Following my last article where I gave my predictions for the National League All-Stars, We will now take a look at who should represent the AL at the mid-summer classic in Arlington, Texas.
C: Adley Rutschman, Orioles - This choice is honestly a toss-up between the Baltimore backstop or 8x All-Star Salvador Perez of the KC Royals. Adley has played more games as a catcher in comparison to Perez, so he gets the nod for that reason. He also leads all AL catchers in WAR (2.2), Avg, HR, and RBIs.
1B: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays - An extremely weak position group for the AL this season, this selection could very well go to Salvador Perez, but he has only played 18 games at 1B this season. So Guerrero is the next best option, I see him getting the nod due to the fan vote, but if it was strictly performance it should be Perez or Ryan Mountcastle of the Orioles.
2B: Marcus Semien, Rangers - The 2023 World Series champ is having a down year at the plate, a steep regression in comparison to his offense numbers from last year. What gives him the selection however has been his stellar defense, where he currently leads all of baseball in OAA. His incredible glove is the main reason why he is atop the WAR leaderboard for all AL 2B, but like 1B this is a toss-up between Semien, Jordan Westburg of the Orioles, or Jose Altuve of the Astros.
3B: Jose Ramirez, Guardians - The best player on the team with the 3rd best record in the AL is extremely deserving of the starting 3B selection. JRam leads all AL 3B in RBIs, WAR, and HR, giving one of the most underrated players in MLB history his 6th All-Star selection.
SS: Gunnar Henderson, Orioles - This is extremely unfair to KC SS Bobby Witt Jr, but since there can only be one starter, it's gotta be Henderson. He has the second-best WAR in all of baseball, 2nd in HR, and has been the best hitter on an Orioles team with the 3rd best record in baseball. Unfortunately for Witt, having the 4th best WAR in baseball doesn’t even get you an All-Star starting position this season.
OF: Aaron Judge, Yankees - After an awful first 31 games where the Yankee captain batted .207, Judge has been on a record-breaking stretch since May. Some of the numbers the former MVP winner is putting up are honestly unfathomable. He leads all of baseball in WAR (5.0), HR (26), RBIs (64), Slug %, WRC+, and OPS+ (211). The statistics speak for themselves, and Judge has been the best player in the entire league this season. This first-half performance easily earns him his 6th All-Star selection and is on his way to winning a second MVP.
OF: Juan Soto, Yankees - There were incredible amounts of pressure and expectations when the 2019 World Series champ was traded to the Bronx in late 2023, and Soto hasn’t missed one beat since putting on the pinstripes. He has the 3rd best WAR in all of baseball, to go along with the best OBP in the MLB. The #2 & #3 hitters in the Yankee lineup are arguably the 2 best players in baseball this season, and Yankee fans hope that Soto is a member of the team for the rest of his career.
OF: Kyle Tucker, Astros - Before his injury, Tucker was the best player on an Astros team that has been struggling to start 2024. Tucker has a team-best 19 HR, 40 RBIs, and is 3rd in AL outfielder WAR (3.2). He was placed on the 10-Day IL after being hit in the shin from a foul ball on 6/3 but is likely to return before the All-Star game in mid-July.
DH: Yordan Alvarez, Astros - Considering the space city slugger has played 50 out of 73 games this season as a DH, he seems like the rightful choice. With 14 HR, 37 RBIs, 2.0 WAR, and an OPS+ of 150, there is really no better candidate in the AL. The only full-time DH in the AL worthy of contention has been Giancarlo Stanton of the Yankees, but Yordan is the clear choice for this position.
SP: Tanner Houck, Red Sox - An incredibly close race between Houck, Corbin Burnes, and Luis Gil for the starting role in the All-Star Game could see any of the 3 get the nod, but my choice is Houck. Currently atop the WAR charts for all MLB pitchers (3.3), and 2nd in AL ERA (2.14), He has been one of the best pitchers in baseball the entire season. In terms of star power and name recognition, Burnes probably gets the pick, but mine goes to Tanner Houck.
Those were my selection for the American League starting lineup for the 2024 MLB All-Star game. Who do you think should be representing the AL in Texas this season?
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