Identifying Three Under-The-Radar NL 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 examining which players need to attend 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. That being said, 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 who should be recognized for their efforts at the all-star game. After all, there are plenty who deserve to be chosen, however, not all of them are.
After highlighting three individuals from the AL last week, let’s examine three under-the-radar NL players that aren’t receiving nearly enough praise for their respective first-half performances.
Tommy Edman
For a team that’s headlined by superstars Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado, others are often overshadowed by this two-headed monster. But they haven’t been the only valuable players for the St. Louis Cardinals this season.
One of the major reasons St. Louis currently leads the NL Central Division is because of infielder Tommy Edman. He, alongside Goldschmidt and Arenado, have been the club’s main offensive contributors thus far.
In particular, Edman has provided plenty of value during his fourth big-league campaign, both in the batter’s box and in the field. At the plate, the 27-year-old is enjoying one of the best statistical performances of his career, putting him on pace to register several new career marks.
This season, the 5’10” switch-hitter is slashing .285/.360/.431 with seven home runs and 26 RBIs across 276 plate appearances in 63 games. He’s also posted a career-best 129 wRC+ score and a 3.2 fWAR rating.
At the moment, Edman features the highest fWAR, the third-most home runs, the third-highest AVG and OBP along with the fourth-highest wRC+ among all qualified NL second basemen (min. 150 plate appearances), according to FanGraphs.com.
The former sixth-round selection by the Cardinals in 2016 has also been a top contact hitter in the NL this season, as he possesses the fourth-highest BABIP (.325) amongst second basemen.
Edman’s fielding has also been on full display this season, as has his versatility. While his natural position is second base, his elite athleticism has allowed him to bounce all over the diamond, placing him at shortstop and centre field. He’s also capable of playing third base, as well.
At second base, though, the versatile infielder has acted as one of the top defenders at his position. He currently leads all NL second basemen in DRS (+9), OAA (+5) and defensive WAR (6.1).
Since the arrival of rookie Nolan Gorman, Edman has largely shifted over to shortstop, where he’s registered a +2 DRS and a +1 OAA through 169.2 innings. That’s remarkably impressive.
Between Arenado, Goldschmidt, Edman and Gorman, the Cardinals easily feature one of the premier infields in the majors – if not the best. And with two halves of that group already considered locks for all-star festivities, it might be tough for a third member to join alongside them.
Nevertheless, it’d be a major disappointment if Edman isn’t honoured in Los Angeles next month as he’s well-deserving of his first career all-star selection.
Brandon Drury
Amidst their current rebuild, the Cincinnati Reds have fallen to the basement of the majors once again, however, third baseman Brandon Drury has been one of the lone bright spots in 2022.
After spending last season with the New York Mets, Drury signed as a minor-league free agent with Cincinnati over the off-season and ultimately made the team out of spring training. Though, the 29-year-old still had plenty to prove during his eighth season in the majors.
But that changed quickly in the first half. The 6’2” right-hander has exploded offensively, slugging his way to 24 extra-base hits (13 home runs) and 34 RBIs over 222 plate appearances in 54 contests.
Cincinnati’s everyday third baseman has also produced a .250 ISO, a 133 wRC+ score and a .270/.338/.520 slash line. His 1.6 fWAR rating leads all Reds position players and ranks fifth-highest among qualified NL third basemen.
For the most part, it’s been Drury’s power that has stood out the most this season. He’s generated the second-most home runs, the second-highest ISO and the third-highest SLG in the NL at his position. Imagine predicting that just a few months ago.
No one saw this type of performance coming before the season. And rightly so. Prior to 2022, Drury hadn’t been effective over a full calendar since the 2017 season, when he posted a 1.8 fWAR rating in 135 games with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The veteran infielder has made a major improvement to his craft, however, enhancing his ability to create hard contact. As a result, he’s registered new career-highs involving his hard-hit (49.3 percent) and barrel rates (11.8 percent) along with his average exit velocity (90.3 m.p.h.).
Drury’s resilience has been a heartwarming story up to this point and it’d be truly special to watch him represent the Reds at the all-star game – a stage he likely didn’t think he’d ever reach.
Brandon Nimmo
Playing under the bright lights of New York is usually associated with performing under high expectations. That’s been dialled up to the max this season. And yet, a few players still aren’t receiving enough recognition.
As one of the longest-tenured players on the Mets, outfielder Brandon Nimmo – who made his major league debut in 2016 – is very familiar with the responsibilities of playing in a large market. The attention is always on you, particularly when you’re struggling.
Granted, Nimmo hasn’t dominated offensively like other outfielders have, although he’s still worthy of all-star consideration. Largely in part because he’s been productive in the field and at the plate, leading to his 2.2 fWAR rating, which ranks second among qualified NL outfielders.
Overall, the 29-year-old is batting a respectable .268/.370/.421 with four home runs and 21 RBIs over 248 plate appearances in 57 games. He also carries a .153 ISO, .319 BABIP and a 131 wRC+ score.
Defensively, Nimmo has logged 470.2 innings in centre field this season, producing the highest defensive WAR (4.0) and placing him tied for the most OAA (+4) among NL outfielders.
What’s even more impressive is that Nimmo has remained productive despite grinding through a wrist injury, which briefly kept him out of the lineup near the end of May. He’s since been forced to manage his pain threshold during the weeks that have followed.
With that, the 6’3” left-hander’s offensive production has taken a minor dip as he experiences the most discomfort while batting. But if that begins to change, paired with his already elite defense, a strong finish to the first half could result in an all-star selection.
Though, if Nimmo is indeed featured in Los Angeles next month, it’ll almost certainly be as a reserve.
-Thomas Hall
Twitter: @ThomasHall85