Heim deserves a ton of credit for what he’s done this season. Thus far, he is slashing .282/.338/.474/.812 with a 123 wRC+ and 3.3 fWAR. Heim doesn’t walk a ton, but he is a much more complete hitter than most catchers you’ll find. He supplies power (.474 SLG, .192 ISO, 12 HR), but his bat-to-ball skills are as good as any other player in the sport, sans Luis Arraez. Heim has been on an upward trajectory at the plate, but he’s always been stellar behind the plate. Since his first full season in 2021, Heim has ranked >90th percentile in framing each season. So far this season, he is first in DRS among catchers with 8 DRS. Amidst a breakout 2023, Jonah Heim gets the nod.

First Base

Yandy Díaz, TBR (Runner up: Nathaniel Lowe, TEX)

Unsurprisingly, Shohei Ohtani leads baseball with a 181 wRC+. Certainly the person behind him is a well-recognized superstar, right? Rather, Tampa Bay first baseman Yandy Díaz comes in second with a magnificent 165 wRC+. He’s quietly been a great player since joining the Rays in 2019, but he’s been outright insane in 2023, hitting .323/.408/.515/.923 with 18 2B, 13 HR, and 2.6 fWAR. Díaz strikes out occasionally, but if he makes contact it is usually going to be very hard and tough to corral. The scouting report on him isn’t particularly helpful, as Díaz drives the ball to all fields and doesn’t have a glaring weakness between fastballs and breaking pitches. His defense isn’t anything to write home about, although he is able to competently play first base. When you’ve been the best position player hitter (see what I did there?) in the sport, you deserve as much praise as possible and Díaz is a clear choice to start for the American League starting lineup.

Second Base

Marcus Semien, TEX (Runner up: Brandon Drury, LAA)

Marcus Semien seems to be on his way to getting comfortable as a Texas Ranger. As of now, he is hitting .271/.338/.438/.776 with a 115 wRC+ and 3.3 fWAR. After posting a lackluster .304 OBP in 2022, Semien is getting on base at a way more consistent rate in 2023. He’s making contact more often without sacrificing his power, which has ascended near elite territory after hitting 33 HR in 2019 and 45 HR in 2021. Additionally, Semien is a smooth operator at the keystone with great range and solid speed. This is one of the weaker positions for the American League, but that’s not to discredit the damage that Marcus Semien has done in 2023.

Third Base

Isaac Paredes, TBR (Runner up: Jose Ramirez, CLE)

Third base in the American League is absolutely stacked, boasting possibly six viable candidates. The player that stands out, however, is Isaac Paredes of the Tampa Bay Rays. I wrote about Austin Meadows in one of my previous articles, but now I’m writing about the guy he was traded for. Things have just clicked for Paredes in Tampa Bay, as he leads AL third basemen with a 150 wRC+ while hitting .265/.370/.504/.874 and accumulating 2.8 fWAR. He’s well disciplined at the plate, walking at an above average rate and limiting whiffs. He doesn’t smash the ball each time he steps to the plate, but his 16 HR has him tied for the most home runs on the Rays. The difference between his wOBA (.378) and xwOBA (.307) is drastic and suggests regression is coming, however that shouldn’t take away from the incredible half of baseball that Isaac Paredes has had.

Shortstop

Wander Franco, TBR (Runner up: Bo Bichette, TOR)

Bo Bichette and Corey Seager are probably the most popular picks here, but I love Wander Franco. The former elite prospect is hitting .278/.338/.459/.797 with a 124 wRC+ and 3.8 fWAR, which already surpasses his 2022 fWAR of 2.4. What makes me so bullish on Franco is his continued improvement against right handed pitchers. He began his MLB career with a 96 wRC+ against righties. Now? He has a 121 wRC+ in 2023 and a career mark of 112. Of note, Franco feasts on fastballs, upping his power to a .585 SLG% as a player that isn’t known for hitting homers. Franco is an aggressive player, swiping 28 SB and legging out 4 3B, while also making the shortstop position look so easy. There’s a strong argument to be made that he’s been the best defender in MLB this season by the eye test, plus his 12 DRS and 100th percentile placement in OAA doesn’t hurt. He was benched on his “Wanderversary” (anniversary of his big league debut), but he should be out and about in the 2023 MLB All-Star Game.

Left Field

Randy Arozarena, TBR (Runner up: Masataka Yoshida, BOS)

Randy Arozarena’s rise to stardom has been unlike anything baseball has ever seen before. In his third full season since his monstrous performance in the 2020 playoffs, Arozarena has a statline of .279/.388/.467/.855 with a 147 wRC+ and 2.8 fWAR. His home run power in 2021 and 2022 (20 HR each) were “down” compared to that 2020 run, but Arozarena is back to launching balls into the crowd, as he has 16 HR as the first half of the season comes to a close. His frame (5’11”, 185 lbs) may lead some to think that his approach at the dish is more contact-oriented, but boy are they wrong. Arozarena makes contact, but he hits the ball HARD. He barrels the ball more often than slugging first basemen like Freddie Freeman and Paul Goldschmidt, two of the best hitters over the last decade. 6'7" Aaron Judge can probably max out his exit velocity higher than Arozarena, but he hits the ball as hard as virtually anyone in the sport. First, he’ll make his Home Run Derby debut, then Arozarena will play in his first All-Star Game.

Center Field

Luis Robert Jr., CHW (Runner up: Mike Trout, LAA)

It’s been gloomy on the southside for the White Sox, although Luis Robert Jr. has been a glimmer of sunshine. Health has often been the problem for Robert, but he’s been healthy in 2023 and thriving, slashing .271/.330/.569/.899 with a 143 wRC+ and 3.7 fWAR. His game mostly fits in well with this new style of baseball, as he whiffs and strikes out a lot, but he scorches the ball when he connects. He already has 26 HR, which leaves him tied for third in all of MLB. The guy refuses to walk (5.6 BB%), but his godly power and speed is more fun! Speed? Yeah, Robert has wheels that make him a threat on the basepath and help fuel his outstanding defense in the outfield. Luis Robert Jr. is just such a showstopping player with amazing stats, he just has to start the All-Star Game after he competes in the Home Run Derby.

Right Field

Austin Hays, BAL (Runner up: Kyle Tucker, HOU)

Through his age 26 season, Austin Hays had a decent, although unspectacular, career in MLB. Now, at the ripe age of 27, Hays has been the best hitter on a Baltimore Orioles team that has playoff aspirations. He is currently hitting .314/.355/.498/.853 with a 136 wRC+ and 2.0 fWAR. The baseline stats tell the story; Hays has been a great all-around hitter. He isn’t known as a home run hitter, but the Baltimore left fielder has been driving the ball to the left center gap and has 22 2B. With the new configurement of Camden Yards, that sort of gap power from right-handed hitters is exactly what the organization is looking for. Last season, Hays only had a .243 BA and .363 SLG% against fastballs. In 2023, he has a .357 BA and .573 SLG% against heaters. He might not be very well known or idolized by casual baseball fans, but Austin Hays has been performing like a star this season and deserves recognition.

Designated Hitter

Shohei Ohtani, LAA (Runner up: Brent Rooker, OAK)

Let’s be honest: I could probably write a book about Shohei Ohtani and his superhuman nature. I’m sure someone else can write that book, however, so I’m gonna keep it simple and dive into his 2023 stats at the plate. Ohtani has managed to get even better, slashing .302/.387/.663/1.050 with a 181 wRC+ and 4.3 fWAR (hitter only). By just about every metric known to man, Ohtani has been the best hitter in the league. He’s hit 32 HR heading into the All-Star Game, which is impressive on its own. What makes it even more notable is that after the first half in 2022, Aaron Judge had 33 HR en route to breaking the American League record. Basically, Ohtani is on a similarly historic pace as the 2022 AL MVP (this should’ve been Ohtani!!!), but he also is a great pitcher? Hm. Shohei is in the 1st percentile for max exit velocity and expected slugging, while also being in the top 6th percentile for average exit velocity and hard hit rate. He will still swing and miss, but even his K% has shrunk to about league average. Long story short, Shohei Ohtani, barring unforeseen circumstances, can be penciled into the All-Star Game every single year.

Starting Pitcher

Michael Lorenzen, DET (Runner up: Gerrit Cole, NYY)

This is some nefarious activity on my part, no doubt. Michael Lorenzen was a surprising choice to make the AL All-Star Game roster, so why not keep the Lorenzen surprises rolling? Lorenzen has made 15 starts, tossing a 4.03 ERA and 4.17 FIP through 87.0 IP. No, you aren’t reading that wrong! Since every team needs to be represented in the All-Star Game, MLB deemed that Lorenzen was the most deserving Tiger to make the trip to Seattle. As baffling as it may be, he’s on the team. Every other pitcher on the team has better stats, but I feel that it would be such a fun and memorable game if Lorenzen started the game on the bump. Looking at his numbers, Lorenzen does a great job of limiting free passes (2.07 BB/9), but doesn’t strike batters out (6.83 K/9). You can tell he isn’t a bona-fide ground ball pitcher, given that he surrenders 1.14 HR/9. His straight fastball is adequate, but basically all of his other pitches get hit hard. All in all, Michael Lorenzen isn’t close to an All-Star caliber player, but it would be very entertaining and comedic if Dusty Baker gave him the starting nod.

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