Trio of Yankees, First-Time Hopefuls Among Current American League All-Star Favorites

by Julian Spivey

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​We’re about 50 games into the Major League Baseball season, meaning it’s almost time for the league to unveil its All Star Game ballot.

Every year I like to pick the players I think should get the starting nod for the midsummer classic. I like to make my first selections in May and my final batch in June.

Here are the 10 players I think are currently the most deserving of the All Star starting spots in the American League… 

*Stats in this article are as of May 18.

Pitcher: Tarik Skubal (Detroit Tigers)
When the 2024 season began you probably wouldn’t have expected the midsummer classic front-runner on the bump to be a Detroit Tigers pitcher. What if I told you it was actually a coin flip between a Tigers pitcher and a Kansas City Royals pitcher (Seth Lugo)? Before the season some folks had Tigers ace Tarik Skubal as a dark horse Cy Young candidate and I just didn’t believe it. But here we are nearly 50 games into the season and Skubal is 6-0 (second in the league) with a 1.80 ERA, 66 strikeouts and a 0.78 WHIP. The 27-year-old southpaw is looking to become Detroit’s first All Star Game starting pitcher since Max Scherzer in 2013.

Catcher: Salvador Perez (Kansas City Royals)
Kansas City Royals veteran backstop Salvador Perez is pretty used to not being able to make other vacation plans during the middle of July being a perennial All-Star, either as the starter or reserve for the A.L. at catcher. Perez, now 34, is having another stellar season for K.C., hitting .333 (on pace to have a career-high and currently second in the league) with eight home runs and 36 RBI (third in the league). If he makes the A.L. roster it would be his ninth All-Star team, only five catchers in MLB history have appeared in more.

First Base: Josh Naylor (Cleveland Guardians)
Can you tell players are really showing out thus far in the American League Central Division? Cleveland Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor is currently on pace for career-highs in home runs and RBI with 12 (third in the league) and 34 (fifth in the league) already respectively. He’s hitting .256 with a .344 On-Base Percentage. The 26-year-old is looking to make his first All-Star team this summer.

Second Base: Marcus Semien (Texas Rangers)
There’s simply not a better second baseman in baseball right now that Marcus Semien of the Texas Rangers and it’s been that way for probably more than half a decade now. Semien, who shockingly has only made two previous All Star appearances, currently has nine home runs with 33 RBI, a .270 average and .319 OBP.

Third Baseman: Isaac Paredes (Tampa Bay Rays)
Isaac Paredes can play anywhere on the infield but has taken up home as the Tampa Bay Rays primary third baseman this season. He’s hitting .308 so far this season with eight home runs and 24 RBI. The 25-year-old broke out big time in 2023 with 31 homers and 98 RBI and is looking to make his first midsummer classic this season.

Shortstop: Gunnar Henderson (Baltimore Orioles)
Baltimore Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson is currently leading the major leagues with 14 home runs. He’s hitting .265 with a .345 OBP and 30 RBI for the O’s. The 23-year-old phenom is looking to make his first All Star game in his second full-time season in the bigs and is well on his way.

Outfield: Kyle Tucker (Houston Astros), Aaron Judge (New York Yankees), Juan Soto (New York Yankees)
The American League All Star outfield right now would surely put fear into the eyes of National League pitchers if it ends up looking like this in July. Houston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker is currently second in the A.L. with 13 home runs, while New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge is third in the league with 12 and is currently on quite a burner. Meanwhile, Judge’s outfield partner in the Bronx, Juan Soto, is second in the A.L. with 37 RBI. Soto also leads the league with 57 hits and is top-five in hitting with a .317 average.

Designated Hitter: Giancarlo Stanton (New York Yankees)
So, there are currently only two hitters in the A.L. qualifying as full-time designated hitters and Giancarlo Stanton of the New York Yankees is the best. Stanton is fifth in the A.L. with 11 home runs. He’s hitting .258 (around his career average) with a .309 OBP and 26 RBI. Stanton is trying to make just his second All-Star appearance since joining the Yankees in 2018.