MLB All-Star Game 2022: How many Yankees will make the AL roster?

By Jordan Shusterman
FOX Sports MLB Writer

The document for many representatives from one crew at an MLB All-Star Game belongs to … the Yankees, after all! 

In 1939, when additionally they had the finest document at the break, the Yankees had 10 (!) gamers in the All-Star Game, which passed off, fittingly, at the unique Yankee Stadium. Those 10 included six of the starters for the American League: beginning pitcher Red Ruffing, catcher Bill Dickey, second baseman Joe Gordon, third baseman Red Rolfe, left fielder George Selkirk and famous person heart fielder Joe DiMaggio. Shortstop Frankie Cosetti, Hall of Fame pitcher Lefty Gomez and right-hander Johnny Murphy have been named to the crew as effectively.

The tenth participant was Lou Gehrig, who had given his iconic “Luckiest Man On Earth” speech only a week earlier, following his premature retirement, and was there as an honorary captain. Even should you don’t rely Gehrig, 9 representatives remains to be a surprising quantity. And it turned out to be an entirely acceptable degree of illustration: The Yankees completed the season with the finest document in baseball and swept the Reds to win their fourth consecutive World Series championship.

Let’s get this out of the approach now: The 2022 Yankees usually are not going to have 10 All-Stars. They virtually definitely received’t have 9. But how many may they’ve? How many All-Stars does the crew with the finest document at the break sometimes have? 

I’m so glad you requested! Here are the solutions over the previous decade:

2021: Giants, 3
2019: Dodgers, 5
2018: Red Sox, 4
2017: Astros/Dodgers, 6 
2016: Cubs, 7 
2015: Cardinals, 6
2014: A’s, 6
2013: Cardinals, 5
2012: Yankees, 4
2011: Phillies, 5

Recent historical past means that 4 to 6 All-Stars is what you’d count on for the crew with the finest document at the break, with the seven Cubs reps in 2016 the high-water mark — and, as with the 1939 Yankees, strong proof that the crew was in the center of a reasonably particular season. 

Could the 2022 Yankees have seven All-Stars? It’s positively doable. Let’s check out the candidates, so as of chance to make the journey to Los Angeles in a few weeks.

The final AL All-Star crew

Ben Verlander names his excellent American League All-Star crew, together with Aaron Judge from the New York Yankees, Justin Verlander from the Houston Astros and extra.

Aaron Judge

No have to belabor this one. He has already been named a beginning outfielder for the American League, and he’s the apparent front-runner for AL MVP. Judge is completely sensational. We’ll see him in L.A.

Clay Holmes

One of the greatest breakout pitchers across the league, Holmes has fully overtaken the nearer job from Aroldis Chapman and hasn’t regarded again. He lately had a run of 29 straight scoreless appearances, which had bullpen teammate Michael King in full awe.

“You see the lengthy scoreless streaks for a starter, the place they go 5 straight scoreless begins. But meaning you’re on for 5 straight appearances,” King instructed FOX Sports. “But Clay being on for 29 straight appearances is unfathomable to me.

“I by no means need [manager Aaron] Boone to tug me from a sport. But after I’m in my third inning of reduction, and Boone comes strolling out, and I look to the bullpen, and it’s Clay, I’m like, ‘Please, take it, my runs will not be cashed in.’”

Holmes needs to be a no brainer selection as one in every of the few relievers to symbolize the AL in Los Angeles.

Giancarlo Stanton

Fun reality: Stanton hasn’t made the All-Star crew since 2017 … when he was on the Marlins and received NL MVP. Think about that! 

This season, Stanton has an ideal probability of returning and remains to be in the working for one of the starting AL outfield spots through the fan vote. Even if he doesn’t get the beginning nod, he has a wonderful All-Star case and nonetheless clearly possesses the most raw power in the sport. 

Nestor Cortes Jr.

What a season it has been for the 27-year-old lefty, who burst onto the scene as one in every of the extra dependable beginning pitchers in baseball and is doing that in another way than almost any other frontline ace in the sport. 

Cortes deserves to be named an All-Star. 

Gerrit Cole

You may say Cole’s season has been considerably underwhelming, however that’s simply due to how excessive he has set the normal for himself. His 117 strikeouts are tied for fourth-most in MLB, and his ERA is beneath 3.00 once more. It’s not supersonic 2019 Gerrit Cole, however he nonetheless seems like an All-Star to me. 

Jose Trevino

Trevino has been an unimaginable addition to the Yankees’ roster, most notably for his protection, which has clearly had a major influence on a pitching employees that currently leads MLB in each fWAR and ERA.

“We have, I feel, the two finest defensive catchers in the league,” Cortes stated of Trevino and Kyle Higashioka. “That helps us as pitchers be extra assured, whether or not it’s pitch-calling or throwing a ball in the grime that you realize they’re gonna snag and even throwing guys out. Trevy has executed a bunch of backdoor picks and getting guys at second.” 

But don’t sleep on Trevino’s bat, both. He has been an above-average hitter — and never only for a catcher. He’s a finalist for the beginning AL catcher spot however seems more likely to fall quick to Toronto‘s Alejandro Kirk, which implies he’ll have to beat out the likes of Salvador Perez and Jonah Heim to get the invite to L.A. 

I like his probabilities.

Anthony Rizzo

Rizzo acquired off to a scorching begin in 2022, launching 9 dingers in April and making his return to the Bronx in the offseason appear like a superb transfer. He has been an necessary a part of the Yankees’ lineup, however so far as his All-Star case, homers are the essential argument. Guys corresponding to Ty France (156 wRC+) and Jose Abreu (144 wRC+) have a lot stronger instances for AL first baseman, as they’re extra well-rounded hitters than Rizzo (139 wRC+).

That stated, homers are nonetheless an ideal argument, and easy counting stats are sometimes a great way to get invited to the All-Star Game.

Michael King

While he hasn’t been racking up saves, King has been one in every of the most valuable relievers in the league, due to his means to go a number of innings.

“He’s been our bread and butter this 12 months,” Cortes instructed FOX Sports. “[Holmes] has been lights-out, however he’s a better, so he has a greater shot. It doesn’t go unnoticed what [King] has been doing as a result of he’s the man that places out the hearth each time, and that’s very worthwhile to a crew.”

Luis Severino

Jameson Taillon and Jordan Montgomery have been superb, however Severino has been quietly wonderful in his first full season following Tommy John surgical procedure in February 2020. His 28.9% strikeout fee ranks eighth amongst beginning pitchers with no less than 70 innings pitched, and his stuff seems to be primarily all the approach again.

Severino is a bit behind innings-wise, in comparison with another beginning pitcher candidates in the AL, however when on the mound, he has definitely regarded like the All-Star he was in 2017 and ’18.

Gleyber Torres

Torres has transitioned easily into the every-day second-base job, offering way more dependable protection than he ever did at shortstop and hitting the ball harder than he ever has before — yeah, even tougher than when he hit 38 homers in 2019. 

He’s nonetheless flying beneath the radar considerably, however he has a sneaky-strong case behind Jose Altuve and Luis Arraez amongst AL second basemen.

DJ LeMahieu

Like Torres, LeMahieu has bounced again from a disappointing 2021 season. It appears cheap to conclude that LeMahieu’s stunningly lackluster 2021 had rather a lot to do with the sports activities hernia he was playing through the entire season, and it has been good to see him bounce again this 12 months. It hasn’t been something flashy, however he’s enjoying high quality protection at three infield spots, and his offensive manufacturing is again to solidly above league common (122 OPS+).

This is the model of LeMahieu I assumed the Yankees have been getting after they signed him earlier than the 2019 season — not the MVP candidate he seemed to be in 2019 and ’20 — and on this lineup, that’s completely adequate. That stated, I’d be shocked to see him named an All-Star reserve, contemplating his underwhelming counting stats. 

So there you will have it: There are 11 Yankees All-Star candidates. 

Will all of them make the journey to L.A.? Of course not. My finest guess proper now’s six All-Stars from the Bronx. 

Judge, Holmes, Cortes, Stanton and Cole seem to be locks, and I’ll wager one in every of the others finally ends up making it as a reserve or harm substitute. 

We’ll discover out quickly sufficient!

Jordan Shusterman is half of @CespedesBBQ and a baseball author for FOX Sports. He lives in D.C. however is a large Seattle Mariners fan and loves watching the KBO, which implies he would not get a variety of sleep. You can observe him on Twitter @j_shusterman_.