Predicting the All-MLB Team as end of season approaches

With the regular season winding down, our panel of MLB.com experts convened once again to vote on which players they think will make up the All-MLB Team presented by MGM Rewards at the end of the campaign.

As usual, there’s no shortage of deserving candidates for the prestigious honor, which has annually recognized the best players at each position across Major League Baseball as a whole since its introduction in 2019.

The All-MLB Team is split into a First and Second Team, each featuring one selection at catcher, first base, second base, shortstop, third base and DH, as well as three outfielders (regardless of specific outfield position), five starting pitchers and two relievers.

Here are the results of our latest poll.

All stats below are entering Monday.

CATCHER

First team: William Contreras (MIL)
Second team: Cal Raleigh (SEA)

Contreras has been an anchor for the first-place Brewers, appearing in 144 of their 149 games -- 111 of them as a catcher -- and producing 22 homers with 88 RBIs and an .831 OPS. He leads all backstops with 4.9 WAR (per FanGraphs).

Raleigh is not far behind Contreras with 4.7 WAR, combining a powerful bat with top-notch framing skills. The 27-year-old leads catchers in homers (30) and innings caught (1,033) and is tied for second at the position in Statcast’s fielding run value metric.

Others receiving votes: Salvador Perez (KC)

FIRST BASE

First team: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (TOR)
Second team: Bryce Harper (PHI)

Guerrero has been a bright spot in an otherwise forgettable season for the Blue Jays, recording 28 homers, 96 RBIs and a .938 OPS over 643 plate appearances. The slugging first baseman has really turned it on over the past three months, slashing .360/.425/.693 with 21 homers in 73 games dating back to June 21.

Harper is having another strong season in his first year as a full-time first baseman, helping the Phillies post baseball’s best record through Sunday. The 31-year-old has hit .289 with 28 homers, 82 RBIs and a .909 OPS over 133 games while providing plus defense at his new position.

SECOND BASE

First team: Ketel Marte (AZ)
Second team: Jose Altuve (HOU)

Marte has had a standout year for the D-backs, ranking fifth in the NL in WAR (5.3) and leading his position in a number of major categories, including homers (31), RBIs (85) and OPS (.916). The switch-hitter is a big reason why Arizona’s lineup has recorded the highest run-scoring average (5.52 runs per game) in the Majors this season.

Altuve is still going strong at the age of 34. He’s not only hitting .301 with an .801 OPS but is one homer shy of his first 20/20 campaign since 2017, when he won AL MVP honors.

SHORTSTOP

First team: Bobby Witt Jr. (KC)
Second team: Gunnar Henderson (BAL), Francisco Lindor (NYM) (tie)

After a breakout season in 2023, Witt has leveled up again this year, cementing himself as one of the premier players in the game and fueling the Royals’ turnaround from 106 losses to a likely playoff berth. Witt leads MLB in hits (198), runs (121) and batting average (.331) and is two steals away from his second straight 30/30 campaign. He also has +17 Outs Above Average on defense, tied for the third most in the Majors. It’s been a truly special year for the 24-year-old, whose 9.7 WAR ranks second in MLB.

We had a tie for the other shortstop spot between Henderson and Lindor, who respectively rank third (7.8) and fifth (7.4) in WAR. With three more home runs, Henderson will become the fifth primary shortstop in MLB history to record 40 homers in a season, joining Alex Rodriguez (six times), Ernie Banks (five times), Fernando Tatis Jr. (once) and Rico Petrocelli (once). Lindor, meanwhile, remains one of the best all-around players in baseball, keeping the Mets in playoff contention with his bat (31 homers), baserunning (27 stolen bases) and glove (+17 Outs Above Average).

THIRD BASE

First team: José Ramírez (CLE)
Second team: Rafael Devers (BOS)

The ultra-reliable Ramírez has continued to produce across the board in 2024, notching 35 homers, 39 steals, 107 RBIs and 106 runs for a Guardians club that is on the verge of the AL Central crown. He leads his position in each of those categories as well as WAR (5.3).

Devers has the highest OPS among qualifying third basemen this season at .890 OPS, and he’s recorded 28 homers, 83 RBIs and 4.2 WAR.

Others receiving votes: Matt Chapman (SF)

OUTFIELD

First team: Aaron Judge (NYY), Juan Soto (NYY), Jarren Duran (BOS)
Second team: Jackson Merrill (SD), Anthony Santander (BAL), Jurickson Profar (SD)

Judge is putting the finishing touches on another incredible season that could earn him his second AL MVP Award in three years. The slugger leads MLB in homers (53), RBIs (132), walks (122), OPS (1.147) and WAR (10.0), and he also ranks second in the AL in batting average (.321). Judge is 10 points behind Witt in that department, so he still has a shot at the Triple Crown.

After joining the Yankees in an offseason trade, Soto has formed an all-time-great duo with Judge, evoking memories of the Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig tandem in the Bronx. In his final season before free agency, the 25-year-old ranks third in MLB in OPS (.981) and fourth in WAR (7.5), slashing .285/.414/.567 with 39 homers, 101 RBIs, 119 walks and 117 runs scored.

Duran, who has emerged as an all-around force for the Red Sox this season, rounds out our First Team outfield. The 28-year-old ranks fifth in the AL with 6.4 WAR, having produced 79 extra-base hits (21 homers), 32 steals and +10 Outs Above Average.

Merrill has announced his arrival with authority as a rookie in 2024, flashing a well-rounded skill set as San Diego’s starting center fielder while posting 4.5 WAR.

Merrill is one of two Padres outfielders making an unexpected bid for All-MLB honors, along with Profar, formerly a heralded prospect himself. The 11-year veteran has authored a surprising breakout in 2024, becoming an integral part of San Diego’s lineup with 22 homers and an .838 OPS -- well north of his lifetime .706 OPS entering this season.

Santander has also exceeded expectations in 2024, becoming the eighth switch-hitter all time to reach the 40-homer plateau and the first since Carlos Beltran and Lance Berkman both did it in 2006.

Others receiving votes: Corbin Carroll (AZ), Riley Greene (DET), Teoscar Hernández (LAD)

DESIGNATED HITTER

First team: Shohei Ohtani (LAD)
Second team: Yordan Alvarez (HOU)

Despite not throwing a single pitch after undergoing elbow surgery last September, Ohtani has managed to live up to the hype and then some in the first season of a historic 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers. Ohtani became the fastest player (in terms of games played) to go 40/40 and might yet establish the 50/50 club, having recorded 47 homers and 48 steals on the year. With a league-leading .988 OPS to boot, he’s the overwhelming favorite to win league NL MVP honors. If he does it, he’d join Hall of Famer Frank Robinson as the only players to win an MVP Award in both leagues.

Alvarez is one of the most consistent sluggers in baseball, reaching the 30-homer plateau in each of the past four seasons and posting the second-highest OPS (.989) among qualifiers since the beginning of 2022. He has 34 homers and a .961 OPS over 140 games in 2024.

Others receiving votes: Marcell Ozuna (ATL), Brent Rooker (OAK)

STARTING PITCHER

First team: Chris Sale (ATL), Tarik Skubal (DET), Zack Wheeler (PHI), Paul Skenes (PIT), Seth Lugo (KC)
Second team: Cole Ragans (KC), Logan Gilbert (SEA), Framber Valdez (HOU), Corbin Burnes (BAL), Jack Flaherty (LAD)

Others receiving votes: Michael King (SD), Cristopher Sánchez (PHI), Logan Webb (SF), Hunter Greene (CIN), Shota Imanaga (CHC), Luis Gil (NYY), Dylan Cease (SD)

It’s been a remarkable rebound year for the 35-year-old Sale, who entered 2024 having made just 56 starts with a 4.16 ERA in the past five seasons combined but now appears to be closing in on the Cy Young Award that has eluded him throughout his illustrious career. Sale has a chance at the pitching Triple Crown, as he leads MLB in wins (17), ERA (2.35) and strikeouts (219).

The AL Cy Young favorite, Skubal could win a Triple Crown, too. He currently leads the AL in ERA (2.50) and K's (214) and is tied for the league lead in wins (16), building on the strong showing he had after returning from flexor surgery in July 2023.

The consistently excellent Wheeler appears to be Sale's biggest challenger for the NL Cy Young, having posted a 2.60 ERA with 199 strikeouts over 29 starts.

Skenes hasn't taken long to establish himself as an elite starter. Selected first overall in the MLB Draft a little over a year ago, the hard-throwing righty has been dominant since making his big league debut on May 11, recording a 2.10 ERA with 151 strikeouts and 31 walks over 120 innings.

After proving that he could succeed as a full-time starter as a member of the Padres in 2023, Lugo has taken it up a notch in the first season of a three-year, $45 million deal (with an opt-out after 2025) with the Royals. The 34-year-old has pitched like a bona fide ace, recording a 2.94 ERA over an AL-leading 193 innings.

Lugo isn't the only Royals starter putting together a strong bid for All-MLB honors. There's also Ragans, who has racked up 211 strikeouts with a 3.32 ERA over 30 starts for Kansas City in a breakout campaign.

Baserunners have been hard to come by against Gilbert, who has MLB's lowest WHIP at 0.89 in addition to a 3.24 ERA and 198 strikeouts in 191 2/3 innings.

Valdez got off to a shaky start this season, but he has recaptured his All-Star form in his past 11 starts. The left-hander has notched a 1.74 ERA with 87 K's over 72 1/3 innings in that span, putting his name back in the mix for All-MLB honors in the process.

A rough August notwithstanding, Burnes has been a steady presence atop an injury-riddled Orioles rotation in 2024, which is exactly what Baltimore expected when it acquired the 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner from the Brewers in February. He has a 3.06 ERA over 30 starts.

Flaherty was nowhere near All-MLB consideration when he finished last season with a 4.99 ERA, but he has bounced back in a big way this year. He owns a 3.04 ERA with 184 K's and 33 walks in 151 innings between the Tigers and the Dodgers.

RELIEF PITCHER

First team: Emmanuel Clase (CLE), Mason Miller (OAK)
Second team: Raisel Iglesias (ATL), Kirby Yates (TEX)

Clase is putting together a historic campaign in more ways than one. The right-hander could become the first pitcher to lead MLB in saves in three straight seasons since the stat became official in 1969. On top of that, his 0.66 ERA would be the fourth lowest (minimum 50 innings) dating back to 1913, when earned runs became an official stat in both leagues.

Miller has turned heads as a rookie with his high-octane fastball and nasty slider, posting the highest strikeout rate (41.5%) among pitchers with at least 20 innings while pitching to a 2.30 ERA.

Prior to allowing five runs on Sunday, Iglesias had gone 30 straight appearances (totaling 35 1/3 innings) without allowing an earned run. He has 31 saves with a 1.87 ERA on the year.

The 37-year-old Yates is second only to Clase in ERA (1.27) this season (minimum 50 innings) and has gone 30-for-31 in save chances while striking out 81 batters in 56 2/3 innings.

Others receiving votes: Cade Smith (CLE), Ryan Walker (SF), Ryan Helsley (STL), Griffin Jax (MIN)