2022 MLB All-Star Game: Starters according to fWAR

American League: All-Star Starters Based on fWAR

C – Alejandro Kirk – 2.9 fWAR – Toronto Blue Jays

Kirk is a 23-year-old catcher from Tijuana, Mexico. After a solid rookie season in 2021, there has been no sophomore slump for the young backstop. Kirk is hitting .312/.399/.491 and has a 152 wRC+. He is hitting great and putting the ball in play. This year, Kirk has an extremely low strikeout rate of 9.2%.

1B – Jose Abreu – 2.4 fWAR – Chicago White Sox

At 35 years old, Jose Abreu is the oldest of the players to make this list. The Cuban native is slashing .290/.378/.459 and has a 143 wRC+. Abreu was the 2020 short season AL MVP and has been a solid big leaguer for quite some time. A free agent at the end of this season, it will be interesting to see if Abreu resigns with the White Sox or looks to take his services elsewhere. The answer to that question will likely depend on how the White Sox finish out the year and potential playoff run.

2B – Jose Altuve – 2.7 fWAR – Houston Astros

Rounding out the right side of the infield for the American League is the 2017 AL MVP Jose Altuve. Altuve has hit 17 home runs in just 66 games this year. His hitting line on the year is .280/.368/.539 and he as a 161 wRC+. Altuve is a great player and has been for a long time. His only down season was in the shortened 2020 year, which immediately followed the offseason that the sign stealing scandal broke. Altuve is a great professional that is fun to watch play the game. He has been the best second baseman in the American League for years and isn’t giving up that title just yet.

SS – Xander Bogaerts – 3.2 fWAR – Boston Red Sox

The left side of the AL infield is covered by a pair of Red Sox teammates. Xander Bogaerts is hitting .311/.385/.454 and has a 132 wRC+. Bogaerts found his way in the league in 2015 which was his 22-year-old season. He hasn’t looked back since. The bat has been well above average for many years and Bogey has been working hard to continue to improve his defense which is showing in his fWAR numbers the past two seasons.

3B – Rafael Devers – 4.4 fWAR – Boston Red Sox

Despite being only 25 years old, Devers is leading the American League and tied for the MLB lead for fWAR at 4.4. Devers has compiled huge numbers this year by slashing .330/.387/.598 and a 173 wRC+. In 79 games, Devers has 106 hits, 27 doubles, 19 homers, 51 RBI, and 59 runs scored. If he can continue to produce in the second half of the season, Devers will be in the middle of the AL MVP conversation.

OF – Aaron Judge – 4.3 fWAR – New York Yankees

Speaking of AL MVP candidates, Aaron Judge is the current betting favorite to take the title. Judge bet on himself by not signing a contract extension with the Yankees in the offseason, and barring a significant injury, his bet is going to pay off in a big way. His current hitting line of .287/.366/.627 and 175 wRC+ is off the charts. Judge has played in 80 games and has smashed 30 home runs, has 65 runs scored, and 64 RBI. This could be the year that Judge not only takes the AL MVP award, but also gets the Yankees back to the World Series.

OF – Mike Trout – 3.5 fWAR – Los Angeles Angels

It should come as no surprise that Trout is on this list. On August 7, Trout will turn 31 and he currently sits 39th all-time in fWAR with 79.8. Only Albert Pujols (86.4 fWAR) is active and ahead of Trout, ranking 28th all-time. This year, Trout has been both hot and cold, but obviously his hot streaks have outweighed the slumps. He is hitting .265/.367/.601 with a 168 wRC+ and has 23 home runs.

OF – Julio Rodriguez – 2.9 fWAR – Seattle Mariners

The history-making J-Rod is way out front in the AL Rookie of the Year race to this point. The 21-year-old rookie phenom is quickly becoming a must watch player, similar to another former young player that trolled center field for Seattle back in the day (Ken Griffey, Jr.). His slash line is .275/.335/.482 and he has a 137 wRC+. Showing off his speed and power, Rodriguez has hit 15 home runs and has 21 stolen bases in 25 attempts.

DH – Yordan Alvarez – 4.0 fWAR – Houston Astros

Alvarez can hit … and can hit very well. The 2019 AL ROY has a hitting line of .312/.410/.665 and an MLB leading 202 wRC+. Alvarez has never finished a season with more than his current 4.0 fWAR. In 73 games, he has hit 26 home runs, has 55 runs scored, and 59 RBI. He has a 17.3% K% and a 13.7% BB% this year as well.

P – Kevin Gausman – 3.7 fWAR – Toronto Blue Jays

Despite the 6-6 record, Gausman is the clubhouse leader in fWAR. Many could argue that Tampa Bay Ray Shane McClanahan or veteran Houston Astro Justin Verlander should get the nod (and more than likely one will) to start the game for the AL All-Stars. However, for this list, Gausman is the man. He has posted 1.67 FIP, 2.86 ERA, 0.20 HR/9, 1.64 BB/9, 10.23 K/9 and has a 2.4% HR to fly ball ratio. The former LSU Tiger and fourth overall selection in the 2012 draft is performing well and his fWAR of 3.7 proves it.

2022 fWAR All-Star starters in dead heat

Those are the 2022 fWAR All-Stars for each league. If you included Harper as the DH for the National League, each team would end up with exactly 34 fWAR. Even without him in the lineup due to injury, there is less than 1 fWAR difference (AL = 34 fWAR, NL = 33.1 fWAR). In true All-Star Game fashion, these two squads should be able to both entertain and compete mightily with each other. And who knows, someday, this far-fetched idea may just be how the starters are selected.