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As another June rolls around, it’s time again to focus on which participants will be chosen to play in this year’s MLB All-Star Game.
Whereas the New York Yankees are having a dynamite start to their 2024 campaign (currently tied for the best record in MLB with the Philadelphia Phillies at 44-19), it’s only natural they should be well-represented
On the whole, the Bronx Bombers will have their share of pinstripe actors in the All-Star mix. Nevertheless, a handful of guys are yet to be determined.
Trio Anthony Volpe, Jose Trevino, and Alex Verdugo are among those with a shot.
Let’s explore this year’s venue, the voting process, and the three Yankees mentioned above who are currently considered on the bubble for a potential selection.
The 2024 Midsummer Classic Comes to Texas
The first All-Star Game was at Comiskey Park in 1933.
It featured players like Carl Hubbell, Jimmie Foxx, Lefty Gomez, and many others.
As destiny would have it, Babe Ruth hit the first home run.
The 94th edition of baseball’s Midsummer Classic will be played on July 16th, 2024 at the home of defending World Series Champion Texas Rangers’ Globe Life Field.
As a result, this will be the first time a World Series champion has hosted the next All-Star Game since the Yankees did so in 1939 after winning the 1938 pinnacle series.
Since the 40,300-seat facility has a retractable roof, the weather will not be an issue for this year’s exhibition festivities.
How All-Star Voting Works
With voting officially underway, here’s a synopsis of how it will unfold.
According to a June 5, 2024 CBS Sports piece, “The first phase of voting takes place from June 5 to June 27.”
During this phase, voters can cast up to five ballots per day. On a side note, “pitchers are excluded, each league has a designated hitter and the three outfield positions are generic (as opposed to picking a specific left fielder, center fielder, and right fielder),” per CBS Sports.
“MLB will provide voting updates multiple times before whittling the field down to two finalists at each position (six outfielders) and resetting the vote totals to zero before a final run determines the starter at each position for the All-Star Game.
Consequently, the phase one top vote-getter from each league automatically receives a starting spot.
A “second phase of voting runs June 30 to July 3 and voters are restricted to just one ballot per day. The winners will be announced on the night of July 3, 2024,” wrote CBS Sports.
3 Yankees Who’ll Need Some Luck to Be Selected
Even as SB Nation’s Pinstripe Alley points out that mega-boppers Aaron Judge and Juan Soto are mortal “locks” for the All-Star lineup, there are three other potentially deserving names “on the outside looking in.”
Shortstop Anthony Volpe
Former 2019 first-round pick Anthony Volpe is putting together an impressive sophomore season with the Bombers. Although Volpe underwhelmed with his bat as a rookie, he’s slashing .283/.350/.437 from the leadoff spot in 2024.
Coupled with his strong defensive presence, Volpe has already exceeded his 2023 fWAR total of 2.0 by nearly a full run with his 2.9 current figure. The highly-touted New York native is rocking a 132 wRC+ which is nearly 50 points better than his 2023 number.
Rah rah aside, the reality is “circumstances are not in Volpe’s favor,” as Pinstripe Alley highlights.
“Of the seven players who have accrued more fWAR than him, two of them are American League shortstops: Bobby Witt Jr. and Gunnar Henderson.
Furthermore, two of the players behind him, Carlos Correa and Corey Seager, play for teams that have fewer options for the All-Star team than the Yankees do. [Cory] Seager, of course, plays for the game’s host, which could be the tiebreaker.”
Despite everything Volpe is doing right—such as his current 31-game on-base streak—as Pinstripe Alley unfortunately notes, “Since teams often only select three shortstops, everything is shaping up for Volpe to be one of the biggest snubs of this year’s Midsummer Classic.
Catcher Jose Trevino
Jose Trevino had a memorable All-Star nod back in 2022 as he transitioned from Yankees backup catcher to a Gold Glove backstop who hit enough to get the selection.
In 2024, Trevino has shown better discipline at the plate with career best walk and strikeout ratios. He ranks ninth in fWAR (1.1) among catchers but leads the Major Leagues in catching framing runs with five and has posted a nice DRS of six.
Unfortunately for Trevino, the catcher position is “stacked” in the AL this year. Kansas City Royals backstop Salvador Pérez “is likely headed to his ninth All-Star Game,” said Pinstripe Alley.
Among a host of other catchers vying for the other two AL spots are Ryan Jeffers, Adley Rutschmann, and Danny Jansen. The fact that the Yankees will be represented quite well overall “will work against Trevino,” says Pinstripe Alley.
Outfielder Alex Verdugo
Highlighted in the Pinstripe Alley piece, “Alex Verdugo has stabilized a left field that has been a chaotic mess for the Yankees ever since Brett Gardner’s final season.
His defense has been game-changing, with his 9 DRS and 3 OAA tied for second and 6th among among AL outfielders.”
Even though Verdugo has already matched his 2023 total of 1.3 fWAR, his current wRC+ of 111 is on the lighter side of his immediate competition.
Still, even though (as Pinstripe Alley states) Verdugo “likely sits on the outside looking in,” a “strong month of June, combined with continued defensive excellence, could send Verdugo to the All-Star Game for the first time in his career.”
Stay tuned as with approximately 6 weeks remaining, the fortunes of any of these three could change.
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