The MLB season is already two months old, and the All-Star Game is only one month away. The fan vote for the National and American League opened in the past week. So what better time than now for All-Star Game predictions?<\/p>\n
Catcher: Adley Rutschman, Baltimore Orioles<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s only been a little more than a year since Adley Rutschman made his long-awaited debut for the Baltimore Orioles<\/a>. The former #1 overall pick has quickly asserted himself as one of the game\u2019s finest catchers. Rutschman currently has a slash line of .284\/.402\/.431 with 8 home runs and 28 RBI. Advanced metrics paint an even better picture of just how special a player he is. He currently holds a 134 wRC+ and 1.6 fWAR.<\/p>\n Honorable Mention: Jonah Heim, (TEX)<\/u><\/p>\n 1B: Yandy D\u00edaz, Tampa Bay Rays<\/strong><\/p>\n Yandy D\u00edaz has been an overlooked player for a few years now. However, he has caught the eyes of sabermetric analysts for some time. He has always been able to hit the ball hard. He had, however, struggled to elevate the ball to hit for more power. In 2023, D\u00edaz made some major swing adjustments and has become one of the best overall hitters in baseball. Thus far he has hit 12 home runs and owns a .977 OPS.<\/p>\n Honorable Mention: Anthony Rizzo, (NYY)<\/u><\/p>\n 2B: Marcus Semien, Texas Rangers<\/strong><\/p>\n One could make the argument that no other player has created such a wide gap between themselves and their peers in regard to All-Star voting. Marcus Semien has easily been the best all-around second baseman in the American League this season. He holds a .304 average with 9 home runs. Semien is also in a tie with Wander Franco for the American League lead in Wins Above Replacement with 3.2.<\/p>\n Honorable Mention: Whit Merrifield, (TOR)<\/u><\/p>\n 3B: Matt Chapman, Toronto Blue Jays<\/strong><\/p>\n In a contract year, Matt Chapman is in the middle of the best season he\u2019s had since 2018. He already has 2.3 fWAR on the year due to his impressive .849 OPS and his generational defensive ability at the hot corner. His defense may have declined to some extent with age. However, he has still been effective at his position with 6 defensive runs saved and 2 outs above average.<\/p>\n Honorable Mention: Josh Jung, (TEX)<\/u><\/p>\n SS: Wander Franco, Tampa Bay Rays<\/strong><\/p>\n Wander Franco was baseball\u2019s top prospect for two years straight. He has finally been able to showcase his ability through a full season in 2023 now that he\u2019s healthy. As mentioned earlier, Franco is tied with Marcus Semien for the AL lead in fWAR with 3.2. He is also batting .309 with a .500 slugging percentage, but his video game-like numbers don\u2019t end there. He has an absurdly low 12.8 strikeout rate and 21 stolen bases. Pair these incredible offensive numbers with his sensational defense and this could be the first of several more All-Star appearances for the young Tampa Bay Rays<\/a> shortstop.<\/p>\n Honorable Mention: Bo Bichette, (TOR)<\/u><\/p>\n Who do you want to see as the starting SS for the American League at the All-Star Game? \u2b50#MLBNOffBase<\/a> | @LGRed<\/a> | @Plakata<\/a> | @ArielEpstein<\/a> | @Xavier_Scruggs<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/XSXfoJMSIk<\/a><\/p>\n — MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) June 7, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n