Predicting the All-MLB Team after 2 months

With May drawing to a close, it’s time once again to make predictions for the All-MLB Team, an annual honor recognizing the best players at each position across Major League Baseball as a whole.

To this end, a panel of MLB.com experts assembled to vote on which players they think will make up the All-MLB First and Second Teams at the end of the campaign, based on what has happened so far and what they expect to happen the rest of the way. (As opposed to voting on what the All-MLB Team would look like if the season ended today.)

As a reminder, each team features 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.

(All stats are entering Monday)

CATCHER

First team: William Contreras (MIL)
Second team: Salvador Perez (KC)

After excelling in his first season as a full-time catcher a year ago, Contreras has taken his game to another level in 2024. The backstop hasn’t just been one of the best hitting catchers this season, he’s been one of the best hitters, period. Over 52 games, Contreras has produced a .332 average, eight homers, 43 RBIs, 43 runs scored, a .934 OPS and a 165 wRC+.

The 34-year-old Perez has an AL-leading .325 batting average with nine homers, 39 RBIs and a .912 OPS over 52 games in 2024, helping the Royals post a surprising 34-20 record.

Others receiving votes: Will Smith (LAD), Adley Rutschman (BAL)

FIRST BASE

First team: Bryce Harper (PHI)
Second team: Freddie Freeman (LAD)

In his first season as a full-time first baseman, Harper is hitting .276 with 13 homers, 41 RBIs, a .923 OPS and a 155 wRC+ over 49 games and has fared well on defense at his new position for the team with MLB's best record.

Freeman only has five homers in 55 games, but that hasn’t stopped him from posting a 140 wRC+ -- tied for second behind Harper among qualifying first basemen. The consistent veteran remains well positioned to extend his streak of All-MLB nods to six.

SECOND BASE

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

Seeking his first All-MLB Team selection, Marte has posted a .275/.322/.493 slash with 10 homers over 52 games in 2024. He’s the only second baseman to reach double figures in homers this season.

Altuve has cooled off lately, but he’s still on pace to reach the 25-homer mark for the fourth time since 2019 and leads qualifying second basemen with a 135 wRC+.

Others receiving votes: Marcus Semien (TEX)

THIRD BASE

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

The centerpiece of a surprising Cleveland offense, Ramírez struggled over his first 32 games (.667 OPS) but has produced 10 homers and a 1.154 OPS over his past 20 games for the surging Guardians. He leads the Majors with 52 RBIs.

Devers has a .901 OPS and 144 wRC+ this season and recently homered in six straight games, setting a Red Sox record.

Others receiving votes: Alec Bohm (PHI)

SHORTSTOPS

First team: Mookie Betts (LAD)
Second team: Gunnar Henderson (BAL)

Picking two players at this position was no easy task, but our voters chose Betts for First Team shortstop, while Henderson edged out the Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr. for the other shortstop spot.

Although he’s in his age-31 season and playing shortstop regularly for the first time in his career, Betts is showing no signs of slowing down on offense. The veteran has slashed .335/.431/.542 with eight homers, nine steals, 41 runs scored and a 182 wRC+ over 54 games, ranking first in the National League with 3.3 WAR (per FanGraphs).

Henderson owns a 166 wRC+ and is tied for second in the Majors with 17 homers. He’s on pace for 54 homers out of the leadoff spot, which would break the record of 41 set by Ronald Acuña Jr. last season.

Others receiving votes: Bobby Witt Jr. (KC)

OUTFIELD

First team: Aaron Judge (NYY), Juan Soto (NYY), Kyle Tucker (HOU)
Second team: Fernando Tatis Jr. (SD), Steven Kwan (CLE), Adolis García (TEX)

Judge has put his cold start in the rearview mirror with a remarkable hot streak, slashing .417/.533/1.042 with 11 homers and 21 RBIs over his past 21 games. He now ranks third in the Majors in wRC+ (188) and is tied for second in homers (17) and WAR (3.3).

Soto isn’t far behind his superstar teammate, hitting .310 with 14 homers, 44 RBIs, a .979 OPS and a 178 wRC+. He has been everything the Yankees could have hoped for when they acquired him from the Padres in the offseason. With Judge and Soto leading the way for New York’s offense, the Bronx Bombers own the third-best record in MLB behind the Phillies and Guardians.

After earning a spot on the All-MLB Second Team in three straight seasons, this could be the year Tucker makes the First Team for the first time. The 27-year-old has been one of the most productive players in the Majors, leading MLB in homers (18) while ranking second in wRC+ (189) and tying for second in WAR (3.3).

Tatis still hasn’t returned to the offensive heights he reached prior to his 2022 injury and suspension, but his 120 wRC+ this season is solid enough. The difference between his expected stats and actual numbers also suggests he’s been a bit unlucky.

On his way back from a left hamstring strain, Kwan will return to a .353 batting average, the highest among hitters with at least 140 plate appearances in 2024. Kwan’s .903 OPS is 164 points higher than his .739 OPS over his first two seasons.

García has struggled in May (.573 OPS), but he is still on pace for his second straight 30-homer, 100-RBI season for the defending World Series champions.

Others receiving votes: Ronald Acuña Jr. (ATL), Christian Yelich (MIL), Kerry Carpenter (DET), Colton Cowser (BAL), Jarren Duran (BOS), Jurickson Profar (SD)

DESIGNATED HITTER

First team: Shohei Ohtani (LAD)
Second team: Marcell Ozuna (ATL)

Ohtani isn’t pitching this season while he recovers from right elbow surgery, but he’s in the NL MVP conversation nonetheless thanks to his spectacular offensive production. The superstar slugger leads MLB qualifiers in wRC+ (190) and batting average (.336) and the NL in OPS (1.024), and he’s the only player to reach double figures in both homers (13) and steals (13) so far.

Carrying over his strong finish from 2023, Ozuna is in contention for the Triple Crown. The slugger leads the NL in homers (15), is tied for first in RBIs (47) and ranks among the league leaders in batting average (.311). The Braves are going to need him to keep it up following the news that Ronald Acuña Jr. will miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL in his left knee.

Others receiving votes: Giancarlo Stanton (NYY), Yordan Alvarez (HOU)

STARTING PITCHER

First team: Tarik Skubal (DET), Zack Wheeler (PHI), Shota Imanaga (CHC), Tyler Glasnow (LAD), Corbin Burnes (BAL)
Second team: Chris Sale (ATL), Ranger Suárez (PHI), Cole Ragans (KC), Dylan Cease (SD), Yoshinobu Yamamoto (LAD)

After making an impressive return from flexor tendon surgery last July, Skubal has cemented himself as one of MLB’s best pitchers in 2024. The lefty owns a 2.25 ERA, a 0.85 WHIP and a 7.2 K/BB ratio over 60 innings.

Wheeler has kept rolling along in his fifth season with the Phillies, notching a 2.53 ERA, a 0.97 WHIP and 76 strikeouts over 11 starts.

Imanaga has made a seamless transition from Japan to MLB, recording a 0.84 ERA -- the lowest for any pitcher through his first nine career starts since earned runs became an official stat in both leagues in 1913. He also has a 2.19 FIP with a 6.44 K/BB ratio.

In his first season with the Dodgers, Glasnow has notched a 3.09 ERA with an MLB-leading 87 strikeouts over 67 innings. He’s just 53 innings away from his career high of 120, set last season with the Rays.

Burnes has been a steadying force for an injury-plagued Orioles rotation, posting a 2.60 ERA with 66 K’s and 17 walks over 65 2/3 innings. That’s exactly the type of production Baltimore was expecting when it acquired the ace pitcher from Milwaukee in February.

Sale looks better than he has in years, going 7-0 with a 1.17 ERA, 58 strikeouts and only four walks in 46 innings over his past seven starts. The southpaw has a career-best 8.67 K/BB ratio on the season, leading the NL in that department.

Even after allowing a season-high four runs against the Rockies at Coors Field on Sunday, Suárez owns a 9-1 record with a 1.75 ERA, an MLB-best 0.82 WHIP and 77 strikeouts over 72 innings in 2024.

Ragans showed ace potential after joining the Royals in a trade last summer and has kept it up in 2024. The lefty has an 11.0 K/9 and a 2.37 FIP, nearly a run lower than his 3.34 ERA.

Cease has been an outstanding addition to the Padres’ rotation -- he has a 3.29 ERA, and his WHIP (0.96), FIP (2.77) and K/BB ratio (4.10) would all be career bests.

Aside from a few hiccups, Yamamoto has been as good as advertised after signing a 12-year, $325 million deal with the Dodgers in the offseason. He has recorded a 2.79 ERA with 67 K’s over 58 innings in 10 starts since his rough debut (1 IP, 5 R) against the Padres on March 21.

Others receiving votes: Garrett Crochet (CWS), Tanner Houck (BOS), Max Fried (ATL), Hunter Greene (CIN), Yusei Kikuchi (TOR), Seth Lugo (KC), Luis Gil (NYY), Logan Webb (SF)

RELIEF PITCHER

First team: Mason Miller (OAK), Emmanuel Clase (CLE)
Second team: Ryan Helsley (STL), Robert Suarez (SD)

Overpowering hitters with a high-octane fastball -- which has topped out at 103.7 mph -- and devastating slider, Miller has struck out 45 of the 84 batters he’s faced this season while registering a 1.96 ERA and a 0.74 WHIP. His FIP is -0.01.

After leading the Majors in saves in each of the past two seasons, Clase is tied for a share of the lead with 17 this year. He has been virtually untouchable, posting a 0.33 ERA, a 0.62 WHIP and a 13.0 K/BB ratio over 27 1/3 innings.

Helsley blew his first save chance of the season but has converted 17 straight to tie Clase for the MLB lead in that department. He has pitched to a 2.25 ERA with a 6.25 K/BB ratio over 24 innings.

Taking over the closer job for the Padres following the departure of Josh Hader in free agency, Suarez has successfully converted all 15 of his save chances while recording a 0.76 ERA and a 0.72 WHIP over 23 2/3 innings.

Others receiving votes: Clay Holmes (NYY), Josh Hader (HOU), Matt Strahm (PHI)