ESPN: Yankees All-Star pitcher sign with Atlanta Braves
The Yankees might deploy a small army to the Midsummer Classic with a weaker American League.
It’s been a hair over two months since Opening Day and the Yankees are rolling.
The Yankees are 35-20, lead the AL East by 6.5 games, and had MLB’s top run differential going into last night’s series start against the Dodgers. They are only one game behind the Detroit Tigers for the American League’s top seed.
The annual All-Star voting tradition starts this coming week on June 4. The players and the Commissioner’s Office will choose the pitchers, the managers will choose the reserves, and the fans will choose the starting position players. The strongest clubs always get the most participation in the Midsummer Classic, and the Yankees, in a depleted AL, might send a small army to Atlanta for this year’s celebrations.
Who has the best chance? Let’s examine.
Max Fried Locks
11 GS, 7-0, 1.29 ERA, 2.57 FIP, 0.93 WHIP, 18.4 K-BB%, and 2.0 fWAR are the statistics.
Max Fried’s Yankees career has started as good as it can in his first 11 games. With Gerrit Cole out, Fried has been one of the greatest pitchers in baseball and has taken over as the staff’s de facto ace. His 70 innings pitched place him in the top ten, his 1.29 ERA leads all qualifying pitchers, and he is one of just five Junior Circuit pitchers with at least two fWAR.
Whether Fried will start the American League All-Star Game is the sole doubt around his All-Star candidacy. Usually, the manager has the last say. I hope the management this year appreciates his performance. Say, who’s managing the AL this year?
Oh, so lovely.
Judge Aaron
Statistics: 18 HR, 47 RBI, 239 wRC+,.508 wOBA, 4.7 fWAR,.391/.488/.739
Even after years of reading his statistics, I’m still in awe of them. He is only two home runs and three RBIs behind him in practically every major baseball metric. He is wearing an extremely uncommon Major League Triple Crown watch in addition to a serious Triple Crown watch.
This is not a question. He will likely be the betting favorite for All-Star MVP, start in right field, and receive the most votes overall when voting begins next week.
Goldschmidt, Paul
.347/.404/.495, 5 HR, 27 RBI, 156 wRC+,.390 wOBA, and 1.8 fWAR are the stats.
You would have laughed at me if I had told you that when the Yankees signed Paul Goldschmidt in December, there was a very high possibility he would be named an All-Star in 2025. However, as we approach the last day of May, the likelihood is extremely real.
Goldy’s.347 BA, which he achieved by hitting slow-pitch softball figures against left-handed pitching, puts him fourth in baseball.
He is second in wRC+ and wOBA and tops AL first basemen in BA and fWAR. His contact-based style and lack of RBI possibilities from hitting in front of the judge hurt his counting statistics. His opposition will be the fan vote darling Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (TOR), previous top prospect Spencer Torkelson (DET), and breakthrough standout Jonathan Aranda (TB). Nevertheless, in a difficult group, he ought to be chosen because of his well-known name and reputation as a veteran.
Weaver, Luke
Statistics: 17.8 K-BB%, 0.6 fWAR, 2.59 FIP, 0.93 WHIP, 0.73 ERA, and 24.2 IP
It’s difficult to forecast relievers. The Weavdog should be healthy in spite of this.
