Identifying Three Under-The-Radar AL Players Who Deserve to be 2022 All-Stars
The 2022 All-Star Game is just over a month away and with fan voting currently underway, it’s time to start thinking about which players should be selected for this year’s Midsummer Classic.
Of course, this will undoubtedly prove to be a star-studded event like always as there’ll be multiple superstars in attendance. However, there are usually a few under-the-radar players from both leagues that are ultimately voted in. This year shouldn’t be any different.
But for casual baseball fans, it can be difficult to stay up to date with knowing which players should be recognized for their efforts at the all-star game. After all, there are plenty who deserve to be chosen.
That’s where this two-part article series can help those in need. It’ll focus on three players from both the American and National Leagues who don’t attract much attention but have earned a spot on this season’s roster.
For this week, let’s examine three under-the-radar AL players that aren’t receiving nearly enough praise for their respective first-half performances.
Ty France
Beginning in the Pacific Northwest, the Seattle Mariners have largely underperformed thus far, although their disappointing 26-31 record certainly can’t be blamed on first baseman Ty France.
The 27-year-old has been one of the best performers at his position through the first two and a half months of the 2022 campaign. He currently leads all qualified AL first basemen in fWAR, with a 2.3 rating.
France has proven to be Seattle’s most effective run producer, which has seen him post 38 RBIs and a career-high 167 wRC+ score. His impressive wRC+ score ranks first among AL first basemen, whereas his RBI total sits second behind New York’s Anthony Rizzo.
Along with generating runs, the 5’11” right-hander has also been extremely effective at reaching base consistently. Overall, he’s recorded the highest wOBA (.393) and the third-highest OBP (.402) among AL first basemen. Both of which are the highest figures of his career.
The majority of France’s on-base success can be credited to his remarkable ability to hit for contact, resulting in a .327 AVG and a .348 BABIP. Each of those metrics ranks inside the top five in the AL among first basemen.
Seattle’s first baseman has also added some additional slugging to his craft this season, which he wasn’t known for previously. The former 34th-round selection has hit nine home runs with a .491 SLG, placing him fourth and first, respectively, at his position.
While France isn’t considered a quality defender, his +3 DRS are tied for the second-most among AL first basemen. This suggests he’s been perfectly positioned at times during high-leverage situations.
Playing for the Mariners might not earn him a ton of popularity, however, it’d be a major disservice to the sport if France doesn’t appear as an all-star in Los Angeles next month.
Jeremy Peña
Replacing someone like Carlos Correa is never easy. It’s even tougher doing it as a rookie. And yet, shortstop Jeremy Peña has done it all for the Houston Astros in ‘22.
The leading candidate for the AL Rookie of the Year Award has been sensational during his inaugural big-league campaign. His 2.4 fWAR rating ranks first among AL shortstops, and first among all position players.
Across his first 195 plate appearances in the majors, Peña is hitting .277/.330/.463 with eight home runs and 25 RBIs. He also carries a 131 wRC+ score, which is the fourth-highest among AL shortstops.
His shortstop rankings in the AL run much deeper, too. The 24-year-old currently possesses the third-most home runs, the third-highest ISO (.186), the fourth-highest SLG, the fifth-highest wOBA (.346), the sixth-highest OBP and BABIP (.325) along with the seventh-highest AVG.
Better yet, Peña’s offensive production is only one part of the story. His fielding has been just as crucial – if not more impactful – to the Astros’ division-leading 36-21 record this season.
Entering Friday’s action, the right-hander has played 420.1 innings at shortstop, producing a +8 DRS and a +9 OAA rating. For context, his 9.4 defensive WAR rating ranks higher than his offensive rating (7.6).
Compared to the rest of the AL, Peña has been a premier defender by all accounts as he ranks first in defensive WAR, OAA and has posted the third-most DRS among all position players. That’s insanely impressive for a rookie.
Peña isn’t well-known across the majors yet, but that should begin to change moving forward, especially if he’s selected to the all-star game.
Tarik Skubal
When you think of the Detroit Tigers’ starting rotation, in most cases, pitchers Casey Mize and Matt Manning, followed by Eduardo Rodriguez, are usually the first ones that come to mind.
But, in reality, Tarik Skubal has been the lead horse of the staff this season. The 25-year-old, who was selected by Detroit in the ninth round of the 2018 MLB Draft, has been one of the biggest surprises of the year.
With all three of Mize, Manning and Rodriguez currently injured, Skubal has assumed a much larger role than most people expected him to previously. And the Tigers are extremely fortunate that he’s displayed this level of growth.
Appearing in just his third major league season, the left-hander has performed to a 5-2 record and a 2.33 ERA across 65.2 innings in 11 starts. He’s also posted an impressive 2.62 xERA, 2.11 FIP and a .215 OPP AVG.
Skubal is easily enjoying the top statistical performance of his young career. This has seen him operate as one of the best starters in the AL as he currently features the second-best FIP, the fourth-best xERA and the sixth-best ERA among qualified pitchers.
One of the reasons Detroit’s talented lefty has been so effective has been because of his high strikeout and low walk totals. So far, the 6’3” hurler has registered the fourth-lowest walk rate (4.0 percent) and the sixth-highest strikeout rate (27.7 percent) in the AL.
The Hayward, California native has been very effective at keeping balls on the ground as well. His 5.2 percent home-run-to-fly-ball ratio sits third lowest in the majors, with his 45.9 percent ground ball rate placing ninth highest.
Thanks to his stellar showing, which most fans are unaware of, Skubal sits second in fWAR (2.4) behind Toronto’s Kevin Gausman, who carries an AL-best 2.9 rating.
Granted, fans aren’t permitted to vote for pitchers, that job shifts to the players themselves and the Commissioner’s Office. Nevertheless, the Tigers must be represented at the event and there probably isn’t anyone better suited to do so than Skubal. He’d be well-deserving of the honour.
With so many talented pitchers in the AL, it’s easy to overlook someone like Skubal, especially considering his club isn’t considered a playoff contender. Still, now’s the time for him to earn his first career all-star game selection.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @ThomasHall85