Even if the Midsummer Classic isn’t until the middle of summer, it’s never too soon to start marking MLB All-Star predictions for 2023.
Long before All-Star voting begins, we have a good idea of who deserves to be there. With any luck, this year’s game will end up being among the best games in All-Star history.
MLB All Star predictions in 2023
Admittedly, there is still a lot of time to change our All-Star roster projections. Some players could get hurt while others could cool off after a hot start.
But again, there’s no harm in making early MLB All-Star predictions for 2023. That’s why we were eager to share what players we think deserve to be at the Midsummer Classic with our MLB All-Star predictions for 2023.
American League Starters
Jonah Heim, Catcher
The AL has some good catchers this year. But Jonah Heim is the only one who’s batting over .300.
With Heim playing a big role in getting the Rangers to first place, he deserves to be the All-Star Game starter.
Yandy Diaz, First Base
Look for the Rays to be well-represented at this year’s All-Star Game.
How could they not be given their incredible start? Yandy Diaz is batting well over .300 and has an OPS over 1.000. Right now, that’s enough to hold off Anthony Rizzo and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
Marcus Semien, Second Base
Most of the top second basemen are in the National League, so there is nobody putting up a fight with Marcus Semien right now.
He’s earning his big paycheck from Texas and is the only second baseman in the AL with an OPS over .800.
Matt Chapman, Third Base
Rafael Devers and Isaac Paredes have a strong case, but few hitters have been as good as Matt Chapman this season.
He might have just five homers on the season, but his 18 doubles and .318 average over 42 games more than makes up for that, giving Toronto’s third baseman the nod at the hot corner.
Bo Bichette, Shortstop
It’ll be an all-Toronto left side of the infield for the American League with Bo Bichette being the AL’s best shortstop thus far.
Naturally, Tampa’s Wander Franco has given him a strong run. But Bitchette is batting over .300 and has more homers than Franco, so Toronto’s shortstop has the edge.
Randy Arozarena, Left Field
Yet another member of the Rays is starting in the All-Star Game with Randy Arozarena having an outstanding first half.
He leads all MLB left fielders in home runs while also batting over .300. That makes this a quick and easy conversation in terms of who should be starting.
Aaron Judge, Center Field
Obviously, Aaron Judge isn’t matching what he did last season. But he’s still putting together an outstanding season despite missing some time on the IL.
Plus, he’s started more games in center field than right field for the Yankees. That matters because he’s out-performing the rest of the AL center fielders, including Mike Trout and Luis Robert.
Adolis Garcia, Right Field
With all due respect to Boston’s Alex Verdugo, playing for the first-place Rangers helps to give Adolis Garcia the edge in right field.
It also helps that Garcia already has 13 home runs and is averaging more than one RBI per game. There are only a couple of players who are even close to Garcia in RBIs, making him the obvious pick to start in right field for the AL.
Brent Rooker, DH
The All-Star Game rules stipulate that Oakland must have one representative. But in the case of Brent Rooker, he’s actually earned a spot.
With 11 homers and an OPS over 1.000, Rooker has been the best DH in the American League that season, even out-performing Shohei Ohtani and Yordan Alvarez, which says a lot.
Sonny Gray, Starting Pitcher
With so many good candidates, Sonny Gray has been a little better than the pack in the American League and deserves to start the All-Star Game right now.
Gerrit Cole is neck-and-neck with Gray at the moment. But Minnesota’s ace has been a little more effective and actually has a better strikeout rate than Cole, giving him the edge at the moment.
National League Starters
Sean Murphy, Catcher
Elias Diaz of the Rockies deserves strong consideration because he’s hitting around .330 thus far. But Sean Murphy’s power puts him over the top.
He’s mashed 10 homers and nine doubles in his first 37 games, giving him an OPS that’s nearly 1.000 for the Braves, who will be well-represented at the Midsummer Classic.
Paul Goldschmidt, First Base
The likes of Pete Alonso, Matt Olson, and Christian Walker all have more home runs than Paul Goldschmidt.
But the reigning MVP is still the best all-around first baseman in baseball. He’s done his part to keep the struggling Cardinals afloat to this point in the season.
Luis Arraez, Second Base
This all-star selection should be a no-brainer because the reigning batting champ in the American League is still flirting with .400 after being traded to the Marlins.
Even if he slumps for a month, Luis Arraez will still deserve to be the starter in the All-Star Game, as he aims to win batting titles in both leagues in consecutive years.
Patrick Wisdom, Third Base
The usual suspects like Nolan Arenado and Austin Riley aren’t hitting their normal numbers, so the starting spot at third base is wide open in the NL right now.
It’s a close call between Max Muncy and Patrick Wisdom, but we’ll give the nod to Wisdom because he’s been a little less reliant on the home run for his production.
Xander Bogaerts, Shortstop
After four all-star appearances for the American League, Xander Bogaerts could be starting for the National League this year.
He’s one of the few Padres to have a good first half. Meanwhile, Francisco Lindor, Trea Turner, and Dansby Swanson aren’t living up to their usual numbers or their paychecks, making it a little easier to make Bogaerts the starting shortstop.
Lourdes Gurriel, Left Field
It looks like Lourdes Gurriel is finally stepping out of his brother’s shadow. He’s having an outstanding season as part of what has been a dynamic outfield in Arizona.
With Juan Soto getting off to a slow start, Gurriel gets the start in left field with Ian Happ and Bryan Reynolds good candidates to make the All-Star Team as reserves.
Brandon Marsh, Center Field
The competition to be the starting center fielder in the NL figures to be fierce over the next month or so. Current Dodger James Outman and former Dodger Cody Bellinger are both having strong seasons.
Also, don’t count out Brandon Nimmo of the Mets just yet. However, Brandon Marsh has been incredible for the Phillies despite their disappointing start to the season, so he’s in the lead at the moment.
Ronald Acuna Jr., Right Field
If the season ended today, there would be no doubt that Ronald Acuna Jr. would be the MVP in the National League. He’s finally healthy and is performing like a bonafide superstar.
Even if the NL has plenty of other quality right fielders, he’s going to be the starter at the All-Star Game, no questions asked.
Nolan Gorman, DH
Despite also being a part-time infielder, Nolan Gorman has established himself as the top DH in the National League this season.
His power has been undeniable, but he’s also getting on base and hitting for a better average than the likes of Jorge Soler and Andrew McCutchen, who have been solid but have failed to do as much damage as Gorman in 2023.
Bryce Elder, Starting Pitcher
For the sake of nostalgia, it might be fun to make Clayton Kershaw the NL starter because he’s had a fine season. But based on merit alone, it’s a toss-up between Alex Cobb and Bryce Elder.
Neither one has a particularly impressive strikeout rate, which is why it’s hard not to also include Kershaw, Zac Gallen, and others in the conversation. But Elder has been phenomenal at keeping opposing players off the base paths, and right now, that’s the difference between him and everyone else, making him the National League’s projected All-Star Game starter.