Latest 2022 MLB All-Star Game Roster Picks After 2 Months

The 2022 MLB All-Star Game is fast approaching, and it's never too soon to start debating who deserves a spot in the annual showcase.

We are now nearly two months into the 2022 season, and while there's still a long way to go until the All-Star Game is played on July 19 at Dodger Stadium, it's never too early to start talking All-Star rosters.

Using the 32-player roster format implemented in 2018, we assembled our American League and National League teams based solely on 2022 performance. Voting trends and popularity did not factor into these decisions. We simply picked the 32 players who are most deserving while sticking to the rule of including at least one player from every team.

For consistency, each roster is made up of 20 position players and 12 pitchers.

We also highlighted three notable snubs from each league, since the players who don't get selected are often a bigger story than the ones who do.

Check out our first round of All-Star Game picks that published on May 4, 2022.

Starting Lineup

1. SS Tim Anderson, CWS
2. CF Mike Trout, LAA
3. RF Aaron Judge, NYY
4. 3B Jose Ramirez, CLE
5. DH J.D. Martinez, BOS
6. LF Taylor Ward, LAA
7. 1B Ty France, SEA
8. 2B Jose Altuve, HOU
9. C Alejandro Kirk, TOR
SP Nestor Cortes, NYY

Notes

—Mike Trout, Taylor Ward and Jose Ramirez are the only returning selections for the AL starting lineup from our first round of All-Star Game picks, though Ty France and Tim Anderson were also part of that initial wave of picks as reserves.

—One of the tougher starting lineup decisions is at designated hitter with AL batting average leader J.D. Martinez (177 OPS+, .363/.425/.563, 1.6 WAR) and Yordan Alvarez (168 OPS+, .266/.361/.570, 1.6 WAR) each having strong seasons. Both players are worthy of a spot on the roster in some capacity.

—The starting catcher spot is wide-open for the American League with Alejandro Kirk (138 OPS+, 3 HR, 13 RBI, 1.6 WAR), Jonah Heim (130 OPS+, 6 HR, 18 RBI, 1.1 WAR) and Christian Vazquez (116 OPS+, 2 HR, 20 RBI, 0.8 WAR) as the leading candidates based on production.

AL Reserves (Hitters)

C Jonah Heim, TEX
1B Anthony Rizzo, NYY
3B Rafael Devers, BOS
SS Xander Bogaerts, BOS
SS J.P. Crawford, SEA
SS Jeremy Pena, HOU
IF Luis Arraez, MIN
OF Andrew Benintendi, KC
OF Austin Hays, BAL
OF George Springer, TOR
DH Yordan Alvarez, HOU

Notes

—Catcher Jonah Heim, third baseman Rafael Devers, shortstop Jeremy Pena, utility man Luis Arraez and outfielder Austin Hays are all newcomers since our first round of predictions, and from that group, all but Devers would be first-time All-Stars.

—Outfielders Andrew Benintendi (138 OPS+, .328/.395/.424, 11 XBH, 1.6 WAR) and Austin Hays (137 OPS+, .297/.365/.453, 17 XBH, 1.7 WAR) are the only All-Star picks from the Kansas City Royals and Baltimore Orioles, respectively. That said, they are both worthy of All-Star recognition regardless of those roster requirements.

—While there is no backup second baseman on the AL bench, the versatile Luis Arraez can handle the position. He is a no-brainer All-Star right now with a .351/.442/.405 line that includes more walks (23) than strikeouts (15), and he's seen action at first base (22 games), second base (nine games) and third base (five games).

AL Reserves (Pitchers)

SP Paul Blackburn, OAK
SP Kevin Gausman, TOR
SP Michael Kopech, CWS
SP Alek Manoah, TOR
SP Shane McClanahan, TB
SP Martin Perez, TEX
SP Tarik Skubal, DET
SP Justin Verlander, HOU
RP J.P. Feyereisen, TB
RP Clay Holmes, NYY
RP Jordan Romano, TOR

Notes

—In a season with no shortage of standout pitching performances, starting pitchers Nestor Cortes, Kevin Gausman, Alek Manoah, Tarik Skubal and Justin Verlander are all carry-over picks, as is closer Jordan Romano, who has an AL-leading 16 saves in 18 opportunities.

—Left-hander Shane McClanahan went 4-0 with a 1.15 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 39 strikeouts in 31.1 innings in May, and he's a legitimate candidate for the starting nod with strong numbers across the board. He leads the majors with 81 strikeouts in 58.1 innings, and he has limited opposing hitters to a .195 average.

—It's generally difficult for a non-closer reliever to earn a spot on the All-Star team, but J.P. Feyereisen (20 G, 1 SV, 6 HLD, 0.00 ERA, 0.39 WHIP, 25 K, 23.0 IP) and Clay Holmes (23 G, 6 SV, 7 HLD, 0.36 ERA, 0.69 WHIP, 26 K, 24.2 IP) are both having stellar seasons worthy of recognition.

OF Manuel Margot, Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays signed Margot to a two-year, $19 million extension that includes a 2025 club option that runs through the 2025 season, and that is quickly shaping up to be a major bargain. The 27-year-old is hitting .327/.382/.469 in 123 plate appearances, and while he missed some time with a hamstring strain, he's still having the best season of his career.

SP Logan Gilbert, Seattle Mariners

Gilbert was far and away the toughest omission from the AL roster, and after a brief rough patch, he tossed seven shutout innings against the Houston Astros on Saturday. The 25-year-old has a 2.29 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 60 strikeouts in 59 innings, and he would be a safe bet to find his way onto the roster once injuries and pitchers who threw right before the All-Star break are taken into account.

SP Joe Ryan, Minnesota Twins

On the COVID-19 injured list since May 25, Ryan is having a terrific rookie season with a 2.28 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 42 strikeouts in 43.1 innings. Assuming he returns in short order, he'll continue to be right in the thick of the AL Rookie of the Year race with Jeremy Pena and Julio Rodriguez.

BAL (1): OF Austin Hays

BOS (3): 3B Rafael Devers, SS Xander Bogaerts, DH J.D. Martinez

CWS (2): SS Tim Anderson, SP Michael Kopech

CLE (1): 3B Jose Ramirez

DET (1): SP Tarik Skubal

HOU (4): 2B Jose Altuve, SS Jeremy Pena, DH Yordan Alvarez, SP Justin Verlander

KC (1): OF Andrew Benintendi

LAA (2): OF Mike Trout, OF Taylor Ward

MIN (1): IF Luis Arraez

NYY (4): 1B Anthony Rizzo, OF Aaron Judge, SP Nestor Cortes, RP Clay Holmes

OAK (1): SP Paul Blackburn

SEA (2): 1B Ty France, SS J.P. Crawford

TB (2): SP Shane McClanahan, RP J.P. Feyereisen

TEX (2): C Jonah Heim, SP Martin Perez

TOR (5): C Alejandro Kirk, OF George Springer, SP Kevin Gausman, SP Alek Manoah, RP Jordan Romano

Starting Lineup

1. RF Mookie Betts, LAD
2. LF Juan Soto, WAS
3. 1B Paul Goldschmidt, STL
4. 3B Manny Machado, SD
5. DH Bryce Harper, PHI
6. SS Francisco Lindor, NYM
7. C Willson Contreras, CHC
8. CF Brandon Nimmo, NYM
9. 2B Tommy Edman, STL
SP Pablo Lopez, MIA

Notes

—Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, Juan Soto and Bryce Harper are all returning picks for the starting lineup, while Tommy Edman, Manny Machado and Pablo Lopez were each selected as reserves last time around.

—First baseman Paul Goldschmidt hit .404/.471/.817 with 10 home runs and 33 RBI in 119 plate appearances in May to leapfrog three other first basemen who were on the NL roster last time around, and he has emerged as a bona fide NL MVP candidate.

—Another May standout who has vaulted into the NL MVP conversation, Mookie Betts hit .342/.411/.746 with 12 home runs and 27 RBI in 28 games last month following an ice-cold start to the year. He has been named to the All-Star Game five times in the last six years, but he has not been voted to start since 2018 when he was still with the Boston Red Sox.

NL Reserves (Hitters)

C Tyler Stephenson, CIN
1B Pete Alonso, NYM
1B C.J. Cron, COL
1B Freddie Freeman, LAD
2B Jazz Chisholm Jr., MIA
2B Jeff McNeil, NYM
3B Nolan Arenado, STL
SS Trea Turner, LAD
OF Joc Pederson, SF
OF Mike Yastrzemski, SF
C/OF Daulton Varsho, ARI

Notes

—Returning picks from the NL reserves list include Tyler Stephenson, C.J. Cron, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Jeff McNeil, Nolan Arenado and Joc Pederson, though Chisholm and Arenado were chosen to the starting lineup last time around.

—After showing flashes as a rookie last season, Daulton Varsho is hitting .262/.340/.470 for a 130 OPS+ with 10 doubles, eight home runs and 22 RBI. His ability to play catcher and all three outfield spots would provide NL manager Brian Snitker with some welcome versatility, and with 1.7 WAR in 47 games, he would be a deserving first-time All-Star.

—Outfielder Mike Yastrzemski quietly hit .321/.442/.543 with 12 extra-base hits and more walks (19) than strikeouts (15) in 104 plate appearances in May, and after missing out on an opportunity to play in the All-Star Game during his breakout 2020 season, he would be a first-time pick this year.

NL Reserves (Pitchers)

SP Sandy Alcantara, MIA
SP Corbin Burnes, MIL
SP Zac Gallen, ARI
SP MacKenzie Gore, SD
SP Miles Mikolas, STL
SP Joe Musgrove, SD
SP Aaron Nola, PHI
SP Kyle Wright, ATL
RP David Bednar, PIT
RP Josh Hader, MIL
RP Taylor Rogers, SD

Notes

—Starting pitchers Corbin Burnes, Miles Mikolas and Kyle Wright, as well as relievers Josh Hader and Taylor Rogers, are all returning picks from a loaded field of NL pitchers that does not include many of the usual suspects outside of the reigning NL Cy Young winner.  

—Zac Gallen (9 GS, 2.32 ERA, 0.91 WHIP, 49 K, 50.1 IP) and MacKenzie Gore (7 GS, 1.71 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 47 K, 42.0 IP) both fall just short of having enough innings pitched to qualify for the ERA title, but they've still been impressive enough to be worthy of All-Star recognition.

—It's a coin toss between closer David Bednar (21 G, 9/10 SV, 1.38 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, 12.1 K/9) and third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes (120 OPS+, .293/.378/.384, 13 XBH) to be the sole representative for the Pittsburgh Pirates. If Hayes gets the nod, St. Louis Cardinals reliever Ryan Helsley would be the next man up for a reliever spot.

OF Ronald Acuna Jr., Atlanta Braves

Acuna did not make his 2022 debut until April 28 while continuing to recover from a torn ACL, so he has some work to do to make up for lost time. So far, so good as he's hitting .284/.394/.432 for a 129 OPS+ with eight extra-base hits and nine steals in 99 plate appearances, but he'll need to keep it up to push his way onto the NL roster.

SP/RP Keegan Thompson, Chicago Cubs

Thompson began the season in the Cubs bullpen before shifting to the starting rotation, and he's gone 5-0 with a 1.58 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 35 strikeouts in 40 innings spanning three starts and eight relief appearances. The 27-year-old is holding opposing hitters to a .217 average, and he is having one of the best under-the-radar seasons of the year.

RP Ryan Helsley, St. Louis Cardinals

In 18.2 innings of work, Helsley has limited opposing hitters to four hits, five walks and one earned run, tallying three saves and four holds while striking out 28 of the 64 batters he has faced. The 27-year-old is averaging 99.2 mph with his fastball, and his wipeout slider has been virtually unhittable, limiting opposing hitters to an .087 average with a 48 percent whiff rate.

ARI (2): C/OF Daulton Varsho, SP Zac Gallen

ATL (1): SP Kyle Wright

CHC (1): C Willson Contreras

CIN (1): C Tyler Stephenson

COL (1): 1B C.J. Cron

LAD (3): 1B Freddie Freeman, SS Trea Turner, OF Mookie Betts

MIA (3): 2B Jazz Chisholm Jr., SP Sandy Alcantara, SP Pablo Lopez

MIL (2): SP Corbin Burnes, RP Josh Hader

NYM (4): 1B Pete Alonso, 2B Jeff McNeil, SS Francisco Lindor, OF Brandon Nimmo

PHI (2): DH Bryce Harper, SP Aaron Nola

PIT (1): RP David Bednar

SD (4): 3B Manny Machado, SP MacKenzie Gore, SP Joe Musgrove, RP Taylor Rogers

SF (2): OF Joc Pederson, OF Mike Yastrzemski

STL (4): 1B Paul Goldschmidt, 2B Tommy Edman, 3B Nolan Arenado, SP Miles Mikolas

WAS (1): OF Juan Soto

All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and accurate through Tuesday's games.