MLB All
HomeHome > News > MLB All

MLB All

Jun 01, 2023

The final voting results for the 2023 MLB All-Star Game were announced Thursday night, and the nine starting position players for the American League and National League have been revealed.

On the AL side, the Texas Rangers led the way with four starters, including the middle infield tandem of Marcus Semien and Corey Seager, as well as first-time All-Stars Jonah Heim and rookie Josh Jung.

In the NL, the Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers have three starters each, while the Senior Circuit has its own rookie in Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll.

All things considered, the fans did a solid job voting for the most deserving players at each spot, though there were a few notable snubs.

Ahead we've broken down every 2023 All-Star Game starter and provided a take on whether they were the most deserving player at their position or if someone else should have received the starting nod.

The rest of the pitchers and reserve position players will be announced on Sunday evening, and the 2023 All-Star Game will be played on July 11 at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.

Fan Pick: Jonah Heim, Texas Rangers

Heim leads all AL catchers with 2.3 WAR and is tied for seventh in the majors with 55 RBI while hitting out of the No. 5 spot in a stacked Texas Rangers lineup. The 28-year-old is batting .279/.331/.469 with 17 doubles and 11 home runs, and he also ranks as the league's best pitch-framer.

Who Deserved to Start: Heim

There is certainly a case to be made for Adley Rutschman, who has 77 hits, 52 walks and a .378 on-base percentage for a contending Baltimore Orioles team, but Heim is the deserving starter. Both up-and-comers could be staples on the AL roster for the foreseeable future.

Fan Pick: Sean Murphy, Atlanta Braves

In his first season with the team, Murphy has become the first Atlanta Braves catcher since Brian McCann in 2011 to be voted to start the All-Star Game. The 28-year-old has a career-high 146 OPS+ with 14 doubles, 13 home runs and 44 RBI, and he leads all qualified catchers in overall defensive value, according to FanGraphs.

Who Deserved to Start: Murphy

The offensive stats are close across the board between Murphy and Will Smith, and the Los Angeles Dodgers standout actually holds a narrow edge in WAR (2.8 vs. 2.6), but Murphy is superior enough defensively to break the tie in his favor. Look for Smith to earn a long overdue first All-Star selection as a reserve.

Fan Pick: Yandy Díaz, Tampa Bay Rays

With a 142 OPS+ and .401 on-base percentage last season, it's not like Yandy Díaz has come out of nowhere this year, but he has definitely taken his game to another level. The 31-year-old is hitting .322/.407/.521 for a 160 OPS+ with 16 doubles, 12 home runs and 38 RBI, putting him just three home runs away from setting a new career high.

Who Deserved to Start: Díaz

He may lack the national name recognition of guys like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (123 OPS+, 11 HR, 49 RBI) and Anthony Rizzo (119 OPS+, 11 HR, 37 RBI), but there is no question Díaz deserved the starting nod in his first All-Star Game appearance. With Nathaniel Lowe (122 OPS+, 2.5 WAR) also having a terrific season, the battle for reserve spots will likely leave at least one notable snub.

Fan Pick: Freddie Freeman, Los Angeles Dodgers

An All-Star starter for the fourth time in his career and the first time in a Dodgers uniform, Freeman is having an MVP-caliber season. Along with an MLB-leading 27 doubles, he is also hitting .317/.395/.543 for a 150 OPS+ with 14 home runs and 49 RBI. He leads all first basemen in both leagues with 3.2 WAR in 79 games.

Who Deserved to Start: Freeman

Atlanta Braves slugger Matt Olson leads the NL in home runs (26) and RBI (62), but he is hitting just .237/.346/.542 on the year for an .888 OPS that is 50 points that is lower than Freeman's .938 mark. Paul Goldschmidt (STL) and Christian Walker (ARI) should also be in the mix for reserve spots.

Fan Pick: Marcus Semien, Texas Rangers

The Texas Rangers have been one of baseball's best teams during the first half and Semien leads the club with 3.4 WAR in the second season of a seven-year, $175 million deal. He is hitting .282/.341/.460 with 37 extra-base hits, 55 RBI and 65 runs scored while continuing to play Gold Glove-caliber defense.

Who Deserved to Start: Semien

Considering no other AL second baseman has even put up 2.0 WAR on the year this one was an absolute no-brainer. Mauricio Dubon (HOU) looks like the best candidate for a reserve spot, but his .307 on-base percentage and 96 OPS+ don't exactly scream All-Star, so don't be surprised if Semien is the only second baseman on the AL roster.

Fan Pick: Luis Arraez, Miami Marlins

Who doesn't love a player chasing history? After going 1-for-5 at the plate on Wednesday, Arraez is now hitting .396 on the year as he looks to become the first player since Ted Williams in 1941 to bat .400 in a season. The 26-year-old has put the ball in play in 274 of his 318 plate appearances and is questionably the game's best contact hitter.

Who Deserved to Start: Arraez

Ketel Marte is having a fantastic season for a surprise contender in Arizona, hitting .294/.373/.522 with 13 doubles, 15 home runs and 44 RBI. However, even with his massive advantage in power production, his 144 OPS+ is still dwarfed by the 159 OPS+ that Arraez has posted this year. Ozzie Albies leads all NL second baseman in home runs (18) and RBI (56) and was the runner-up in balloting.

Fan Pick: Josh Jung, Texas Rangers

Jung has emerged as the AL Rookie of the Year front-runner by hitting .274/.326/.488 with 15 doubles, 16 home runs and 47 RBI, and will be the first Texas Rangers rookie ever to start the All-Star Game. The 25-year-old has cooled off a bit in June, hitting just .229 with a .691 OPS this month, but his overall numbers are still All-Star worthy.

Who Deserved to Start: José Ramírez, Cleveland Guardians

With all due respect to Jung who deserves a spot on the AL squad, the best third baseman in the AL so far this year is Ramírez. The four-time All-Star leads Jung by a wide margin in both WAR (3.1 to 2.2) and OPS+ (148 to 121), and while the Rangers rookie has cooled off this month, Ramirez is hitting in .340/.406/.660 in June.

Fan Pick: Nolan Arenado, St. Louis Cardinals

After an ugly first month, Arenado is hitting .294/.345/.587 with 14 home runs and 40 RBI in 48 games since May 1. The 32-year-old has now been an All-Star eight times in 11 MLB seasons, and continues to build a compelling Hall of Fame case with at least a few more prime years on the horizon.

Who Deserved to Start: Arenado

Bargain signing Jeimer Candelario (WAS) leads all NL third baseman with 2.6 WAR, while Ryan McMahon (COL), Austin Riley (ATL) and J.D. Davis (SF) are also having solid seasons, but none of them are head and shoulders above Arenado to the point of calling his starting nod egregious, especially considering how well he has played the last two months.

Fan Pick: Corey Seager, Texas Rangers

Seager missed 31 games earlier this year with a hamstring injury, but that hasn't stopped him from ranking fourth among all shortstops with 2.8 WAR in his limited action. A starter for the first time in his fourth trip to the Midsummer Classic, Seager is hitting .345/.411/.609 with 32 extra-base hits in 224 plate appearances.

Who Deserved to Start: Bo Bichette, Toronto Blue Jays

This one was tough. Seager is the best shortstop in baseball at this very moment, but it's difficult to overlook the fact that he's only played 49 games. Meanwhile, Bichette has been healthy all season and currently leads the AL in batting average (.323) and hits (110) while also making huge strides defensively (-16 DRS to 2 DRS). And then there's Wander Franco, who leads all shortstops with 3.9 WAR playing for the best team in baseball. Those three could battle it out for the starting spot for years to come.

Fan Pick: Orlando Arcia, Atlanta Braves

Most MLB fans expected Vaughn Grissom to take over as the Atlanta Braves shortstop after Dansby Swanson walked in free agency, but instead it's been Arcia who is having a career year in his age-28 season. Once a top prospect in the Milwaukee Brewers system, he is hitting .303/.358/.436 for a 113 OPS+ with 16 extra-base hits while playing a stellar shortstop defensively.

Who Deserved to Start: Arcia

There's a case to be made for Dansby Swanson (CHC) and Francisco Lindor (NYM), but who doesn't love an unexpected underdog story? Arcia was the No. 8 prospect in baseball at the start of the 2016 season and viewed as a franchise building block for the Brewers, but they moved on and acquired Willy Adames and now he's making the most of his second chance to prove he can be an everyday guy.

Fan Picks: Mike Trout (LAA), Randy Arozarena (TB) and Aaron Judge (NYY)

Trout and Judge might be the two most recognizable names in baseball on a national level right now outside of Shohei Ohtani, so it's not surprising to see them among the leading vote-getters. Arozarena is hitting .286/.401/.475 for a career-high 146 OPS+ with 14 home runs and 54 RBI, making him a deserving first-time selection.

Who Deserved to Start: Arozarena, Luis Robert Jr. (CWS) and Adolis García (TEX)

Trout is hitting .190 with more strikeouts (28) than hits (15) in June, and Judge has been sidelined for weeks with a torn ligament in his toe. Robert (139 OPS+, 23 HR, 45 RBI, 3.8 WAR) and García (130 OPS+, 20 HR, 66 RBI, 3.2 WAR) are the only AL outfielders with at least 3.0 WAR and are far more deserving starters. Austin Hays (BAL), Kevin Kiermaier (TOR) and Alex Verdugo (BOS) are also worth a mention.

Fan Pick: Ronald Acuña Jr. (ATL), Mookie Betts (LAD) and Corbin Carroll (ARI)

Acuña secured his spot on the team as the NL's leading vote-getter after Phase 1 of the voting process, and deservedly so as he is the NL MVP front-runner and poised to make a run at a 40/40 season. Betts has a 131 OPS+ with 20 home runs and 50 RBI, while Carroll has been baseball's best rookie and a legitimate MVP candidate himself as the best player on an upstart D-backs squad.

Who Deserved to Start: Acuna, Betts and Carroll

There is a clearly defined top five among NL outfielders, with the above trio joined by San Diego Padres teammates Fernando Tatis Jr. and Juan Soto. Any combination of those five guys would be a worthy starting outfield, with guys like Nick Castellanos (PHI), Brandon Marsh (PHI), Brandon Nimmo (NYM) and Lane Thomas (WAS) among the other reserve candidates.

Fan Pick: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels

Ohtani punched his ticket to a third straight All-Star Game as the AL's leading vote-getter through Phase 1, and baseball's biggest star is hitting .308/.389/.659 while leading the MLB in OPS+ (182), home runs (28) and total bases (205). He has a 1.398 OPS with 13 home runs in June, and is currently the hottest hitter on the planet.

Who Deserved to Start: Ohtani

With Yordan Álvarez (HOU) listed as an outfielder on the All-Star ballot, the outcome here was never in doubt.

Fan Pick: J.D. Martinez, Los Angeles Dodgers

Signed to a one-year, $10 million deal during the offseason, Martinez has been a great addition to the Dodgers lineup. The 35-year-old has a 129 OPS+ with 18 home runs and 51 RBI, already eclipsing last year's home run total in more than 300 fewer plate appearances, and he has a 1.006 OPS over 73 plate appearances with runners in scoring position.

Who Deserved to Start: Jorge Soler, Miami Marlins

Soler has the superior OPS+ (135 vs. 129), more home runs (21 vs. 18), more total bases (145 to 140) and a higher WAR (1.2 vs. 0.8), so as good as Martinez has been this year, the Miami Marlins slugger has been a tick better. Pittsburgh Pirates veteran Andrew McCutchen also deserves a mention for his .394 on-base percentage that ranks eighth among all qualified hitters.

All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and accurate through Wednesday's games.