Thirty good All-Star candidates, one per team

They won’t be starters in the lineup. Maybe they won’t be

A part of the team if they are surrounded by stars on their own teams. They may be at a club going through a rough time. But still, they represent their team, their city and their fans. It is a special feature. You always see your team’s face in the midseason classic.

So now let’s take a look at the list of players on each team who deserve your vote to go to the All-Star Game, as one from each team will be going.

Blue Jays: Bo Pichet, SS
Dominican Vlad Guerrero Jr. is a billboard name, Matt Chapman is emerging as an MVP candidate, and even Kevin Kiermaier (who, of course, didn’t make the All-Star Game) is in the spotlight. But Pichette has been the best hitter and best overall player in Toronto so far. The infielder is poised to lead the Young Circuit in hits for the third straight year.

Orioles: Atlee Rutchman, c
Finally, Baltimore has many candidates. His fans certainly can’t wait to say it. But Rutchman has been central to everything this team has done, a figure Orioles fans have been eager to see, and has not disappointed.

Rays: Vander Franco, SS
Tampa Bay clearly has plenty of candidates, but the Dominican — albeit hopeful — has climbed the short list of MVP candidates. Some were looking forward to the next (and perhaps first) Ray superstar. We have found it.

Red Sox: Masataka Yoshida, OF
Remember what some people warned about in Ranger’s first week? Now he looks like the best signing of the season.

Yankees: Aaron Judge, OF
What’s surprising is that some slackers are better this year than last year.

Defenders: Jose Ramirez, 3 b
Quiz’s stats this season have not matched his career. However, he excelled and remains the best position player in his team.

Royals: Salvador Perez, c
Not only is the Venezuelan the last link between the 2015 champion Kansas City team and the current team, but he’s also the best of the bunch this year. At some point, Bobby Witt Jr. will take that spot. But you have to wait a little longer.

Tigers: Akhil Bhatt, OF
It would have been a great job for Riley Green — or if the AL roster needed a pitcher, it would be Eduardo Rodriguez — but now both are injured. It will be fun to see Baddoo in action in the Midseason Classic.

Twins: Byron Buxton, Bt
Buxton leads Minnesota in games played, but only went on the disabled list. We’re hoping that won’t be for long, as he deserves votes in Seattle.

White Sox: Louis Roberts Jr., OF
Cuban is limited by injuries and we forget that he is only 25 years old. That’s what happens when you lose time due to illness.

Angels: Mike Trout, OF
Obviously, you can’t go wrong with Trout or Shohei Ohtani. But Ohtani is guaranteed a job as a pitcher or hitter. Trout can try to become the first player to be named a three-time All-Star MVP.

Astros: Yordan Alvarez, OF
It’s a bit surprising to see his name among the outfielders, but his bat cannot be ignored. Will Cuban be one of the best hitters in the majors for the next decade? At least?

Athletics: Brent Rooker, DH
It will be fun to watch Esturi Ruiz unleashed in the All-Star Game, Rooker may be the greatest story in baseball, and in case you forgot, he’s still smashing the ball.

Mariners: Julio Rodriguez, OF
How could the Dominican not be in the starting lineup at home?

Rangers: Marcus Siemian, 2 b
One of the most underrated players ever in the major leagues, and he’s a great player on a great team.

Braves: Ronald Acuna Jr., OF
Acuna is now the favorite in the NL MVP race. His team has a solid lead in the National League East. It will be good to see him healthy on one of the biggest stages of the game.

Marlins: Luis Arez, 2 b
Wouldn’t it be great to hear commentators talk about the possibility of a hitter finishing with a .400 average? Don’t you miss those days of being talked about all the time?

Meet: Pete Alonso, 1B
He is on pace to break the Mets single-season home run record (53) set by Pete Alonso.

Nationals: Lane Thomas, OF
There aren’t any obvious options on this team, but Thomas leads the Nationals in home runs and slugging. It’s a nice acquisition for the bosses, who included him in a trade with the Cardinals for Jon Lester at the 2021 deadline.

Phillies: Bryce Harper, DH
If he’s going to come back so fast after Tommy John surgery, he has to be an All-Star, right?

Brewers: William Contreras, Ch
His brother had a rough season in many ways, but William is in position to be an All-Star for the second consecutive season.

Cardinals: Nolan Gorman, 2 b
We could go with Paul Goldschmidt (last year’s NL MVP) or Nolan Arenado (who finished third in MVP voting in 2022), but the Cardinals’ best hitter is Gorman, who seems likely to hit. A 40 home run day.

Puppies: Dansby Swanson, SS
He’s been a bit of a mess lately, but overall, he’s looked good enough to make the Cubs a cornerstone of their winter plans.

Pirates: Andrew McCutchen, Pt
It will be exciting to see McCutchen represent the Pirates in the All-Star Game, but knowing he earned it makes it even better.

Red: TJ Friedle, OF
A team can’t play like the Reds without some guys growing (up to a point), and while Friedl is on the disabled list, he’s a prime example of hitting over .300. Of course…watch if Dominican Ellie De La Cruz makes enough of an impact to warrant an invitation to the event.

D-BACKS: Corbin Carroll, OF
It will be the first of many All-Star Game calls for Carroll, who has helped his team get off to one of its best starts in years.

Dodgers: Mookie Betts, OF
Obviously, Freddie Freeman is a great option here as well, but we learned this year that Betts is willing to play anywhere.

Giants: JD Davis, 3 b
Is there a better example of the Giants benefiting from a player falling somewhere else than Davis? At 30, he’s having a breakout season in San Francisco.

Parents: Juan Soto, OF
The Padres haven’t lived up to expectations yet, but Soto is having the kind of season that was expected of him last year. It still gives the impression that both the Dominican and the team have room for improvement.

Rockies: Elias Diaz, c
A catcher with an average over .300? Yes please.