Analysis: Mariners Could Have Multiple Representatives at 2022 All-Star Game
The MLB All-Star game has likely been on the backburner for most Mariners fans. After all, the team hasn't had multiple All-Star representatives since 2018. But after sending designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach to the 2019 midsummer classic and left-handed pitcher Yusei Kikuchi in 2021, Seattle has a chance to see more than one of its players head to Los Angeles this July.
Believe it or not, the Mariners currently have four of the top-25 qualified position players in the American League via fWAR: first baseman Ty France, shortstop J.P. Crawford, outfielder Julio Rodríguez and third baseman Eugenio Suárez. In fact, France is the eighth-most valuable player in the league, while Crawford currently sits 10th. We know the Mariners are guaranteed to have at least one All-Star, per MLB rules; and as things stand right now, that representative should be France.
Amongst all qualified American League first basemen, France currently ranks first in slugging (.505) and RBI (35), second in batting average (.342) and on-base percentage (.414), third in strikeout percentage (11.1 percent) and fourth in home runs (7). His current 176 wRC+ is 11 percent better than the runner-up and a whopping 47 percent better than the second runner-up.
France outpaces the pack in fWAR (2.0) and is already a full win better than the runner-up. He has simply been one of the 10 best hitters in baseball, regardless of his position. And despite all of this, France is a long shot to get a starting nod this year.
It's important for us to remember that the All-Star selection process is akin to your student government elections: the most qualified candidate doesn't often win. Instead, we unfortunately get stuck in a popularity contest. While France has been far and away the best player at his position this year, he faces tough competition from Vladimir Guerrero Jr., thanks to the rabid voting habits of the Blue Jays fandom.
This issue with fan votes extends beyond France. The Mariners haven't gotten off to a great start in 2022 and will likely spend the rest of the first half of the season attempting to dig themselves out of the hole they created. This lack of exposure to non-Mariners fans severely cripples the case of Crawford, who already faces a crowded position group. Crawford currently sits fourth amongst AL shortstops in fWAR (1.6), trailing Jeremy Pena (2.0), Xander Bogaerts (2.0) and Tim Anderson (2.2). Crawford currently sits second in on-base percentage (.399) and wRC+ (156), third in batting average (.306) and fifth in slugging percentage (.450).
This gives Crawford a fighting chance to sneak his way onto the team, but unseating three objectively better candidates from significantly bigger markets means he must not only continue his fantastic play, but he may even need to step it up a notch.
France and Crawford have the best chances of heading to Dodger Stadium to participate in All-Star festivities, but there are two dark horses worth mentioning.
Rodríguez has been charging up the leaderboards quickly and his personality, lighting-fast speed and explosive power could put him in the conversation with another huge month. Right-handed pitcher Logan Gilbert has been solid to begin the year, ranking just outside the top-10 in several categories. Breaking into an All-Star pitching staff is extremely difficult to do, particularly when arms like Tarik Skubal and Frankie Montas are likely to get the nod as the lone reps from their individual teams.
Overall, the Mariners have a decent chance to land an additional representative to the All-Star game. But each of the candidates face a bevy of mountains to overcome, not the least of which is the team's poor record of 20-28. But as May turns to June, there can be no question that these four players have put themselves in position to earn the honor that comes with being an MLB All-Star.
