This past week, baseball announced the starters at each position for this year’s All Star game. The full rosters were made public Sunday. In keeping with the times, Belly Up thought it would be appropriate to select the players who would be starters if fantasy baseball also had a mid summer classic. In this Fantasy Baseball All Stars edition, I will do just that.

First, I am aware there will be disagreements. Second, that makes for a healthy discussion. In my selections, I just didn’t pick the top ranked player. To do so would be lazy and a waste of everyone’s time. I also took into account such things as where a player was drafted (or in some cases, not drafted) to assess their All Star fantasy value.

Additionally, players also qualifying at more than one position was a factor. However, only those that primarily play each particular position were considered. Finally, those currently on the injured list were ineligible for discussion. With all of that out of the way, let’s get to the selections.

Fantasy Catcher

With how weak the catcher position is overall, it was surprising that this was one of the toughest decisions to make. Three players were neck in neck at the finish. Unfortunately, only one catcher could make the final cut. The candidates were Salvador Perez, Adley Rutschman and William Contreras.

In the end, Perez’ late draft selection (16th round, pick 152) made him the most valuable fantasy catcher. Of course, his bat certainly helps. At present, he is hitting .275-14-54 with a .344/.460 slash line and a 123 OPS+. He leads all catchers in games played. Clearly, the other two were worthy candidates. Even so, Perez is the starter.

Fantasy First Baseman

With Bryce Harper on the IL, deciding on the starter at first base was much easier. Selected in the first round (7th overall) was Freddy Freeman. Even as that decreases his value, Freeman is the clear starter. He ranks number one at the position (Harper was second, 22 points behind).

No other first baseman was really close. In the first half, Freeman’s bat was solid as ever (.298-13-56, .400/.509, 159 OPS+). His hitting ensured Freeman would be included on this Fantasy Baseball All Stars edition.

Fantasy Second Baseman

As with catcher, second base was a close battle. Undoubtedly, Jose Altuve would have been a worthy selection. However, as great a season as he is having, Ketel Marte has been better. Check Marte out In points leagues. Ranked number one at second base is Marte.

His bat has been huge. Look at these stats: .288-17-51, a .356/.512 slash line and a 146 OPS+. Marte was drafted in the sixth round, 60th overall. With that in mind, he is the clear fantasy winner at second base.

Fantasy Third Baseman

Perhaps the first real surprise selection on this Fantasy Baseball All Stars edition, Alec Bohm beat out some heavy competition. How heavy? Try Jose Ramirez. At present, Ramirez is the top the third baseman in fantasy. How did Bohm over take him? His draft position and versatility did the trick.

Of course, his bat is no slouch, as he is hitting .296-11-70 with a .347/.488 slash line and a 135 OPS+. He has been huge in the Philadelphia lineup with the recent injuries they’ve had. His draft position (15th round, 144th overall) played a huge role in significantly increasing his value. Finally, his versatility was also a factor. Notice how he is filling in at first base with Harper out. In my estimation, Bohm gets the nod.

Fantasy Shortstop

Unlike a few years ago, fantasy shortstop is a loaded position. Even as that is the case, the player receiving the start is most likely the first one off the board in most drafts. Of course, that shortstop is Bobby Witt. Managers that took Witt in the first or second round were rewarded with the player ranked number one at the position in points leagues.

When checking Witt’s stats, it is easy to see why. He is second in the majors in batting (.321), along with second among shortstops in runs (76), RBIs (60), slugging (.559) and OPS (930). Further, he is first in the position in games (90), hits (115) and doubles (25), fourth in steals (22), and OBP (.371).

There are those that would argue that Gunnar Henderson should be the starter. No question, they would get no argument from me. He and Witt have been battling for the top spot among fantasy shortstops all season. It certainly helps his case that in 89 games, Henderson is hitting .293-27-61 with a .384/.604 slash line and a 182 OPS+. Henderson even has 14 steals to boot.

Even so, only one shortstop could be selected. For me, Witt’s 22 stolen bases is the clincher. There are quite a few sluggers on the squad, and Witt’s speed on the bases will be highly valued. Witt is the starter.

Fantasy Outfielders

Of course, any outfield requires three players. It is the same on this Fantasy Baseball All Stars edition. After much debate, the three selections are Aaron Judge, his teammate Juan Soto and, surprisingly, Jurickson Profar. I seriously doubt that anyone would take exception to Judge and Soto as All Star starters.

After all, Judge is hitting .313 and leads the majors in homers (32), RBIs (83), slugging (.691) and OPS (1.122). Additionally, he is second among outfielders in games (89) and walks (63). Coming off an injury marred 2023 season, those that drafted him in the fourth round couldn’t possibly be happier.

Meanwhile, Soto is having almost as good a season. He is first among outfielders in runs (71), walks (76, no surprise there), and OBP (.431). When his .295-21-63 batting line is inspected, no justification is needed for his inclusion. That statement is true despite the fact that Soto was taken in the first round, often number two overall. Simply stated, he belongs.

Perhaps the surprise is the inclusion of Profar. In reality, he has earned his spot as much as the previous two. He is first in games (90), second in average (.316), fourth in OBP (.409) and RBIs (57) in the outfield. Once those stats are supplemented with his 51 runs, 13 homers and just 53 strikeouts, his starting spot is confirmed. Further, the fact that he was a player that could be had on waivers significantly increases his value to just below Judge and Soto.

Fantasy Designated Hitters

For the life of me, I can’t imagine that anyone is surprised that the choice at designated hitter is Shohei Ohtani. Even for a player taken in the second round, 14th overall, his value is through the roof. He is the first player this season with 20 homers and 20 steals.

Truly, I could sit here and give plenty of more stats for Ohtani. However, is it really necessary? He is clearly the selection at designated hitter on this Fantasy Baseball All Stars edition.

Fantasy Starting Pitchers

For the purposes of this article, three players could be chosen. There could have been many, many more selected. Seth Lugo, Chris Sale and Ranger Suarez received the nods. First, let me ask a question.

Did anyone in the fantasy community predict that Lugo would be the number one ranked pitcher in points leagues at the halfway point? I am scanning as far as I possibly can and I see no hands in the air. No worries here. I will make no such claim.

Currently, Lugo leads the majors in wins (11) and ERA (2.17), is third in innings (116) and has a 1.03 WHIP, 105 Ks and a .218 BA against. In my league, Lugo was on the waiver wire to start the year. During the fantasy first half, Lugo found himself picked up three separate times before landing his permanent home. NO pitcher has more value than Lugo. Not only is Lugo on the team, he has earned the right to start the fantasy All Star game.

If this article was seeking the Comeback Player of the Year, Sale would be the runaway winner. As it is, he is deservedly on the All Star team. His 11-3 record, 2.71 ERA, 127 strikeouts, 0.91 WHIP and.199 BA against demands it. In the draft, one of our managers selected Sale in the 11th round, 101st overall. When that happened, Sale’s value rockets well into the atmosphere.

The Selection of Ranger Suarez Will Be Controversial

Speaking of value, Suarez possesses it all over the place. Even though he has had issues of late, his overall season is nothing short of amazing. Even with the rough patch, Suarez is 10-2 with a 2.27 ERA with 99 strikeouts, 0.99 WHIP and a .214 BA against. Like Lugo, he was available on the waiver wire for anyone. In my league, he was, in fact, picked up, dropped and then picked up again.

In the end, Suarez ranks sixth among starting pitchers. Even so, taking in his entire first half, Suarez absolutely deserves to be on the team, despite any controversy.

Fantasy Closers

No question, there are almost an infinite number of possibilities among closers. Even so, two fantasy pitchers had to get the call. Suarez is a popular name among pitchers, as Robert Suarez is a selection, just like the above Ranger. Joining him on the fantasy roster is Washington’s Kyle Finnegan. At present, Suarez is dealing nasty stuff as the Padre closer. Finnegan is doing the same for the Nationals.

Like the previous Suarez, Robert was a pitcher that any manager could pluck from the waiver wire. During the season Robert found himself on different rosters before finding a home. Ultimately, that manager found a pitcher with a 4-1 record, a 1.77 ERA, an 0.869 WHIP and 22 saves. The save total currently ranks fourth in the majors.

Last in line, but as deserving as any other player, is Finnegan. Washington isn’t one of the top teams in the league, but Finnegan gets plenty of opportunities. In 38 games, he has two wins, a 2.17 ERA, a 0.964 WHIP and 23 saves. In leagues that had 26 rounds in their draft, Finnegan was there at the end, taken 260th overall. As such, he makes a fine addition to this All Star roster.

The Last Word

Thank you for joining me for this Fantasy Baseball All Stars! Follow me on X (formerly Twitter) @kevin62wilsea. Please feel free to share this article. Be sure to turn to Belly Up Sports and Belly Up Fantasy Sports for all the MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL happenings and the latest sports news!

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