Today marks the beginning of 2022’s public voting period for Major League Baseball’s All-Star weekend, which will be hosted by the Los Angeles Dodgers this July. After publishing my predictions for the American League results yesterday, it’s only natural that I follow it up with my early analysis of the National League race. Let’s get right into it!
National League Position Players
Just like the American League, the NL has a lot of close races among position players, but there’s also a new factor for the NL this season: the long-awaited adoption of the designated hitter rule, which finally gives voters an equal nine votes for each league. This also allows some players who may have normally been nominated at other positions to sneak into an All-Star Game with a DH role, and is overall a very good thing for baseball in my opinion. So far this year, offense has been down across the league, but the following players have excelled in their roles and look like early frontrunners for 2022’s Most Valuable Player crown.
First base: Paul Goldschmidt, St. Louis Cardinals
After Freddie Freeman and Matt Olson’s highly-publicized offseason moves, you would be forgiven for thinking one of them was a surefire All-Star starter this year with their track records and the expectations placed upon each of them by their new clubs and fanbases. Freeman has thrived as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Olson has proven himself to be a worthy successor to Freeman’s throne in Atlanta, but Cardinals veteran Paul Goldschmidt might be the best hitter in the National League this season. Leading the NL in offensive WAR, batting average, on-base percentage and on-base plus slugging, he carries a .341/.423/.606 slash line into mid-June and is having the best season of his extremely underappreciated career. The four-time Gold Glove winner looks like an early frontrunner for National League MVP on a contending Cardinals team. His performance should be undeniable enough to earn him a seventh All-Star appearance and his first as a member of the Cardinals. Freeman, Olson and the Mets’ Pete Alonso look to be the first names up as reserves for the first-base position when voting closes.
Second base: Jazz Chisholm Jr., Miami Marlins
After a lightning-hot start to his first full major league season in 2021, the Marlins’ gifted rookie cooled off considerably following a series of nagging injuries. Jazz has missed a few games with hamstring issues already this season but his production has otherwise been unhampered, and he currently leads all National League second basemen in home runs while being second in bWAR, fWAR and stolen bases. His pop, speed and strong defense make him one of the most fun infielders to watch in all of baseball, and his popularity with fans across the league give him a very solid chance to make his debut All-Star appearance. I think Jeff McNeil of the New York Mets is the likely runner-up and reserve. Jazz would actually not have been my first choice for this position, however, for reasons that will be explained in this next pick.
Shortstop: Trea Turner, Los Angeles Dodgers
This is where things begin to get really interesting for me, and this is a difficult race to read. Tommy Edman of the St. Louis Cardinals should be, by all rights, the National League All-Star starter at second base. Edman has had 41 of his 53 starts this season at second base and has been the best middle-infielder in the National League at that position, playing Gold Glove-caliber defense with a 124 OPS+ and a share of the National League stolen base lead with teammate Harrison Bader, good for a 3.2 bWAR (tied for best in baseball) and 2.7 fWAR (9th place). So why did I think Jazz Chisholm Jr. would take his spot, and why am I talking about this under the NL shortstop entry when I should be telling you all why Trea Turner is likely to win this race?
Well, you see, Major League Baseball unveiled its ballot today with one of the most inexplicable positional changes on a ballot that I can remember. Instead of Tommy Edman being the Cardinals’ rightful representative at second base, MLB elected to give that spot to Nolan Gorman, a top Cardinals prospect barely two weeks into his Major League career. Gorman has been off to a strong start, boasting a .298/.377/.553 slash line in 53 plate appearances, but that is hardly reason enough to move one of the most valuable players in the league off of his position when it comes to All-Star voting. Edman has instead been listed on this year’s ballot as a shortstop, where he has played parts of 15 games, and I think this strongly affects his chances of a well-earned All-Star appearances. Trea Turner of the Los Angeles Dodgers, acquired in last year’s blockbuster Max Scherzer trade, will be a premier free agent this offseason and is having a strong contract year. As things stand, he has a slightly better season at the plate than Edman and has been less valuable in the field, but I think his top 5 appearances on the NL leaderboard for base hits, runs batted in, stolen bases and win probability added + the support of a massive Dodgers fanbase will give him the edge over an out-of-position Edman playing in a smaller market. The Mets’ Francisco Lindor is a likely reserve candidate along with Edman.
Third base: Manny Machado, San Diego Padres
In the absence of phenom shortstop Fernando Tatís Jr., someone had to pick up the slack in the Padres lineup. It would seem strange to say that Machado, who has long been one of the premier third basemen in the league, had any slack to pick up, but he has taken his talents to soaring new heights in the first two months of the 2022 campaign. Machado currently leads all position players in bWAR (3.2) and is tied with the Dodgers’ Mookie Betts in fWAR (3.5), making him look like an early contender for Most Valuable Player if the Padres make a push towards October. The 29-year-old Machado is having the year of his life in the fourth season of his 10-year, $300 million deal, and has been worth every penny for San Diego. With a .325/.399/.534 slash line and 170 OPS+, he’s been one of the best hitters in the game, and paired with his solid defense at the hot corner he should edge out Nolan Arenado (Cardinals) and Ke’Bryan Hayes (Pirates) for his seventh All-Star appearance.
Catcher: Willson Contreras, Chicago Cubs
Much like my AL choice for catcher, Alejandro Kirk, Contreras is as close to a sure bet as there is when it comes to this year’s All-Star roster. The seven-year major league veteran has been the best catcher in the National League, bar none. Expectations for Contreras this season were high, given that this is his final year before testing free agency, and so far he has responded with the best season of his career. Contreras has improved his plate discipline and walk rate while retaining the same pop and contact skills that made him such a desirable offensive catcher in the first place. He leads all major league catchers in home runs and leads qualified catchers in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging and OPS (Kirk falls just shy of the requisite amount of plate appearances). His .277/.403/.530 slash line in the backstop role makes him one of the hottest commodities for this year’s trade deadline, and you’d be hard pressed to find anyone on the block swinging a hotter bat as the 2022 deadline approaches. Contreras is likely to be dealt to a contending team by the Cubs for a package of prospects, and the first two months of this season have been one hell of an audition for the many suitors he’ll have in free agency at this year’s winter meetings. I expect the Dodgers’ Will Smith to be the runner-up and first in line as reserve, and Cardinals fan favorite Yadier Molina will garner a fair amount of votes as well, given that he plans to retire after 2022.
Outfield: Ronald Acuña Jr., Atlanta Braves; Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Dodgers; Juan Soto, Washington Nationals
This is another interesting category to try and gauge. The only player of these three that I view as an undeniable lock for the All-Star game is Betts, who has rediscovered his top-5 player in baseball form from his Boston years and looks to challenge for his second Most Valuable Player trophy. Betts currently leads the National League with 16 home runs and 126 total bases, plus a major league-leading 52 runs scored in only 53 games. After a disappointing (by his standards) 2021 that still saw him put up 4 WAR and net his sixth consecutive All-Star selection, Betts is thriving in Los Angeles and will undoubtedly receive a large share of MVP votes if this pace holds. Acuña and Soto are more difficult for me to assess.
Ronald Acuña Jr. missed most of April while rehabbing from his torn ACL suffered in July of last year, and has had consistent rest days after his return to ease him back into an everyday role. Acuña’s traditional counting stats in the areas of home runs, RBI and runs scored may pale in comparison to the other elite players at the position, but Acuña is fourth in stolen bases despite half the plate appearances of his contemporaries and hasn’t lost a step from what we saw of him last year. His current pace would amount to 30 home runs, 90 RBI, 60 stolen bases and 120 runs scored over a 162 game span with an OPS+ of 158, nearly 20 points above his career average. It’s safe to say that Acuña is still the same player he has been for the prior four seasons of his career, and his ginormous popularity and sparkplug nature should likely net him a third All-Star appearance.
Juan Soto is, for my money, the most gifted hitter in baseball. He’s one of the most disciplined talents at the plate since prime Barry Bonds, in the company of future Hall of Famers like Joey Votto and Mike Trout. Soto has had what some would consider a disappointing start to the season, currently having a mere .225 batting average to show for his efforts. In spite of that, however, Soto still has a .373 on-base percentage and leads the major leagues in walks for the second year running. As the best player on the Washington Nationals by a country mile, it is often the smart move for opposing pitchers to pitch around Soto, but he has still found ways to flex his muscles and crush 12 home runs in the first two months of the season. Soto earned his first All-Star appearance last season with a similar OPS to this year’s and went on to have a torrid August and September, firmly vaulting himself into the MVP race and flirting with his second batting title. Soto’s statistical pedigree and underlying numbers speak for themselves, and he’ll be a popular baseball nerd pick for the final All-Star outfield slot.
As for the reserve outfielders, I would expect Joc Pederson of the San Francisco Giants, Brandon Nimmo of the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs rookie Seiya Suzuki to receive plenty of votes, while the Giants’ Mike Yastrzemski and Cubs’ Ian Happ will be likely snubs despite their outstanding seasons so far.
Designated hitter: Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies
This is another crystal clear choice. Harper, the two-time and reigning National League MVP, has gotten the majority of his reps this season as Philadelphia’s designated hitter under new rules. The 29-year-old right fielder is the crown jewel of Philadelphia’s roster, a former teen phenom who has continued to thrive as a top-10 talent in the league for the last decade. Injuries to his throwing arm and the acquisition of new outfielders Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos have kept Harper in the DH role for much of this season, playing 41 of his 49 games in that lineup slot, and he has been by far the most productive DH in the National League and one of the most productive bats in the league as a whole, with eerily similar rate statistics to last year’s campaign. His average, slugging percentage and OPS are all in line with last season’s numbers and he’s already racked up 19 doubles and 13 home runs to go with 41 RBI in a high-powered Phillies offense. This should be one of the easiest decisions on the ballot for voters as Harper picks up exactly where he left off after an incredible 2021.
National League Pitchers
The National League Cy Young race is a fascinating one this season. Two of the heavy favorites, the Mets’ Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer, are both effectively out of contention since deGrom has yet to pitch a game and Scherzer is expected to miss six to eight weeks of the season with an oblique strain that took him out of a mid-May start against St. Louis. Some of the other early preseason picks, such as the Dodgers’ Walker Buehler, have had a slow start to the season, and this year’s roster has been blown wide open as a result. Here’s who I think the National League manager will select for this year’s All-Star rotation and why:
Starters: Sandy Alcántara, Miami Marlins; Pablo López, Miami Marlins; Corbin Burnes, Milwaukee Brewers; Joe Musgrove, San Diego Padres; MacKenzie Gore, San Diego Padres; Adam Wainwright, St. Louis Cardinals; Tony Gonsolin, Los Angeles Dodgers; Max Fried, Atlanta Braves
To start things off, the Miami Marlins’ tandem of Alcántara and López has been nothing short of magical through their first 11 trips through the rotation. Alcántara, who signed a five-year extension worth $56 million this offseason, is the cemented ace of an extremely promising young Marlins staff which hopes to be one of the best in all of baseball within a couple of years. Alcántara may be the last of a dying breed, the rare workhorse who never misses a start and goes deep into games. He warrants comparisons in terms of stamina and workload to Gerrit Cole or a young Justin Verlander with equally overpowering stuff, pairing a 100mph running sinker with a 95mph changeup, 93mph slider and 82mph curveball. Alcántara has recorded four starts of eight or more innings including a complete game victory against the reigning world champion Atlanta Braves, the most of anyone in baseball, and leads the major leagues with 74 2/3 innings pitched while maintaining a 1.81 ERA, good for second in the National League. Alcántara was my preseason dark horse pick for the National League Cy Young Award, and so far he has come out the gate as the most valuable pitcher in the league to this point in the season. Teammate Pablo López has been nearly as good and profiles as the best #2 starter in baseball so far this season, with a 2.18 ERA in 11 starts and 66 innings of work. López will be eligible for his first year of arbitration this offseason and the Marlins would be smart to lock him up long-term alongside Alcántara if this season is any indication.
Corbin Burnes, the reigning NL Cy Young, eked out a victory last year by being the most dominant pitcher in the Major Leagues on a rate basis; he led all of baseball in earned run average, fielding independent pitching, home runs per nine innings and strikeouts per nine innings. He did so with a lower workload than his competitors, just barely throwing enough innings to qualify for the ERA title due to the Brewers fielding a six-man rotation as opposed to the five-man lineup used by most teams. This sparked discussion over whether or not Burnes was truly as good as his slightly smaller sample size suggested, and so far in 2022 he has quelled any doubters. Milwaukee has returned to a five-man rotation and Burnes has been at the top of the league once more, leading the National League in strikeouts and WHIP two months into the season while sitting at third in innings pitched (68.1) with a strong 2.50 ERA. He looks to be a threat for a second consecutive Cy Young Award down the stretch as Milwaukee also searches for their second straight division title.
The San Diego Padres are off to a strong start in 2022 in spite of Fernando Tatís Jr.’s absence, sitting 1.5 games back of the Dodgers in the NL West. Much of their success can be attributed to a rock-solid starting rotation and improved bullpen, helmed by San Diego-area native Joe Musgrove and rookie left-hander MacKenzie Gore.
Musgrove emerged as a top-of-the-line starter last season after being acquired from the Pittsburgh Pirates, throwing the first no-hitter in Padres history and finishing the season with a respectable 3.18 ERA in 31 starts. Musgrove, who will be a free agent this winter, entered this year as the presumed ace of the Padres’ staff after a strong 2021. So far he has more than delivered on that expectation, sporting a National League-best 1.64 ERA in 10 starts and 66 innings of work. Musgrove has recorded a quality start (minimum of six innings and no more than three earned runs) in all 10 games this year, leading the National League and tying with the Blue Jays’ Alek Manoah for the major league lead. Musgrove has spent the first third of his contract year as perhaps the most dependable starter in all of baseball. Earlier this year, the Padres made their hometown ace an extension offer reported to be worth $90 million over the next eight seasons, but he has turned down every attempt made by the club so far. Musgrove chose to bet on himself in a contract year and looks to double his average annual value once he hits the market, setting himself up to get a contract even more lucrative than those signed by Kevin Gausman and Robbie Ray (5 years, $110/$115 million, respectively) this past offseason.
Gore has been Musgrove’s strongest support in the rotation as the Padres chase down the Dodgers. In eight starts and 48 innings of work, the highly-anticipated top prospect has been simply exceptional in his debut season, owning a 1.50 ERA while making starts against the Braves, Giants and Brewers. Gore has been unfazed by the big stage and is seemingly here to stay, as he looks to comfortably win this year’s NL Rookie of the Year award and perhaps even receive a few down-ballot Cy Young votes when the time comes. He has a smaller sample size than many of the other contenders for this year’s All-Star rotation, but I think his rookie phenom status and place among league leaders will earn him a spot much like the Marlins’ Trevor Rogers in 2021.
Adam Wainwright had one of the best seasons of his 17-year career in 2021, getting Cy Young votes for the first time since 2014 and finishing seventh in the race. The longtime rock of the St. Louis rotation has kept pace into 2022 with a solid 2.73 ERA in 11 starts and is in the National League’s top 10 leaderboard of innings pitched, earned run average and wins. At 40 years old, Wainwright is one of the last workhorses left in baseball and has proven he still has something left in the tank, but it is expected that he will retire alongside fellow Cardinals icons Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols at the conclusion of this season. I think there is a good chance that Wainwright is rewarded for his stellar career and resurgence with his fourth All-Star selection before he hangs up his cleats for the final time.
In an up-and-down Dodgers rotation, riddled by injuries (Clayton Kershaw), underperformance (Walker Buehler), and off-field misconduct (Trevor Bauer), 28-year-old Tony Gonsolin has stepped up and taken the reins for himself as the Dodgers hold onto first place in the NL West. Gonsolin, who finished fourth in 2020’s NL Rookie of the Year voting, has a career 2.51 ERA in his first 37 starts and has a sparkling 1.59 ERA with a 0.88 WHIP through his first ten outings of 2022. Gonsolin has recorded quality starts in five of his ten appearances, including the last four in a row, and has been fairly efficient while doing it, averaging 90.75 pitches a game during that stretch. It’s been a long road for the Dodgers’ 9th round pick in the 2016 draft, but he has stepped gracefully into his spot in the Los Angeles rotation after an injury-ridden 2021 and will be rewarded with an All-Star selection as the best starting pitcher on one of the top teams in baseball.
Braves left-hander Max Fried is in his fourth full season of major league service and took command of the Atlanta club’s ace role in his breakout 2020 season, which saw him finish fifth in Cy Young voting. Fried followed it up with a strong 2021 that resulted in his second consecutive Gold Glove and the final Silver Slugger award for a pitcher. He’s established himself as one of the top left-handed pitchers in the game as a member of the defending world champions and currently places among the National League’s top 10 in WHIP, ERA, wins, walks per nine innings, strikeout/walk ratio, and is second in innings pitched to Sandy Alcántara. Fried has impeccable control and can efficiently pitch deep into ballgames, and he should be a no-brainer to round out the National League’s rotation come July.
There’s also quite a few deserving pitchers who I expect to miss the All-Star cut, and I’d like to highlight a few of them here. My first four guesses for the NL’s reserve starters are the following:
Zac Gallen, Arizona Diamondbacks; Eric Lauer, Milwaukee Brewers; Kyle Wright, Atlanta Braves; Tyler Anderson, Los Angeles Dodgers
The Arizona Diamondbacks have been a surprising team so far in 2022. After finishing with a Major League-worst 52–110 record (tied with the Baltimore Orioles), they’ve gotten off to a 26–31 start, putting them fourth in the NL West and one game ahead of the Colorado Rockies. The Diamondbacks still have a way to go before they contend again, but Zac Gallen should hopefully be a part of their long-term plans. A former Marlins prospect, Gallen was swapped to the Diamondbacks for Jazz Chisholm in 2019 and has been Arizona’s most dependable arm ever since. Gallen was the subject of much offseason speculation as one of the most coveted starters among contenders looking to bolster their rotations, and the Mets were heavily rumored to be interested in acquiring him. For now, Gallen has stayed put in Arizona and is having the best season of his promising career, with a 2.40 ERA in 10 starts and a mere four home runs and 15 walks allowed in 56 1/3 innings to go with an average of 6.2 hits allowed per nine innings, the third lowest mark in the National League. Gallen has the makings of an ace with his pinpoint control and disgusting knuckle-curveball, and will fly under the radar due to playing in Arizona but is highly deserving of an All-Star selection.
Eric Lauer emerged in 2021 as part of the Brewers’ six-man rotation, with a respectable 3.19 ERA in 20 starts and 118 1/3 innings. Through 10 starts and 56 2/3 innings to begin 2022, he’s shown more of the same traits that kept him at the back end of 2021’s best rotation, but with a fourth-in-NL 2.38 ERA and a massive improvement in strikeout rate he has settled in behind Corbin Burnes as the second-best pitcher in Milwaukee’s 2022 stable, edging out 2021 Cy Young finalist Brandon Woodruff after a disappointing first two months. His underlying stats suggest a mild regression closer to his 2021 numbers, but his hot early start and a dazzling 13-strikeout performance against Philadelphia in April should make him one of the first names up for a reserve spot in the NL rotation.
Kyle Wright and teammate Max Fried have had similar major league career trajectories so far, both appearing in parts of several MLB seasons before finally being granted a full-time spot in Atlanta’s rotation in their age-26 seasons. Wright, who has appeared in two or more games every season dating back to 2018, is finally getting a chance to shine as the second option for the title-defending Braves. He’s actually slightly outpitched Fried, leading him in ERA (2.38 to 2.74), FIP (2.75 to 2.92), hits allowed (46 to 58) and home runs allowed (3 to 5) in only one and one-third innings less of work (67 2/3 to 69). One could argue that based on performance, Wright should get the All-Star nod over Fried for this season, but I expect Fried to edge him out due to his status as the de facto ace of the Atlanta staff, and Wright will be one of the first names called upon to join the National League’s All-Star roster if needed.
Tyler Anderson is something like the National League’s answer to Martín Pérez this season. While having less eye-popping numbers than Pérez, a current frontrunner for the American League Cy Young Award, Anderson is another veteran left-hander on a one-year contract with something to prove. At 32 years old, Anderson is pitching in his seventh season and first as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who offered him a one-year deal worth $8 million before this season. Anderson’s original role was to be used as a long relief and spot start option out of the bullpen, much like Andrew Heaney, but with the absence of several key rotation members he has been thrust into a starting role and is running with it. In ten outings, eight of which have been starts, the Las Vegas native has a 2.59 ERA in 55 2/3 innings and has been the Dodgers’ second most reliable arm behind the aforementioned Tony Gonsolin. After a poor outing against Philadelphia on May 12th, Anderson has only allowed two runs in the ensuing 27 innings, including an inspired 8-inning shutout performance on the road against Washington. For the time being, Anderson looks to remain in the Dodgers rotation, and after skids by other contenders with strong starts such as the Mets’ Chris Bassitt and the Giants’ Carlos Rodón, he has a decent shot to make his All-Star debut. If either one of Bassitt or Rodón have a strong June, they will challenge for this spot, but as things stand right now I have Anderson penciled in here.
Relievers: Josh Hader, Milwaukee Brewers; Taylor Rogers, San Diego Padres; Edwin Díaz, New York Mets; David Bednar, Pittsburgh Pirates
Another year, another season of Josh Hader being the best closer in baseball. This should come as no surprise to anyone, as Hader is off to one of the best starts to a career any reliever has ever had, and seems to be getting better with each passing season. Hader currently leads the major leagues in saves with 18, and did not allow a run in his first 19 appearances of the year. He allowed two solo home runs to the Phillies in his latest appearance, his first regular season runs allowed since July 7th of last year. It marked the end of a major league record-tying 40 consecutive scoreless outings in the regular season for the overpowering lefty, and even after his first blown save in his last 32 opportunities, Hader has a 0.96 ERA in 20 games to go with a 0.64 WHIP. He’s the best reliever in baseball until further notice, and is a lock to make his fourth straight All-Star bullpen appearance.
Taylor Rogers, a longtime member of the Minnesota Twins bullpen, was the big piece coming back to San Diego in their Opening Day trade which sent starter Chris Paddack to the AL Central. The Padres needed a lockdown closer after Mark Melancon left for the Diamondbacks in free agency, and they got their man. Rogers, the mirror twin of Giants submariner Tyler Rogers, made his first All-Star game last season out of the Twins bullpen and was a highly attractive trade asset this offseason. Rogers is no stranger to a closer role, either, as he was the Twins’ closer during their 101-win 2019 season, racking up 30 saves with a solid 2.61 ERA. Now he’s getting another chance at a ninth-inning role as the centerpiece of the Padres’ bullpen. Rogers’ 3.00 ERA in June is nothing to write home about for a closer, but he’s proven that he can get the job done and slam the door on tough NL West opponents, leading MLB with 18 saves (tied with Hader) and 22 games finished. I expect this to net him a second consecutive All-Star placement, and he should get a solid multi-year contract once he reaches free agency this offseason.
The New York Mets currently hold the best record in the National League, largely on the strength of their stellar offense, but this is also thanks in part to 28-year-old veteran closer Edwin Díaz. After a magical 2018 season for the Seattle Mariners in which he recorded 57 saves, Díaz was dealt to the Mets along with second baseman Robinson Canó. Díaz has served as the ninth-inning man in Queens ever since, and through 23 appearances in 2022 he has held opponents to a 2.38 ERA while striking out 16.3 batters per nine innings. He also secured a place in baseball history by striking out the side to finish a combined no-hitter with four other Mets pitchers on April 29th. Díaz hasn’t racked up the saves like Hader and Rogers, but he’s also had less opportunities thanks to the Mets’ offense beating out its opponents by larger margins than the requisite three runs for a save. Saves are not the end-all be-all statistic for a closer, and he’s delivered quality innings for the top team in the National League no matter how you slice it. Díaz should make a second career All-Star appearance this season and his first as a Met before hitting free agency this offseason as a highly coveted closer in his prime.
Finally, my wildcard pick for the last spot in the National League bullpen is Pirates fireman David Bednar. Bednar was part of the massive three-team trade between the Padres, Mets and Pirates that saw Joe Musgrove land in San Diego before the 2021 season. A former 35th-round pick by the Padres, Bednar was part of Musgrove’s return package, and after a mere 17 big league appearances across two seasons in San Diego, he became a bullpen mainstay in Pittsburgh. Bednar has worked in a flexible role as a seventh, eighth and ninth-inning stopper, and finished eighth in 2021’s Rookie of the Year voting as a standout National League reliever with a 2.23 ERA in 60 2/3 innings. So far this season, Bednar has a 1.33 ERA in 22 games and has converted ten save opportunities, getting more looks at closer than he did last season. He’s remained flexible, pitching in multiple innings once again, and Pittsburgh isn’t afraid to stretch him out either; Bednar threw a career-high 50 pitches in relief on his way to securing a May 30th victory against the Dodgers on the road, and was named the National League Reliever of the Month for May. Bednar is anchoring the Pirates bullpen as the much-improved team sits in third place in the NL Central, and he should be an easy All-Star selection despite pitching in a smaller market with a more fluid role, much like J.P. Feyereisen in the American League.
After a couple days of hard work, research and fact-checking, I’ve come to the conclusion of my 2022 predictions for this year’s Major League Baseball All-Star rosters. I had a lot of fun making my predictions, no matter how much they may end up off-base after the events of the next month. If you read this far, I hope you enjoyed my insight or learned something about a player that you didn’t know before. Don’t forget to vote for your favorite players on MLB’s website before June 30th, after which the finalists will be selected and then voted on from July 5th through July 8th. Here’s to a great rest of the season!
