All-Star starters are set. Who made the cut?
The votes are in and the starters for the 2022 MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard are set.
The winners of the 2022 Chevrolet All-Star Ballot Finals were announced on the 2022 Chevrolet MLB All-Star Starters Reveal show on ESPN on Friday, rounding out the starting lineups for the 92nd Midsummer Classic at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on July 19.
The leading vote-getter in each league from Phase 1 of the voting -- Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge in the American League and Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. in the National League -- had already secured a spot in his team’s starting lineup.
In all, 14 different clubs are represented among the elected starters this year, led by the Blue Jays, Angels, Yankees and Dodgers, who have two All-Star starters apiece.
The pitchers and reserves for both squads -- totaling 24 players for each side -- will be determined via “Player Ballot” choices and selections made by the Commissioner’s Office. Earlier on Friday, MLB announced that legendary hitters Albert Pujols of the Cardinals and Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers will be active at the 2022 Midsummer Classic.
The complete All-Star rosters were announced during the 2022 Chevrolet MLB All-Star Selection Show on Sunday on ESPN.
Here are the All-Star starters:
CATCHER
NL: Willson Contreras, CHC (3rd election)
After leading NL catchers in votes during Phase 1, Contreras easily topped Travis d’Arnaud in the finals and will make his third career All-Star start. Contreras is having a career year in his final season before free agency, with 13 homers and a personal-best .890 OPS.
Runner-up: Travis d’Arnaud, ATL
AL: Alejandro Kirk, TOR (1st election)
Hitting .312/.399/.491 with 10 homers in 74 games, Kirk cruised to a victory over the Yankees’ Jose Trevino in the finals. He’s the first Blue Jays catcher to win an All-Star fan election.
Runner-up: Jose Trevino, NYY
FIRST BASE
NL: Paul Goldschmidt, STL (3rd selection)
On paper, Goldschmidt had a tough matchup in the finals against Pete Alonso, who has produced 22 homers and an MLB-leading 69 RBIs for the first-place Mets in 2022. But the NL leader in batting average, slugging percentage and OPS ran away with this one, earning the opportunity to make his fourth career All-Star start -- he’s been elected three times and started as the NL DH in 2018 after being selected as a reserve first baseman -- and his first as a member of the Cardinals.
Runner-up: Pete Alonso, NYM
AL: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., TOR (2nd election)
The MVP of the 2021 All-Star Game, Guerrero will join his teammate Kirk in the AL’s starting lineup after soundly defeating Ty France in the finals to grab his second consecutive starting nod at first base for the AL. Vlad leads the Blue Jays with 19 homers and 54 RBIs this season.
Runner-up: Ty France, SEA
SECOND BASE
NL: Jazz Chisholm Jr., MIA (1st election)
Chisholm (right lower back strain) is on the injured list, but he still has a chance to be back by the Midsummer Classic to make the start he earned with his win here. He'd be the fifth Marlins player to start the All-Star Game, joining Hanley Ramirez (three times), Stanton (twice), Marcell Ozuna (twice) and Gary Sheffield (once). The flashy 24-year-old is having a breakout season, producing 14 homers, 12 steals and a 139 OPS+ in 60 games.
Runner-up: Ozzie Albies, ATL
AL: Jose Altuve, HOU (5th election)
For the fifth time in his esteemed career and the first time since 2018, Altuve will be part of the AL’s starting lineup. He’s now an eight-time All-Star, breaking a tie with Hall of Famer Craig Biggio for the most in Astros history. The 34-year-old entered Friday with a 156 OPS+ this season, his highest since his 2017 AL MVP Award-winning campaign (160 OPS+).
Runner-up: Santiago Espinal, TOR
THIRD BASE
NL: Manny Machado, SD (3rd election)
This hot-corner matchup between a pair of perennial All-Stars was the closest of any position, with Machado defeating Nolan Arenado by just a few percentage points. This will be Machado’s third career All-Star start overall but first in the NL, putting an end to Arenado’s four-game starting streak.
Runner-up: Nolan Arenado, STL
AL: Rafael Devers, BOS (2nd election)
José Ramírez got the most votes among AL third basemen in Phase 1, but Devers leapfrogged him in the finals after vote totals were reset. The 25-year-old, who ranks among the AL’s top five in wins above replacement, hits, extra-base hits, batting average, slugging percentage and OPS, will make his second straight All-Star start at the hot corner.
Runner-up: José Ramírez, CLE
SHORTSTOP
NL: Trea Turner, LAD (1st election)
Now a two-time All-Star, Turner will get to make the start in front of the hometown fans in Los Angeles. He’s the second Dodgers shortstop since 1970 to win the All-Star fan vote after Bill Russell in 1980, the only other time the Midsummer Classic was held at Dodger Stadium.
Runner-up: Dansby Swanson, ATL
AL: Tim Anderson, CWS (1st election)
After earning his first All-Star selection in 2021, Anderson will start the Midsummer Classic for the first time in 2022. The former AL batting champion has hit .313 with five homers, 10 steals and a 120 OPS+ over 55 games this season.
Runner-up: Bo Bichette, TOR
DESIGNATED HITTER
NL: Bryce Harper, PHI (6th election)
Harper is out indefinitely with a fractured left thumb, but the injury didn’t prevent the reigning NL MVP from defeating William Contreras in the finals, marking the sixth time in his career and first time with the Phillies he has been elected as a starter. He hit 15 homers and recorded a .985 OPS (175 OPS+) before his injury.
Runner-up: William Contreras, ATL
AL: Shohei Ohtani (2nd election)
After becoming the first player to start an All-Star Game on the mound and lead off for his team a year ago, Ohtani (18 HR, .833 OPS) will be back in the AL’s starting lineup as the DH. The Angels’ two-way superstar was the fans’ pick by a 52%-48% margin over the Astros’ Yordan Alvarez, who has 26 homers and an MLB-leading 1.076 OPS in 2022.
Runner-up: Yordan Alvarez, HOU
NL OUTFIELD
Ronald Acuña Jr., ATL (3rd election)
Acuña tore the ACL in his right knee days before the 2021 All-Star Game, preventing him from making his second career All-Star start and knocking him out for the season. The 24-year-old has dealt with some bumps and bruises since he returned in late April, but he has otherwise looked like his old self for the Braves, and earned the starting nod after leading the NL in votes in Phase 1.
Joc Pederson, SF (1st election)
Acuña and Betts will be joined by Pederson, who is the first Giants outfielder to win an All-Star fan election since Melky Cabrera in 2012. Signed to a one-year deal as a free agent after winning a World Series title with the Braves in 2021, Pederson has produced 17 homers and a 144 OPS+ across 72 games for San Francisco this season.
Mookie Betts, LAD (3rd election)
After Acuña narrowly edged him out as the NL’s top vote-getter in Phase 1 to receive an automatic spot in the NL's starting lineup, Betts was able to grab one of the two remaining starting outfield spots, giving the hometown Dodgers a pair of starters. Betts already has 20 homers this season, the second most he’s hit before the All-Star break during his career after 2018 (23).
Runners-up: Starling Marte, NYM; Adam Duvall, ATL
AL OUTFIELD
Aaron Judge, NYY (4th election)
Leading the Majors in homers (30) and the AL in RBIs (64) with a .993 OPS, Judge was MLB’s leading vote-getter in Phase 1, which allowed him to bypass the finals and grab one of the starting outfield spots in the AL lineup. He’s one of two All-Star starters from the Yankees, who have the best record in baseball.
Mike Trout, LAA (9th election)
Trout handily secured one of the two remaining starting spots in the AL outfield and will make his seventh All-Star start. He was also elected as a starter in 2017 and 2021 but missed the Midsummer Classic due to injury in both years. With the win, Trout maintains his streak of earning an All-Star nod every year he’s been eligible, with the exceptions being 2011 (made MLB debut on July 8) and 2020 (no All-Star Game held).
Giancarlo Stanton, NYY (2nd election)
The race for the third outfield spot came down to the wire, with Stanton (22% of the vote) edging out Toronto’s George Springer (20%) and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (18%). This will mark the first time Stanton has started the All-Star Game since he joined the Yankees following the 2017 season, and the second time he’s won the fan vote. He was previously elected in 2015 but missed the game due to injury. Stanton also started as the NL DH in 2014 and 2017 after making the team as a reserve outfielder both years.
Runners-up: George Springer, TOR; Lourdes Gurriel Jr., TOR