As we get closer to this year’s MLB All-Star Game in Seattle, the rosters are starting to come into view.
Last week, MLB announced that the first phase of this year’s All-Star Game vote had concluded and the finalists at each position were revealed. You may have already submitted your votes, but if not, you still have a chance as Phase 2 voting runs until Thursday, June 29 at noon Eastern. The official starters will be announced later that day.
And as fans submit votes for their final choices, the Pitcher List staff also cast their votes for the All-Star game starters in both the NL and AL. We also weighed in on which aces deserve to take the mound as the starting pitchers on July 11 in Seattle.
Without further ado, here are the 2023 Pitcher List All-Stars (the statistics quoted below are current as of 6/23/23).
National League
First Base: Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgers
(runner-up: Pete Alonso, New York Mets)
Freeman received 75% of the Pitcher List vote for National League First Base. He is having another All-Star caliber season hitting .323 with 14 home runs, 47 RBI, and 10 steals, and this would be his seventh All-Star nod. If Freeman keeps going like this for a few more seasons, it raises an interesting question – is he a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame?
Second Base: Luis Arraez, Miami Marlins
(runner-up: Jonathan India, Cincinnati Reds)
The quest for .400 lifted Luis Arraez into the starting second base position over Jonathan India. If he can keep it up over the second half, Arraez would go down in history as the first player to hit .400 since Ted Williams in 1941. And if he doesn’t end up hitting over .400, he will still have a season to remember for the Marlins. He also currently leads baseball with a .452 OBP. He was a first-time All-Star last season with the Twins before being traded to Miami in the offseason.
Third Base: Nolan Arenado, St. Louis Cardinals
(runner-up: Austin Riley, Atlanta Braves)
Arenado has been a National League All-Star seven times in his career (five with the Rockies & two with the Cardinals), so he is no stranger to this honor. Arenado is hitting .272 with 15 home runs and 50 RBI so far this year. This was one of the most split votes of any position as Arenado received 38% of the vote, and four others also received votes (Ryan McMahon, J.D. Davis, Max Muncy, and Austin Riley).
Shortstop: Orlando Arcia, Atlanta Braves
(runner-up: Xander Bogaerts, San Diego Padres)
This was another split vote as six total players ended up with votes (Arcia, Bogaerts, Francisco Lindor, Matt McLain, Dansby Swanson, and Trea Turner). Arcia prevailed on the back of his .330 batting average. He’s having the best season of his career for Atlanta, hitting .330/.388/.476 and adding six home runs and 26 RBI. Bogarts is having a down season by his standards hitting .259 with eight home runs and 27 RBI.
Catcher: Sean Murphy, Atlanta Braves
(runner-up: Will Smith, Los Angeles Dodgers)
A lot of Atlanta Braves are popping up on this list, and that includes Sean Murphy. Murphy received over 50% of the vote and beat out Will Smith and Elias Díaz for the starting nod. Murphy is averaging career highs in batting average (.286) and OBP (.383), and he’s on pace to set new career highs in home runs and RBI. Smith is also having a strong season with a .292 average.
Outfield: Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta Braves; Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks
(tied for third): Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers and Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres
Acuna and Carroll were the top selections in the NL, with nearly 90% of Pitcher List ballots including their names. Acuña is hitting .329/.403/.563 and is on a historic pace with 16 home runs and 33 stolen bases thus far – which puts him on pace for the first 30/60 season. He also leads baseball with 66 runs scored.
Carroll has been sensational during his first full season for the surprising first-place Diamondbacks, hitting .301 with 16 home runs, 41 RBI, and 23 stolen bases. The Diamondbacks signed him to a long-term extension earlier this spring, and he’s already making that look like a great deal (8 years/$111 million).
Designated Hitter: Jorge Soler, Miami Marlins
(runner-up – tied for second): Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies; J.D. Martinez, Los Angeles Dodgers)
Soler is a notoriously streaky hitter, but he has been dialed in for most of this season, slugging 21 home runs and 45 RBI while hitting a respectable .252 and he earns the starting nod at DH. Bryce Harper has only played in 43 games after returning from Tommy John surgery, otherwise he may have been a shoo-in for this spot.
American League
First Base: Yandy Díaz, Tampa Bay Rays
(Runner-up: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Toronto Blue Jays)
Diaz had a nice season in 2022 as he hit .296 with an elite .401 OBP. The knock on him has been his lack of power evidenced by his single-digit home run total last season (nine home runs and 57 RBI). His career high in home runs was back in 2019 when he hit 14.
However, this season he’s been exploding for the Rays, nearly passing his single-season career high in the first half. Diaz has already hit 12 home runs with 38 RBI and is slashing .309/.398/.516 for the first-place Rays. The Pitcher List staff voted Diaz in with 56% of the vote. Guerrero was second with 25% of the vote.
Second Base: Marcus Semien, Texas Rangers
This one was unanimous as Semien received 100% of the vote. In his first season in Texas last year, Semien pulled off a 25/25 season and cleared 100 runs while leading baseball in plate appearances for the second year in a row. He again leads baseball this season with 349 PA. This equals a lot of chances to rack up stats in the Rangers’ high-powered offense. Semien’s on pace to set a new career-high in runs (his previous high was 123 in 2019) and has hit 10 home runs with 54 RBI and seven steals.
Third Base: José Ramírez, Cleveland Guardians
(Runner-up: Josh Jung, Texas Rangers)
Ramírez is in the midst of another strong season with 11 home runs, 45 RBI, and six steals while hitting .294/.357/.513. The four-time All-Star has been an All-Star for the last two seasons and finished second in the American League MVP race in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Josh Jung was second with 31% of the vote and Rafael Devers and Matt Chapman also received votes.
Shortstop: Wander Franco, Tampa Bay Rays
(Runner-up: Bo Bichette, Toronto Blue Jays)
The 22-year-old Franco is no doubt an elite talent and has already set career highs in home runs (8) and stolen bases (24). He’s hitting .284 and his 34 RBI are not far behind his career-high of 39 from his rookie season. However, he recently was benched for the way he has handled frustration when things haven’t gone his way on the field. It will be interesting to see if he bounces back from this and if he continues to hit well in the second half. Bo Bichette was second with 31% of the vote.
Catcher: Adley Rutschman, Baltimore Orioles
(Runner-up: Jonah Heim, Texas Rangers)
The Pitcher List results matched the real-life voting as Rutschman and Heim were the top two vote-getters at catcher. Rutschman looks like a perennial All-Star at this position based on what he’s done so far in his second season. He has 10 home runs, 32 RBI, and is hitting .272 with a .382 OBP. He received over 60% of the vote. Jonah Heim was second in the voting with 25% and is also having a breakout season with the Rangers. He has also hit 10 home runs but has a clear advantage on Rutschman with 54 RBI.
Outfield: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees; Randy Arozarena, Tampa Bay Rays
(tied for third): Yordan Alvarez, Houston Astros and Adolis García, Texas Rangers
Judge and Arozarena were head and shoulders above the rest of the competition as each received over 75% of the vote in earning two of the three outfielder spots. Sluggers Yordan Alvarez and Adolis García are battling for the American League RBI crown and they are also tied for the third and final outfielder spot on the Pitcher List American League squad. You really can’t go wrong with any of these picks as they are all having outstanding seasons.
Designated Hitter: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels
(runner-up: Brent Rooker, Oakland Athletics)
There was nearly a second unanimous vote, this time for Shohei Ohtani as the American League DH, but one vote was cast for Brent Rooker. Perhaps the person was trying to make sure Rooker was the A’s lone guaranteed representative? Or maybe they clicked too fast? We don’t know the answer, although Rooker is having a nice season with 13 home runs and 38 RBI.
However, this spot belongs to Ohtani and his Major League-leading 26 home runs, 62 RBI, and insane .630 SLG and 1.009 OPS. He appears well on his way to a second MVP trophy as he keeps re-writing the record books.
Starting Pitchers
American League: Shane McClanahan, Tampa Bay Rays
(runner-up: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels)
Shane McClanahan has been lights out in 2023 with an 11-1 record, a 2.23 ERA, and a 1.11 WHIP while racking up 100 strikeouts in 93 IP. He’s currently battling mid-back tightness, but the Rays believe he can avoid the DL. Hopefully, McClanahan should be ready for the All-Star game.
National League: Zac Gallen, Arizona Diamondbacks
(runner-up: Marcus Stroman, Chicago Cubs)
Gallen earned the starting pitcher spot in the National League as he sits at 9-2 with a 2.84 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. He got off to a scorching start to the season, highlighted by his 28-inning scoreless streak which he racked up over four consecutive starts.