Looking to make it ten years in a row, the American League will face the National League in Seattle, Washington, for the 2023 MLB All-Star Game on July 11.
By June 22, the first phase of voting will have decided the starting line-ups, while the second phase of voting runs from June 26 to June 29; so, there’s still time for you to submit up to five votes per day on the All-Star Ballot page.
Here, before the votes have been officially tallied, we’re looking at the potential entrants to the 2023 MLB All-Star Game and which team looks to have the strongest roster.
American League to be Dominated by AL East Stars
The AL East remains the toughest division in baseball. After a hot start that saw people muse over the division potentially finishing as the best the league has ever seen, all five teams have continued to go strong.
While the Toronto Blue Jays have teetered to a 3-7 last ten record, at the time of writing, they still boast a .527 win percentage, while the Boston Red Sox are holding up the floor at .521.
Of course, all eyes are on the runaway leaders, the Tampa Bay Rays, at .680, with a surprise package in the form of the Baltimore Orioles somehow hunting them down at .620.
Somewhat bizarrely, despite the might being shown by these teams, the Rays are only the third-favourites in the leading sport betting Canada has to offer at +450 to win the World Series, trailing two NL teams.
Regardless, stats and voters are certainly leaning toward the teams of the AL East. On first base, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Yandy Díaz of the Blue Jays and Rays, respectively, are the clear AL frontrunners, but the edge is currently with Díaz.
Elsewhere, Matt Chapman seems the likely winner of the third base race, but Josh Jung of the Texas Rangers will try to stop him. Teammate Corey Seager, who’s up against another Blue Jay, Bo Bichette, will try to land the win at shortstop.
In the outfield, it’s inevitable that Aaron Judge of the Yankees will get the most first-round votes – regardless of his toe sprain – but Mike Trout will almost certainly get one of the other two places.
The Orioles look to win a vote as well, courtesy of catcher Adley Rutschman’s superbly consistent season so far. However, it won’t all be AL East first-rounders, as Shohei Ohtani is the clear favourite for DH, and second base looks to be going to Marcus Semien of the Rangers.
.@RaysBaseball started the season on 🔥, and haven't let up since.
— MLB (@MLB) June 15, 2023
They are the first team to 50 wins! pic.twitter.com/BbrY4SBWmn
Atlanta Braves Stars to Feature Heavily for the National League
The Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers are neck-and-neck in the MLB odds at +400 to claim the World Series, but with the Braves leading the NL with a .639 win percentage and the Dodgers at .542, it makes sense that more Braves players are expected to win first-round All-Star votes.
Sean Murphy seems like the go-to catcher in the AL – assuming that his hamstring inflammation subsides without further issues – and Ronald Acuña Jr. will almost certainly get the most outfield votes.
Orlando Arcia would likely get ahead of close competitors Francisco Lindor or Xander Bogaerts at shortstop, and fan-favourite Austin Riley might just be able to unseat the seven-time All-Star Nolan Arenado.
Where the Dodgers will get a positional win is via Freddie Freeman at first base, and Mookie Betts is a shoo-in for one of the three outfield spots. J.D. Martinez has a battle on his hands to pip Bryce Harper for DH.
At second base, Ozzie Albies and Miguel Vargas of the Braves and Dodgers, respectively, would presumably be in the race and likely garnering a fair few votes, but Luis Arraez of the Miami Marlins is the consensus favourite.
Daily reminder to vote @ozzie to the All-Star Game!
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) June 16, 2023
⭐️: https://t.co/W6qzMwejkW pic.twitter.com/ssEN3S1ti0
While it is difficult to pick a winner before the teams are finalized, should the presumed favourites above get picked and play in the game itself, it’s tough to argue against another win for the American League.
*Credit for all images in this article belongs to AP Photo*
