SEATTLE — Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson are in. They’re set to become the first duo of Orioles to start an All-Star Game since 2014.
But Baltimore is in a position to land more All-Stars on Sunday, when the roster is finalized. That’s when Major League Baseball will unveil the reserves and pitching staffs. Each team will earn at least one nominee, which could limit the number of All-Stars the Orioles send, but Baltimore had six All-Star finalists for a reason.
“When you win as many games as we have the last two years, year and a half especially,” manager Brandon Hyde said, “there’s a lot of individual performances, and this year we’re having a bunch.”
There’s no guarantee the four second-place finalists make the All-Star roster as reserves, but their numbers would suggest they should be under strong consideration from a players’ ballot and selections from the commissioner’s office.
There are still 23 players to be added as position player backups, starting pitchers and relievers. With 10 teams represented by starters, the remaining 20 teams have 46 spots available between the National League and American League.
That leaves room for more Orioles to go.
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“I hope we have a ton of guys,” Rutschman said. “I’d love to experience all that with them and kind of have a nice little crew in the dugout and go through it all together. I think it helps that everybody on this team is super close, so everybody’s rooting each other on.”
Here are the cases for Baltimore’s pitchers and reserves.
Ryan Mountcastle
The first baseman led Phase 1 voting, but a strong June from the Toronto Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. left Ryan Mountcastle as a runner-up. Still, in a weak year for the first base position overall, Mountcastle and Guerrero both stand out.
Mountcastle entered Wednesday’s game with the third-best on-base-plus-slugging percentage of American League first basemen (.777) and his .273 average is the second best. Mountcastle has also made strides defensively at first base. His main competition for a roster spot would likely be from Cleveland’s Josh Naylor and Minnesota’s Carlos Santana.
Jordan Westburg
Hyde said Jordan Westburg has been the largest surprise to him this season, because the manager didn’t fully expect Westburg, in his first full season, to post an OPS higher than .800. But here Westburg is, producing in big moments.
He entered Wednesday with a .281 average and .833 OPS — both fifth best among third basemen in the American League. According to FanGraphs, no third baseman is more clutch than Westburg, demonstrated by a statistic that measures how much better or worse a player does in a high-leverage moment.
Westburg lost a starting spot to the Guardians’ José Ramírez, a player leading third basemen with a .934 OPS. Westburg may face the most challenge for a reserve spot from Boston’s Rafael Devers, Tampa Bay’s Isaac Paredes and Texas’ Josh Smith.
Anthony Santander
Of all the reserves, Anthony Santander seems to have the most straightforward chance of making the All-Star roster. There are more outfielders required than other positions, and Santander’s strong June is among the best single months of any player in recent memory.
Santander blasted 13 of his 22 homers in June and raised his OPS to .804. He’s still searching for a higher on-base percentage, although his 22 long balls are the second most among American League outfielders.
Ryan O’Hearn
Ryan O’Hearn did it again Wednesday, with three RBIs helping to prod the Orioles to a win against the Mariners.
He showed why he was a finalist at designated hitter by continuing much of what he’s done all year. O’Hearn missed out on a starting spot to the Astros’ Yordan Álvarez, and it’s foolish to argue against Álvarez’s contributions. But O’Hearn has a case for a reserve spot, particularly with his ability to play first base and outfield too. O’Hearn is hitting .294 with an .840 OPS.
Corbin Burnes
On the pitching side, there are few better starters this season than right-hander Corbin Burnes. His 2.28 ERA is the third best in baseball, and his 1.03 WHIP is within the lowest 10 rates among American Leaguers. Burnes has allowed more than three runs in just one of his 17 starts this season, and he has completed seven innings in five of his last six outings.
Wins are an out-of-vogue stat for pitchers now, but Corbin has a 9-3 record, with a win total that is tied for third in the American League.
Grayson Rodriguez
The pitcher in second place in the American League for wins is Grayson Rodriguez. The right-hander has racked up 10 in 15 starts. Rodriguez holds a 3.45 ERA and 1.22 WHIP, and the 34 earned runs against him are tied for the ninth fewest in the American League among qualified starters.
“Grayson and Burnesy definitely deserve big-time consideration to be in that game,” Hyde said. “Grayson, that was an All-Star performance last night [Tuesday]. Burnesy has had almost an All-Star performance every single game he’s thrown. So I’m hoping those two guys make it as well.”
Craig Kimbrel
After a shaky week, right-hander Craig Kimbrel has found his footing again as a top-class closer. His 21 saves are just two off his total from last season, and his latest on Wednesday pushed him past Francisco Rodriguez into fourth on the all-time saves list.
Kimbrel would be a 10-time All-Star if he’s selected. He has a 2.23 ERA this season, but he’s been even better of late. Over his last 20 outings, Kimbrel has allowed one earned run.
