Early Predictions for 2024 MLB All-Star Rosters, June Edition (2024)

The 2024 MLB All-Star Game is now just over a month away, and the list of players who will potentially make up this year's Midsummer Classic rosters is starting to take shape.

Each month during the 2024 season leading up to the All-Star roster announcements, we'll be giving our best guess at which 64 names will get the call to play in the annual showcase of baseball's top talent.

The first version of this article was published on April 3, and those picks were based largely on expectations and future projection. That was followed by our first in-season version on May 3, and with another month of games done, it's time for another update.

Using the 32-player roster format and sticking to the rule of selecting one player from each of the 30 teams, we have assembled our way-too-early 2024 American League and National League All-Star teams.

For consistency, each roster was made up of 20 position players and 12 pitchers.

Let the debate begin.

AL Starting Lineup

1. 2B José Altuve, HOU
2. RF Juan Soto, NYY
3. CF Aaron Judge, NYY
4. 3B José Ramírez, CLE
5. SS Gunnar Henderson, BAL
6. LF Kyle Tucker, HOU
7. 1B Josh Naylor, CLE
8. C Salvador Pérez, KC
9. DH Brent Rooker, OAK
SP Luis Gil, NYY

Notes

-The start at third base is shaping up to be a compelling battle between José Ramírez (146 OPS+, 16 HR, 58 RBI, 2.3 WAR), Rafael Devers (164 OPS+, 13 HR, 32 RBI, 2.0 WAR), Isaac Paredes (154 OPS+, 10 HR, 37 RBI, 1.8 WAR) and Jordan Westburg (139 OPS+, 9 HR, 36 RBI, 2.3 WAR). There is a good chance someone from that group will be among the biggest snubs of the year.

-It's unlikely the voters are going to select an Oakland Athletics player to the starting lineup, but based solely on merit, Brent Rooker (164 OPS+, 25 XBH, 12 HR, 39 RBI) is a more deserving AL starter at designated hitter than Yordan Alvarez (141 OPS+, 24 XBH, 12 HR, 28 RBI) right now.

AL Reserves (Position Players)

C Adley Rutschman, BAL
1B Ryan Mountcastle, BAL
2B Marcus Semien, TEX
3B Rafael Devers, BOS
3B Isaac Paredes, TB
SS Corey Seager, TEX
SS Bobby Witt Jr., KC
OF Riley Greene, DET
OF Steven Kwan, CLE
UT David Fry, CLE
DH Yordan Alvarez, HOU

Notes

-Who is David Fry? If you're a baseball fan outside of the Cleveland market, that might have been your first reaction to our list of AL reserves. The 28-year-old is hitting .342/.479/.613 with eight home runs and 27 RBI in one of the most unexpected breakout performances of the year. He has seem action at catcher, first base, third base, left field and designated hitter.

-The only player here that is his team's lone All-Star representative is third baseman Isaac Paredes for the Tampa Bay Rays. That means there is a lot of flexibility to shuffle picks around if someone regresses and another player becomes more deserving by the next update.

AL Reserves (Pitchers)

SP Tyler Anderson, LAA
SP José Berríos, TOR
SP Corbin Burnes, BAL
SP Garrett Crochet, CWS
SP Tanner Houck, BOS
SP Seth Lugo, KC
SP Joe Ryan, MIN
SP Tarik Skubal, DET
RP Emmanuel Clase, CLE
RP Mason Miller, OAK
RP Andrés Muñoz, SEA

Notes

-Tyler Anderson (LAA), José Berríos (TOR), Garrett Crochet (CWS), Joe Ryan (MIN) and Andrés Muñoz (SEA) each represent the only All-Star selection for their respective teams, though each player is All-Star-worthy on merit alone.

-Right-hander Seth Lugo gave up six hits and five earned runs over six innings against the Guardians in his last start or he would likely have been the pick to start the game for the American League. Even with that clunker, he still has a 2.13 ERA and 1.02 WHIP over an AL-leading 84.1 innings.

3B Jordan Westburg, Baltimore Orioles

As mentioned in the American League starters roundup, someone is going to be the odd-man out in a stacked group of third basem*n, and Westburg is the guy on the outside looking in for this round of predictions. The 25-year-old is enjoying a breakthrough season, and while his offensive numbers are excellent, he has also been a standout defender at second base and third base.

SS Anthony Volpe, New York Yankees

Volpe is having a fantastic season, but he's not having a better year than Gunnar Henderson, Bobby Witt Jr. or Corey Seager. It will likely take him being voted in as a starter or an injury for him to find his way onto the AL roster. Even if it doesn't happen in 2024, it's only a matter of time before he's suiting up at the Midsummer Classic.

SPs Luis Castillo, Logan Gilbert and Bryce Miller, Seattle Mariners

Castillo (13 GS, 2.99 ERA, 81 K, 78.1 IP), Gilbert (13 GS, 3.12 ERA, 76 K, 83.2 IP) and Miller (2 GS, 3.18 ERA, 71 K, 70.2 IP) are all unquestionably having All-Star-caliber seasons, but it quickly becomes a roster crunch on the pitching side of things.

One potential tweak would be to go with outfielder Taylor Ward over pitcher Tyler Anderson as the Los Angeles Angels pick, bumping Steven Kwan (CLE) or Riley Greene (DET) off the AL roster in the process. That would open a spot on the AL pitching staff for one of the Mariners starters.

BAL (4): C Adley Rutschman, 1B Ryan Mountcastle, SS Gunnar Henderson, SP Corbin Burnes

BOS (2): 3B Rafael Devers, SP Tanner Houck

CWS (1): SP Garrett Crochet

CLE (5): 1B Josh Naylor, 3B José Ramírez, OF Steven Kwan, UT David Fry, RP Emmanuel Clase

DET (2): OF Riley Greene, SP Tarik Skubal

HOU (3): 2B José Altuve, OF Kyle Tucker, DH Yordan Alvarez

KC (3): C Salvador Pérez, SS Bobby Witt Jr., SP Seth Lugo

LAA (1): SP Tyler Anderson

MIN (1): SP Joe Ryan

NYY (3): OF Aaron Judge, OF Juan Soto, SP Luis Gil

OAK (2): DH Brent Rooker, RP Mason Miller

SEA (1): RP Andrés Muñoz

TB (1): 3B Isaac Paredes

TEX (2): 2B Marcus Semien, SS Corey Seager

TOR (1): SP José Berríos

NL Starting Lineup

1. SS Mookie Betts, LAD
2. DH Shohei Ohtani, LAD
3. 1B Bryce Harper, PHI
4. C William Contreras, MIL
5. RF Teoscar Hernandez, LAD
6. 2B Ketel Marte, ARI
7. 3B Alec Bohm, PHI
8. CF Fernando Tatis Jr., SD
9. LF Jurickson Profar, SD
SP Ranger Suárez, PHI

Notes

-The debate between Shohei Ohtani (179 OPS+, 34 XBH, 15 HR, 40 RBI) and Marcell Ozuna (177 OPS+, 29 XBH, 17 HR, 53 RBI) is a great one, with the former leading the NL in OPS+ while the latter tops the leaderboard in home runs and RBI. Both will be part of the NL roster, and Ohtani will likely run away with the fan voting.

-With Bryce Harper shifting to first base, Ronald Acuña Jr. injured and Juan Soto moving to the American League, the NL outfield is somewhat lacking in star power. That said, does everyone realize what an amazing season Jurickson Profar is having? The 31-year-old is hitting .323/.417/.482 for a 163 OPS+ with 11 doubles, eight home runs and 38 RBI after rejoining the Padres on a one-year, $1 million deal in February.

NL Reserves (Position Players)

C Will Smith, LAD
1B Pete Alonso, NYM
1B Freddie Freeman, LAD
2B Luis Arraez, SD
2B Brice Turang, MIL
3B Ryan McMahon, COL
SS Elly De La Cruz, CIN
SS Masyn Winn, STL
OF Jazz Chisholm Jr., MIA
OF Christian Yelich, MIL
DH Marcell Ozuna, ATL

Notes

-Pete Alonso (NYM), Elly De La Cruz (CIN), Ryan McMahon (COL) and Jazz Chisholm Jr. (MIA) each get the nod as the lone selections for their respective games. And in the case of the Mets, Reds and Marlins, there are not many other viable candidates. The Rockies, on the other hand, have shortstop Ezequiel Tovar and starter Austin Gomber as potential alternatives.

-With De La Cruz filling one reserve shortstop spot behind starter Mookie Betts, there ended up being only one slot available for Masyn Winn (130 OPS+, 16 XBH, 2.2 WAR), Ezequiel Tovar (116 OPS+, 28 XBH, 2.3 WAR) or Willy Adames (113 OPS+, 26 XBH, 1.4 WAR) on the NL bench.

NL Reserves (Pitchers)

SP Javier Assad, CHC
SP Tyler Glasnow, LAD
SP Shōta Imanaga, CHC
SP Jared Jones, PIT
SP Reynaldo López, ATL
SP Chris Sale, ATL
SP Logan Webb, SF
SP Zack Wheeler, PHI
RP Kyle Finnegan, WAS
RP Ryan Helsley, STL
RP Robert Suárez, SD

Notes

-Everyone on the above list outside of Chris Sale, Zack Wheeler and Ryan Helsley would be a first-time All-Star selection. That includes established aces Tyler Glasnow and Logan Webb, who are arguably the best active starting pitchers to never appear at the Midsummer Classic.

-The last time a Pittsburgh Pirates rookie made the All-Star team was speedy Tony Womack in 1997, and there has never been a Pirates rookie pitcher at the All-Star Game. That could change this year with Jared Jones and his hyped teammate, Paul Skenes, both making a compelling case.

3B Joey Ortiz, Milwaukee Brewers

The NL roster could have just as easily featured shortstop Ezequiel Tovar as the lone selection for the Colorado Rockies claiming a roster spot over St. Louis Cardinals rookie Masyn Winn, and Ortiz earning a reserve nod at third base over Ryan McMahon. The 25-year-old Ortiz has a 148 OPS+ with 19 extra-base hits and 1.8 WAR in 55 games.

1B Christian Walker, Arizona Diamondbacks

Superstars Bryce Harper and Freddie Freeman are both no-brainers for a place on the NL roster, and slugger Pete Alonso is the most deserving candidate on a bad New York Mets team, so that left Walker victim of a roster crunch among NL first basem*n. The 33-year-old has never been an All-Star, so here's hoping this snub prediction is wrong.

SP Bailey Falter, Pittsburgh Pirates

It's understandable that the rookie tandem of Jared Jones and Paul Skenes is driving the hype train in Pittsburgh, but the starting rotation has also received a nice under-the-radar breakout performance from Falter. The 27-year-old was acquired from the Phillies at last year's trade deadline in exchange for infielder Rodolfo Castro, and he has a 3.22 ERA and 0.95 WHIP in 64.1 innings this season.

ARI (1): 2B Ketel Marte

ATL (3): DH Marcell Ozuna, SP Reynaldo López, SP Chris Sale

CHC (2): SP Javier Assad, SP Shōta Imanaga

CIN (1): SS Elly De La Cruz

COL (1): 3B Ryan McMahon

LAD (6): C Will Smith, 1B Freddie Freeman, SS Mookie Betts, OF Teoscar Hernandez, DH Shohei Ohtani, SP Tyler Glasnow

MIA (1): OF Jazz Chisholm Jr.

MIL (3): C William Contreras, 2B Brice Turang, OF Christian Yelich

NYM (1): 1B Pete Alonso

PHI (4): 1B Bryce Harper, 3B Alec Bohm, SP Ranger Suárez, SP Zack Wheeler

PIT (1): SP Jared Jones

SD (4): 2B Luis Arraez, OF Jurickson Profar, OF Fernando Tatis Jr., RP Robert Suárez

SF (1): SP Logan Webb

STL (2): SS Masyn Winn, RP Ryan Helsley

WAS (1): RP Kyle Finnegan