1 little-known player from each MLB team who could be an All-Star

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Now that we are officially past Memorial Day and June is nearly upon us, it’s time to start talking about the MLB All-Star Game.

As there is every season, there will be a plethora of new All-Stars. In 2021, there were a staggering 43 first-time All-Stars for the All-Star Game in Denver, including nine in the starting lineup.

Today, we will look at one player from each MLB team who could be an All-Star in 2022 that would be a first-time All-Star and someone that you may never have heard of before. Let’s start out in the senior circuit and in the East.

All stats are current entering play on Memorial Day.

1 player you may not have heard of from each team that could be an MLB All-Star

Atlanta Braves: Kyle Wright

Entering play on Monday, one of the best starting pitchers for the reigning World Series champion Atlanta Braves this year has been Kyle Wright.

He has appeared in the majors for parts of the last four seasons but already has pitched more in the majors this year than any other season prior.

He has a 2.68 ERA in nine starts with a 2.82 FIP, a 1.043 WHIP, and striking out more than 10 batters per nine innings.

Miami Marlins: Pablo López

Entering Monday, Pablo López was pitching extremely well for the Miami Marlins and he is, perhaps, one of the most underrated starting pitchers in baseball.

His 2.04 ERA in nine starts was fourth in the NL (behind his teammate Sandy Alcantara at 2.00) as was his WHIP (0.962) with 56 strikeouts, which was tied for 13th in the NL. His rWAR was 2.2, which is the seventh-highest in the NL.

New York Mets: Brandon Nimmo

Brandon Nimmo has been a good player for a few years now but he hasn’t been able to stay healthy.

The outfielder has played in 42 games and he’s hitting .293/.386/.452 with an OPS+ of 144, three homers, 17 RBI, eight doubles, and an MLB-leading four triples.

Philadelphia Phillies: Seranthony Domínguez

Not many relievers are selected for the All-Star Game but Seranthony Domínguez is finally healthy, pitching well, and flies a bit under the radar.

He has appeared in 19 games with an ERA of 2.00, a 2.03 FIP, and he’s striking out 11 batters per nine innings.

Washington Nationals: Yadiel Hernández

Outfielder Yadiel Hernández has been one of a few bright spots on an awful Washington Nationals team.

He’s hitting .307/.350/.472 in 137 plate appearances, which is about 70 fewer appearances than most everyday players but his 139 OPS+ is second only to Juan Soto’s 143 on the team.

May 28, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Keegan Thompson (71) delivers against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports /

Chicago Cubs: Keegan Thompson

Despite primarily being a reliever (11 games, three starts), Keegan Thompson has been one of the best pitchers in baseball and the best player for the Chicago Cubs.

Thompson had an ERA of 1.58 with a 1.025 WHIP and an average of 2.5 walks and 7.9 strikeouts per nine innings.

His rWAR is 2.1, which was tied for fourth-highest in the NL.

Cincinnati Reds: Tyler Stephenson

Cincinnati Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson has been one of about three average to above-average players for the team in 2022 but he could be their lone All-Star.

He’s hitting .304/.366/.468 with a wRC+ of 131. That’s second-highest among catchers with at least 120 plate appearances in baseball.

Milwaukee Brewers: Eric Lauer

Eric Lauer was projected to be the fifth starter for the Milwaukee Brewers this season but he has been a solid #2 starter behind reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes.

Lauer is 5-1 in eight starts with an ERA of 2.31. He has a FIP of 3.57, an excellent WHIP of 1.007, and he’s averaging just 2.3 walks in comparison to 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings.

Pittsburgh Pirates: David Bednar

David Bednar has, arguably, been the best closer in baseball to start the season but since he’s on the Pittsburgh Pirates, you don’t hear much about him.

He has a 0.75 ERA in 20 games with nine saves, a 0.667 WHIP, and an average of 1.5 BB/9 and 11.6 K/9.

St. Louis Cardinals: Ryan Helsley

Ryan Helsley is another reliever that has been absolutely phenomenal in 2022.

He has an ERA of 0.00 in 14 games (16.1 innings) with three saves with a 0.38 FIP (the best in baseball), a 0.306 WHIP, just two hits allowed, 1.7 BB/9, and 14.9 K/9.

PHILADELPHIA, PA – APRIL 26: C.J. Cron #25 of the Colorado Rockies looks on against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on April 26, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies defeated the Rockies 10-3. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Arizona Diamondbacks: Daulton Varsho

Daulton Varsho is a very odd player in today’s age who is an outfielder who also catches, as he has played 25 games in center field and 18 games as a catcher.

Varsho, the son of former MLB outfielder and coach Gary Varsho, has hit .264/.335/.478 with eight homers, 21 RBI, and an OPS+ of 131.

Colorado Rockies: C.J. Cron

Colorado Rockies fans are definitely familiar with C.J. Cron since he led the team in home runs (28) and RBI (95) last season but he has been even better this season and he has yet to be an All-Star in his career.

Cron is hitting .308/.358/.584 with an OPS+ of 153, 13 homers, and 37 RBI. His slash line numbers are seventh, eighth, and fourth in the NL. His OPS+ is sixth and the home runs and RBI are second and fifth in the league as well.

Overall, his 2.0 rWAR is eighth in the NL among position players.

Los Angeles Dodgers: Tony Gonsolin

Tony Gonsolin is finally healthy for the Los Angeles Dodgers so if he stays healthy, he could be an All-Star.

He is 5-0 with a 1.80 ERA, a 3.18 FIP, a 0.933 WHIP, and an average of 3.2 BB/9 and 8.8 K/9.

San Diego Padres: MacKenzie Gore

MacKenzie Gore was MLB.com’s #5 overall prospect entering the 2020 season. However, due to the minor league season being canceled in 2020 and injuries in 2021, Gore fell way down on the prospect lists.

He made his MLB debut this year, though, and he has been the best starting pitcher for the San Diego Padres. He is 3-1 with a 1.71 ERA in eight games (seven starts) with a 2.35 FIP, a 1.071 WHIP, and an average of 3.0 BB/9 and 10.1 K/9.

San Francisco Giants: Jakob Junis

The Kansas City Royals were unable to figure Jakob Junis out but now that he is with the San Francisco Giants and healthy, he has finally figured things out.

In six games (four starts), he has a 2.76 ERA with a 148 ERA+, a 3.81 FIP, and a 0.949 WHIP. He’s only striking out 6.6 batters per nine innings but he’s only averaging 1.4 walks per nine innings too.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 12: Nestor Cortes #65 of the New York Yankees pitches during the first inning of the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium on April 12, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) /

Baltimore Orioles: Austin Hays

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Austin Hays has been, by far, the best offensive player on the team.

Hays is hitting .297/.361/.455 with an OPS+ of 136 and an rWAR of 1.6, which is best on the team too.

Boston Red Sox: Garrett Whitlock

Garrett Whitlock has been both a starter (seven starts) and reliever (four relief appearances) and he has been great for the Boston Red Sox.

He has an ERA of 3.49 in 38.2 innings with a 118 ERA+, a 1.138 WHIP, and an average of 2.6 walks and 10.2 strikeouts per nine innings.

New York Yankees: Nestor Cortes Jr.

Nestor Cortes Jr. has been one of the best stories of the year so far, especially considering that he was drafted in the 36th round of the draft, a round that doesn’t even exist now.

Related Story. Will there ever be another Nestor Cortes Jr. in baseball again?. light

Cortes has a 1.70 ERA in nine starts for the Yankees with a 221 ERA+, a 2.55 FIP, a 0.849 WHIP, and an average of just two walks per nine innings in comparison to 10.4 strikeouts per nine innings.

Tampa Bay Rays: Shane McClanahan

Shane McClanahan is only 25 years old and only in his second season in the majors but he is the ace for the Tampa Bay Rays.

McClanahan is 5-2 with a 2.01 ERA in 10 starts. He has a 172 ERA+, a 2.59 FIP, a 0.909 WHIP, and a great walk (1.9 BB/9) and strikeout rate (12.5 K/9).

Toronto Blue Jays: Alek Manoah

Alek Manoah made his MLB debut for the Toronto Blue Jays last season and was very good (3.22 ERA in 20 starts) but he has been even better this year.

He is averaging seven innings per start in his nine starts with an ERA of 1.77. He has a FIP of 3.14, a WHIP of 0.911, and an average of 1.4 walks and 8.4 strikeouts per nine innings.

May 3, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Michael Kopech (34) delivers the ball in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports /

Chicago White Sox: Michael Kopech

Michael Kopech has been a top prospect for a long time (top 40 prospect for MLB.com for five straight years) and now that he is finally healthy, he is showing that he truly belongs in the majors.

He has made eight starts and he has a 1.29 ERA. He has a 302 ERA+, a 2.71 FIP, a 0.857 WHIP, and averaging just 3.6 hits allowed per nine innings.

Cleveland Guardians: Andrés Giménez

Andrés Giménez was one of the pieces that Cleveland got from the Mets in the Francisco Lindor trade and he has been great for them.

In 37 games, he has hit .286/.306/.471 with four homers and 20 RBI and an OPS+ of 124.

He also has 8 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), which is tied for second-highest in the majors.

Detroit Tigers: Tarik Skubal

Outside of Miguel Cabrera’s 3000th hit in April, starting pitcher Tarik Skubal has, arguably, been the only bright spot on the Detroit Tigers in 2022.

Skubal has gone 3-2 with a 2.44 ERA in nine starts. Amazingly enough, his 2.03 FIP suggests that he has actually had some bad luck with his results. He is also only averaging 1.6 walks per nine innings in comparison to 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings.

Kansas City Royals: Andrew Benintendi

You may remember Andrew Benintendi from his days with the Boston Red Sox but he has never quite lived up to the prospect hype that he had (MLB.com’s #1 overall prospect entering the 2017 season).

He’s having the best offensive season of his career in 2022, though, as he is hitting 327/.398/.423 with an OPS+ of 139.

Minnesota Twins: Luis Arraez

Minnesota Twins infielder Luis Arraez has been one of the best offensive players in baseball in 2022.

He is hitting .363/.456/.433 with an OPS+ of 164. That batting average and on-base percentage are second in the AL this year.

May 21, 2022; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena (3) rests after stealing second base against the Texas Rangers during the second inning during the first inning at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports /

Houston Astros: Jeremy Peña

Jeremy Peña had a tough task in filling the shoes of Carlos Correa on the reigning American League champion Houston Astros but he has definitely filled those shoes well as he has been their best overall player.

The rookie is hitting .290/.340/.510 with an OPS+ of 146. He has eight homers, 23 RBI, and a 2.6 rWAR in 41 games. That WAR is fifth-highest in the AL among position players.

Oakland A’s: Paul Blackburn

Paul Blackburn has been, far and away, the best player on the Oakland A’s this year as his 2.4 rWAR is double of anyone else on the team and tops for all pitchers in the American League.

In nine starts, he is 5-0 with a 1.70 ERA with a 2.72 FIP, and a 1.007 WHIP.

Los Angeles Angels: Taylor Ward

Taylor Ward is giving Mike Trout a run for his money for the best player on the Los Angeles Angels and, by WAR, he’s already doing better than Shohei Ohtani.

He is hitting .359/.472/.709 in 142 plate appearances. The batting average is tied for fourth in the AL but the on-base percentage and slugging percentage led both the AL and all of baseball.

Seattle Mariners: Ty France

Ty France had an under-the-radar season for the Seattle Mariners last season (127 OPS+ in 152 games) but he has been even better in 2022.

The first baseman is hitting .342/.414/.505 with an OPS+ of 173, 10 doubles, seven homers, and 35 RBI. His 2.7 rWAR is second among position players in the AL.

Texas Rangers: Martín Pérez

Martín Pérez has been around for a long time (parts of 11 seasons in the majors) but he could be an All-Star for the first time this season.

He is leading the majors in ERA at 1.60 in nine starts. He also has a 2.43 FIP, a 0.994 WHIP, and he has yet to allow a homer in 56.1 innings.

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