MLB All-Star Game rosters: Rosenthal's picks for the 2024 Midsummer Classic (2024)

Not to bum anyone out, but here is a partial list of injured players who will not participate in the All-Star Game:

Ronald Acuña Jr.
Mookie Betts
Clayton Kershaw
J.T. Realmuto
Blake Snell
Spencer Strider
Mike Trout
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

And here is a partial list of players who, due to their limited playing time and/or subpar performance, are also unlikely to be All-Stars:

Nolan Arenado
Bo Bichette
Corbin Carroll
Gerrit Cole
Zac Gallen
Paul Goldschmidt
Julio Rodríguez
Max Scherzer
Justin Verlander

The list of absentees might only grow after two Phillies, first baseman Bryce Harper and designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, suffered injuries Thursday night.

But here’s the good news:

Even with all of those stars missing, the sport is so full of outstanding players, I still struggled to pick my 64 All-Stars. And my selections are sure to elicit the usual howls of injustice from the ready-to-erupt citizens of Angry America.

I’m not bothering to include players such as Betts and Tatis, who could win the fan voting but will be unable to appear. Not that it will calm anyone down, but by the time the rest of the replacements are named, approximately one-tenth of the league will be represented. Trust me. It happens every year.

When it comes to my selections, I’m something of an Entertainment Truther. Yes, I try to honor first-half performance. But let’s not forget, this game is a promotional vehicle, not a declaration of WAR. I want the biggest names, the rising stars, the players most likely to evoke oohs and aahs.

I recognize All-Star bonuses are on the line. Some worthy candidates might never get another shot at playing in the Midsummer Classic. But if you’re asking me if Paul Skenes needs to be in this game, yes, Paul Skenes needs to be in this game. And even though he has only 79 at-bats this season, I was tempted to include the electric Royce Lewis, too.

The two leading vote getters in Phase 1 of the balloting — Harper and Aaron Judge — earned automatic starting spots, as announced Thursday night. My starters, which include Harper and Judge, are in bold.

As always, I’m adhering to the rule that every club must be represented and that each All-Star team must feature 20 position players and 12 pitchers, at least three of whom are relievers. And as always, direct your venom to the comments section below or to my X handle, @Ken_Rosenthal.

American League

Pitchers

Corbin Burnes, BAL
Tyler Anderson, LAA
Ronel Blanco, HOU
Emmanuel Clase, CLE
Garrett Crochet, CWS
Luis Gil, NYY
Logan Gilbert, SEA
Tanner Houck, BOS
Seth Lugo, KC
Mason Miller, OAK
Tarik Skubal, DET
Kirby Yates, TEX

Notable omissions: Erick Fedde, CWS; Jack Flaherty, DET; Tim Herrin, CLE (check the numbers!); Clay Holmes, NYY; Kenley Jansen, BOS; George Kirby, SEA; Andres Muñoz, SEA; Cole Ragans, KC; Joe Ryan, MIN; Marcus Stroman, NYY.

Admittedly not the most star-studded group of starters, which is one reason I’m going with Burnes as my ahem, opener. Among the others, Flaherty and Ragans are the only ones I’m shafting who through Wednesday were in the top 10 in the AL in ERA.

Yates is one of only two Rangers on my entire squad — an oddity, considering Texas not only is the defending World Series champion but also the host of the game! Well, that’s what you get for being 37-44. Anderson, Crochet and Miller are their respective teams’ only representatives.

Catchers

Adley Rutschman, BAL
Salvador Perez, KC

Notable omissions: Ryan Jeffers, MIN; Logan O’Hoppe, LAA; Connor Wong, BOS.

This would be Perez’s ninth All-Star Game. Yadier Molina appeared in 10. Yogi Berra holds the record for a catcher with 15.

Infielders

1B Josh Naylor, CLE
1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr., TOR
2B Jose Altuve, HOU
2B Jordan Westburg, BAL
SS Gunnar Henderson, BAL
SS Bobby Witt Jr., KC
SS Carlos Correa, MIN
SS Corey Seager, TEX
3B José Ramírez, CLE
3B Rafael Devers, BOS

Notable omissions: Royce Lewis, MIN; Ryan Mountcastle, BAL; Marcus Semien, TEX; Josh Smith, TEX; Anthony Volpe, NYY.

Guerrero has the higher OPS, but Naylor has better counting numbers and is a heart-and-soul player for a first-place team. After Altuve, no AL second baseman is truly worthy — not even Semien, who is hitting at barely a league-average level. Westburg has played more third than second, but I chose him as my backup.

Smith is the Rangers’ most deserving position player. Seager is, at best, the fourth-most deserving AL shortstop. But hey, he’s Corey Seager, two-time World Series MVP, with the game in his home park. To get him on the team, I dropped Mountcastle, who would have been my fifth Oriole.

Outfielders

Aaron Judge, NYY
Juan Soto, NYY
Steven Kwan, CLE
Kyle Tucker, HOU
Riley Greene, DET
Jarren Duran, BOS

Notable omissions: J.J. Bleday, OAK; Anthony Santander, BAL.

Pretty self-explanatory. I love the idea of the 5-foot-9, 170-pound Kwan lining up next to the 6-7, 282-pound Judge.

Designated hitters

Yordan Alvarez, HOU
Isaac Paredes, TB

Notable omissions: David Fry, CLE; Ryan O’Hearn, BAL; Brent Rooker, OAK.

Identifying a Rays representative was difficult, which tells you everything you need to know about their season. Paredes leads the team in OPS, but doesn’t exactly qualify as a slam-dunk selection. Since June 7, he’s batting .188 with a .590 OPS.

Fry, who had almost 1,800 at-bats in the minors, only to make his debut at 27 and break out this season at 28, is the kind of rags-to-riches story that is worth honoring. Rooker suffers because Miller is the sexier attraction from the A’s, whose chances of getting two selections are about as good as me dunking on Zach Edey.

National League

Pitchers

Ranger Suárez, PHI
Tyler Glasnow, LAD
Sonny Gray, STL
Ryan Helsley, STL
Shota Imanaga, CHC
Max Fried, ATL
Reynaldo López, ATL
Chris Sale, ATL
Tanner Scott, MIA
Paul Skenes, PIT
Robert Suarez, SD
Zack Wheeler, PHI

Notable omissions: Javier Assad, CHC; Jesse Chavez, ATL; Kyle Finnegan, WAS; Bryan Hudson, MIL; Jake Irvin, WAS; Jared Jones, PIT; Mitch Keller; PIT; Trevor Megill, MIL; Cristopher Sanchez, PHI; Luis Severino, NYM; Gavin Stone, LAD; Ryan Thompson, ARI; Logan Webb, SF.

Braves fans will point out López’s ERA is 1.70 to Ranger Suárez’s 2.01, but Suárez is so much fun to watch, I don’t care. I’m including two other Braves starters, Sale and Fried, neither of whom has an ERA as good as that of Sanchez, who is one of my omissions. I easily could have included Hoffman or Strahm from the Phillies’ bullpen as well.

Know what I’d really like to see? Chavez making his first All-Star appearance at 40. Know what else I’d like to see? Hudson making the team after the Dodgers designated him for assignment to make room for Yamamoto. Hudson leads all NL relievers with a 0.84 ERA, and his 43 innings entering Thursday ranked sixth in the majors.

Catchers

Will Smith, LAD
Patrick Bailey, SF
William Contreras, MIL

I’d be comfortable with either Smith or Contreras starting, though both have tailed off offensively in June. Bailey, who has significantly fewer plate appearances than those two, would be my sole Giants rep.

Infielders

1B Bryce Harper, PHI
1B Freddie Freeman, LAD
2B Ketel Marte, ARI
2B Brice Turang, MIL
SS Elly De La Cruz, CIN
SS C.J. Abrams, WAS
SS Francisco Lindor, NYM
SS Ezequiel Tovar, COL
3B Alec Bohm, PHI
3B Manny Machado, SD

Notable omissions: Willy Adames, MIL; Luis Arraez, SD: Michael Busch, CHC; Jake Cronenworth, SDP; Jonathan India, CIN; Ryan McMahon, COL; Joey Ortiz, MIL; Christian Walker, ARI; Masyn Winn, STL.

Hoo boy, lots to explain here. Brewers fans will reasonably ask, why Machado over Ortiz? Well, he’s Manny Machado, his early struggles might have been attributable to his recovery from right elbow surgery and he has been hot in June.

Adames, meanwhile, gets bumped in part because each of the four shortstops is his only team’s representative (imagine if Betts were healthy; that position would have been even more crowded). Winn suffered for the same reason. I could have accounted for the Rockies by going with McMahon over Machado instead of Tovar over Winn. But again, I wanted Machado in the game.

Outfielders

Teoscar Hernández, LAD
Jurickson Profar, SD
Christian Yelich, MIL
Bryan Reynolds, PIT

Notable omissions: Jazz Chisholm Jr., MIA; Brandon Nimmo, NYM; Jackson Merrill, SDP; Jesse Winker, WAS.

We’re a long way from last year’s starting outfield of Acuña, Betts and Carroll, and Soto switched leagues. Going with only four outfielders is a stretch, but I’m trying to create spots elsewhere. Two of my DHs can pick up a glove, if necessary. Or, two of my outfielders — gasp! — can play nine innings.

Designated hitters

Shohei Ohtani, LAD
Marcell Ozuna, ATL
Kyle Schwarber, PHI

Notable omission: J.D. Martinez, NYM.

Ohtani entered Thursday first in the NL in OPS. Ozuna was third, Schwarber 12th. Defense? OK, maybe I’m dreaming with the latter two. Schwarber has played only three games in the outfield this season. Ozuna hasn’t played there since 2023, and even then it was only two games.

But tell me: Which one of these slugging monsters do you want to leave off the team?

(Top photo of Bryce Harper and Aaron Judge: Rich Schultz/Getty Images)