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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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