The best thing about the All-Star Game is right there in the name: Everybody’s a star. There isn’t a player you’ll watch on Tuesday night who isn’t one of the best players in baseball right now. That’s why they’re there.

• MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard: July 19 on FOX

But some are obviously bigger stars than others. So let’s rank them all -- or at least the top 50.

Now, every person has his or her own criteria. Mine is a highly subjective amalgam of several factors: How each player is playing in the first half of this year, how he's played in his career and how much I want to watch him play right now -- which, after all, is why we have an All-Star Game in the first place. (Players unlikely to be healthy enough to play, or who say they aren’t playing, aren’t included here, including Bryce Harper and Yordan Alvarez.)

• Here are the 2022 All-Star rosters

Every single one of these players belongs here. But here are the top 50, ranked.

1) Aaron Judge, OF, Yankees
The Yankees are having an all-timer of a year, and Judge is having a historic season -- just in time for free agency. We love larger-than-life players on the grandest baseball stage, and Judge sure feels like he’s having his moment.

2) Shohei Ohtani, OF, Angels
The only thing keeping him from the No. 1 spot is that we just saw him pitch and hit in last year’s All-Star Game. Of course, he might be better now than he was then -- potentially at both! And honestly: It’s still so incredible.

3) Mookie Betts, OF, Dodgers
One of the primary faces of baseball gets to hear the constant roar of a hometown fanbase that adores him the way he deserves to be adored.

4) Mike Trout, OF, Angels
Considering how long it has been since we got to see him in the playoffs, this is most of the country’s only real chance to see him on a national stage. He might just go out and win his third All-Star Game MVP Award in response.

5) Ronald Acuña Jr., OF, Braves
We missed him in the World Series last year, but we’re getting used to seeing him here. And we might just get to see him in the Series again this year.

6) Vladimir Guerrero Jr., 1B, Blue Jays
Vlad Jr. hasn’t had the earth-shaking season that he had last year, but he’s still one of the faces of the game. Every at-bat is potentially a moment you’ll never forget.

7) Clayton Kershaw, LHP, Dodgers
He might not be the best starter on the Dodgers anymore. He might not start this game. But few have looked more right on that Dodger Stadium mound than Kershaw does.

8) Albert Pujols, DH, Cardinals
There are many currently better players on this list -- maybe even all of them. But the chance to say goodbye to one of the best hitters in baseball history virtually secures a historic moment.

9) Julio Rodríguez, OF, Mariners
Too high? Then you haven’t seen him play yet.

10) Justin Verlander, RHP, Astros
It is truly remarkable that he has worked his way back to the All-Star Game. It doesn’t feel like this will be his last one, either.

11) Tim Anderson, SS, White Sox
A groin strain that kept him out for a few weeks slowed down what had been shaping up to be an MVP season, but Anderson is still one of the most electric and charismatic performers in this sport.

12) Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, Cardinals
Goldschmidt has been one of the best players in baseball for a decade-plus, but he’s never won an MVP Award. Then again, he’s never put together a season quite like the one he’s currently having, either. This is actually his first All-Star appearance since 2018.

13) Giancarlo Stanton, OF, Yankees
Now that there’s another giant launching baseball deep into the Bronx night, it has made people forget just how much of a supernova Stanton is.

14) Manny Machado, 3B, Padres
One of the best players in baseball never to have won an MVP Award, he’s having a fantastic year and keeping the Padres’ heads above water without Fernando Tatis Jr.

15) Rafael Devers, 3B, Red Sox
Devers has been an excellent player for a while, but this is the year he has put it all together.

16) José Ramírez, 3B, Guardians
He just goes out there and puts up MVP-caliber seasons ever year, no matter how few people notice.

17) Juan Soto, OF, Nationals
A “down” year for him is still All-Star caliber.

18) Kyle Schwarber, OF, Phillies
In June, he looked like Babe Ruth.

19) Corbin Burnes, RHP, Brewers
The defending NL Cy Young Award winner has been nearly as good this year.

20) Miguel Cabrera, DH, Tigers
Say what you will about being a “Commissioner’s pick,” but the guy may hit over .300 for the first time since 2016.

21) Shane McClanahan, LHP, Rays
Yet another dominant Rays pitcher whom you haven’t watched enough, he’s the best starting pitcher in baseball right now.

22) Nestor Cortes, LHP, Yankees
One of the best stories in baseball this year, and as deserving of your cheers as much as anyone in this game.

23) Emmanuel Clase, RHP, Guardians
If you haven’t seen this guy pitch yet, you really, really need to. He’s doing things not many other pitchers have even thought about.

24) Pete Alonso, 1B, Mets
The real fun will come from the Home Run Derby, of course.

25) Clay Holmes, RHP, Yankees
Want to know what a currently unhittable pitcher looks like? This is what he looks like.

26) Gerrit Cole, RHP, Yankees
Is it possible to be as consistently great as Cole has been for the most recognizable baseball team in the world and still be underappreciated?

27) Nolan Arenado, 3B, Cardinals
He has slowed down a little since winning April’s NL Player of the Month Award but still has easily the highest park-adjusted OPS+ of his career.

28) Luis Arreaz, 2B, Twins
An ultimate throwback, he’s both Rod Carew’s and Ichiro Suzuki’s favorite player.

29) Byron Buxton, OF, Twins
What he can do while healthy might blow your mind. He’s healthy now.

30) Xander Bogaerts, SS, Red Sox
So much for him being threatened by Boston signing Trevor Story.

31) Jose Altuve, 2B, Astros
It’d be accurate to say that, fairly or unfairly, Altuve has become one of the more polarizing players in baseball right now. But he must not be that unpopular. He just got voted into the All-Star Game, after all.

32) Sandy Alcantara, RHP, Marlins
Only this low because being able to throw a complete game is not of much use in the All-Star Game.

33) Tony Gonsolin, RHP, Dodgers
There might be more “traditional” Dodgers that people are more excited about, but, well, 11-0 is 11-0.

34) Kyle Tucker, OF, Astros
Maybe now that he has made his first All-Star Game, we’ll all realize he’s one of the best players in baseball.

35) Jazz Chisholm, Jr., 2B, Marlins
His back should be well enough for him to return in time for the game. He is impossible not to cheer for.

36) Willson Contreras, C, Cubs
Every All-Star Game needs an, “Is this guy going to be traded in the next two weeks?” guy.

37) Trea Turner, SS, Dodgers
One of the top free agents set to be on the market this coming offseason, he’ll give plenty of potential suitors a chance to see him heralded in his current home stadium.

38) Dansby Swanson, SS, Braves
In his contract year, he has added an All-Star selection to that World Series ring he’s wearing.

39) Joc Pederson, OF, Giants
He won’t be wearing the pearls to the plate, but he should be.

40) Max Fried, LHP, Braves
Fried has been the ace of this staff for a while now, which is why it’s surprising this is his first All-Star nod.

41) George Springer, OF, Blue Jays
This is actually his first All-Star Game since 2019. That, particularly when it comes to former Astros, feels like a long time ago.

42) William Contreras, DH, Braves
It’ll be a blast to see him in the lineup with his brother -- and you may see them together in this game many times in the years to come.

43) Edwin Díaz, RHP, Mets
He’s striking out roughly two batters per inning this season, which is wild. That rough first year with the Mets feels like a long time ago.

44) Joe Musgrove, RHP, Padres
This is, fair to say, not the starting pitcher Padres fans thought would hit the All-Star Game first a couple of years ago.

45) Alejandro Kirk, C, Blue Jays
Sure, the American League catcher crop wasn’t that overwhelming this year. But Kirk has still very much earned this spot. He might be the only catcher you want to see hit.

46) Alek Manoah, RHP, Blue Jays
Drafted in the first round by the Jays just three years ago, he’s their ace and maybe their most important player right now.

47) Framber Valdez, LHP, Astros
The forever-underrated Astros pitcher has earned an All-Star bid (and maybe another World Series start someday).

48) C.J. Cron, 1B, Rockies
It has been a long road to his first All-Star Game, but he’s no Rockies-inflated stat hunter.

49) Jeff McNeil, 2B, Mets
As quiet as a Met can be, he’s a throwback player who is the quiet driver of this first-place team.

50) Starling Marte, OF, Mets
Marte last made the All-Star Game in 2016 with the Pirates, and his career has taken many wild twists and turns between then and now.

The Rest
We’ll stop there, because no All-Star deserves to be ranked last. But for the sake of completeness, here are the rest of the players on this year’s rosters, listed alphabetically: David Bednar, RHP (PIT), Andrew Benintendi, OF (KC), Paul Blackburn, RHP (OAK), Luis Castillo, RHP (CIN), Garrett Cooper, DH (MIA), Travis d’Arnaud (ATL), Andrés Giménez, 2B (CLE), Ian Happ, OF (CHC), Ryan Helsley, RHP (STL), Jorge López, RHP (BAL), Joe Mantiply, LHP (ARI), J.D. Martinez, DH (BOS), Martín Pérez, LHP (TEX), Carlos Rodón, LHP, (SF), Gregory Soto, LHP (DET), Jose Trevino, C (NYY).