Ranking the Twins' Top-5 All-Star Candidates

[Cody Christie]

Major League Baseball's All-Star Game is a little over a month away, but voting has already started. Who should be the Twins' representative in the Mid-Summer Classic?

Earlier this week, voting opened for the 2022 MLB All-Star Game that will take place July 19th at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. Voting for the starting line-ups is broken into two phases. Phase 1 started on Wednesday, June 8th, and runs through Thursday, June 30th at 1 PM CT. Phase 2 will include the two vote-getters at each position and the top six outfielders in each league. Before Phase 2 starts, the top vote-getter from each league will get an automatic place in their team's starting line-up. Voting for this phase runs from 11 AM CT on July 5th and ends on July 8th at 2 PM CT. 

The Twins also announced multiple incentives for fans to vote, including an opportunity to purchase $1 tickets to future games this season. 

The Twins have candidates on both sides of the ball, including some players in the running to be starters. Here's a look at Minnesota's top-five candidates and their chances to head to LA.

5. Sonny Gray, SP
Plenty of Twins have compiled decent numbers in recent weeks, and those players may have an outside shot at making the All-Star team. According to Baseball-Reference, Trevor Larnach is leading the team in WAR, but he's played fewer than 40 games. Pitchers also figure into the final league rosters, with the players and the commissioner's office voting for who makes the team. Sonny Gray has been outstanding during his first season with the Twins, including a 155 ERA+ and 10.4 K/9. His All-Star chances are tied to how quickly he can return from a recent trip to the injured list with a right pectoral strain. 

4. Joe Ryan, SP
While Gray has been good, Joe Ryan has arguably been Minnesota's best starting pitcher. He has posted a 163 ERA+ with a 0.99 WHIP and a 42-to-14 strikeout to walk ratio. Like Gray, Ryan has missed time recently as he is close to returning from the COVID restricted list. He is scheduled to make a rehab start at Triple-A this weekend before the team reevaluates how close he is to returning. Ryan will likely only have a handful of remaining starts to fortify his All-Star candidacy before rosters are announced next month.  

3. Byron Buxton, OF
Byron Buxton's tremendous start to the season has him in the running to be one of the six outfield finalists. According to FanGraphs, he ranks seventh in WAR among AL outfielders, and his 13 home runs rank in the top four. He has played fewer games than some of the other top candidates, so this can be a strike against him. Luckily, he seems to have broken out of his recent 0-for-30 slump, but he will need to continue to add to some of the counting stats that casual fans look at when voting. 

2. Luis Arraez, 1B
MLB.com picked one player on each team that deserves an All-Star vote, and Luis Arraez was that player for the Twins. Obviously, he doesn't fit the mold of a typical All-Star first baseman, as he only has six extra-base hits on the season. However, he is leading all of baseball in batting average and on-base percentage. It also helps that there isn't a strong candidate at first base. Seattle's Ty France leads AL first basemen in fWAR, while Arraez currently sits in fourth place. Arraez's production so far in 2022 is one of the main reasons the Twins sit in first place. 

1. Jhoan Duran, RP
All-Star Games are meant to be exciting showcases of baseball's top players. No Twins player has been more exciting to watch this season than Jhoan Duran. His pitching outings are must-watch TV, and his dominant pitch mix makes him an ideal candidate for a one-inning showcase. Duran easily leads the Twins in Win Probability Added, and he has accumulated more WAR than multiple positions players that play nearly every day. His biggest challenge may be getting the support he needs from players around the league and/or the commissioner's office. 

How would you rank these players? Do you think someone else should make the list? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion. 

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[Mark G]

Sorry, as much as I like the guys, Gray has pitched 7 games.  Simply not enough to warrant.  And Buck, while he has the home runs, has nothing else either in average or RBI's (yes, that still counts).  17 HR is right up there, and worthy of being looked at, but he has 30 RBI's on 17 HR and 8 doubles.  It is, and will always be with his hitting approach, an all or nothing swing.  I guess I come from an era where you need more than the 30-40 times a year when you connect (see Sano).  Maybe he can be considered on his defense.  I think Arraez is a no thought process, and Ryan definitely deserves it.  Duran is iffy, but would love to see him go.  And I noticed you left out the best SS in the league, who happens to have decent stats as the year goes along.  Anyway, great article and I am glad you started the discussion.  

[mikelink45]

Ryan and Arraez are the two I take.  Buxton has been a DH too many games, missed too many games, and had that 30AB slump - as much as I appreciate Byron when he is on, his overall performance falls short.

[terrydactyls]

I would send Tyler Duffy but only give him a one-way ticket.

[Rosterman]

Arraez is it.

I really don't need to see Ryan go and be busy and have the festivities. Yes, it would be nice. But we need him in shape and itching fully for the Twins. More All-Star chances will happen if he excels.

Buxton could make a nice push. But doubt that the Twins will have anyone voted in.

 

[rv78]

Arraez is a lock or at least should be. Buxton can make it if his recovery from his 0-30 slump is over and he keeps hitting up to the all-star game. I think Correa has a good chance as well but will need to continue to hit up to the game also. I don't see any of the pitchers making it. They've either missed too many games or just aren't solid enough as a lights out kind of bullpen guy. Duran is close but I don't think he is quite there yet.

[JDubs]

Selfishly, I don't want Buxton to make the all star team. I want him to have 4 straight days off to rest his knee/hip/whatever else for the second half.

[PDX Twin]

I wish that the whole team could just take the week off.

I'm surprised that Correa is not on your list. This is a vote that depends on hype and lifetime reputation as much as (or more than) on this year's performance. Correa is the biggest name on the Twins' roster and his statistics are now respectable.

[Shaitan]

I'd guess Buxton or Correa. It's a popularity contest.

Arraez is a long shot to me because 1B tends to be loaded in the sexy offensive stats (HR/RBI).

[ashbury]

ALL-STAR ARRAEZ!

/ hawt take of this mid-game moment

[Loops]

Arraez deserves it.  I wish we had 8 other starters in the lineup who could hit like him.  Very smart  hitter and power isn't everything but that is what everyone else wants to see.

[The Mad King]

I like your choices but if Buxton can play in the all star game, he doesn't need any more rest days.

[IndianaTwin]

Buxton could get chosen, but it’s really hard for me to see him actually go, when there’s a golden opportunity for extended rest.