As baseball fans, we all have our favorite players that we root for to reach the top. These are the players who have made plays on the field and earned respect from their peers. So when it comes time for the 2023 MLB All-Star Game, it can be excitingly nerve-wracking watching all of these highly skilled superstars compete against one another as they come together in a central location. This post will reflect upon the top players who will play for their team in the All-Star Game. 

Ranking the Top 2023 All-Stars

Below is a compilation of the best All-Stars that will be participating in Seattle on Tuesday, July 11:

1. Shohei Ohtani, Angels

Ohtani remains the finest hitter in baseball, in addition to being one of the top pitchers in the game. His .302 batting average combined with a 3.33 ERA not only makes him the top star to watch in Seattle, it also gives him a sizeable lead in the AL MVP race, as the futures MLB lines portray. He leads the AL in six offensive categories, including home runs (32), slugging (.663), OPS (1.050), and triples (6). 

2. Ronald Acuña Jr., Braves

Now that his injuries are past him, Acua looks like the superstar we expected him to be before the Braves won the World Series — actually, he’s even better. It seems like he will earn his first MVP Award this year. Acuna is hitting .331 with 21 home runs and 55 RBIs this season, leading the league in stolen bases (41), runs (79), and OPS (.990).

3. Mookie Betts, Dodgers

Seeing Betts participate in this year’s T-Mobile Home Run Derby was a sight to behold. Betts is on his way to becoming a likely Hall of Famer and is having a great year with the Dodgers, leading the NL with a .576 slugging percentage. He is also among the league leaders with 62 RBIs and 72 runs scored. This is Betts’ eighth consecutive All-Star Game and sixth as a starter.

4. Freddie Freeman, Dodgers

Remember when everyone said Freeman was merely an above-average first baseman who would never hit for power? The one-time NL MVP and World Series winner continues to put together a Hall of Fame resume, representing the Dodgers with a .320 batting average, 17 home runs, an MLB-leading 31 doubles, and .952 OPS.  This is Freeman’s fifth consecutive All-Star Game and seventh overall.

5. Juan Soto, Padres

While the Padres are having some trouble this season, and too many people remembered Soto’s “struggles” in San Diego after the trade deadline, the All-Star outfielder has quietly re-established himself as a legitimate superstar. Soto has been getting on base this year, leading the league with 83 walks and sporting a solid .419 OBP.

6. Corey Seager, Rangers

Seager’s career season has flown under the radar due to his absence for most of the first month of the season. In 57 games, he’s hitting .363 with a 1.048 OPS and leading maybe the most unexpected team in the game. It’s these kinds of numbers that led to one of the best rookie seasons in history in 2016 and won him World Series MVP in 2020.

7. Gerrit Cole, Yankees

While others in the Bronx have been weak, unreliable, or just injured, Cole has taken the mound every fifth day for the past few years and placed the Yankees in a position to once again make the postseason. He’s all the Yankees could have hoped for and then some. Cole is an impressive 9-2 this year with a 2.85 ERA.

8. Luis Arraez, Marlins

Arraez will make history as the 1st Marlins second baseman to start an All-Star Game and is pursuing Ted Williams’ record of being the only other player to hit .400 or above in a season. At age 26, Arraez leads NL in on-base percentage (.434), batting average (.384), and hits (126).

9. Corbin Carroll, Diamondbacks

Carroll’s explosive talent has wowed baseball fans all season long, and his hitting has been a significant factor in Arizona’s unexpected success. In 86 games, he’s hitting .289 with 18 homers, 26 steals, and 63 runs scored. Now, in his hometown of Seattle, he will make history by being the first D-backs rookie to start an  All-Star Game.

10. José Ramírez, Guardians

Ramrez is the epitome of underappreciation, and it’s always been assumed that one day we’d speak about him as much as he deserves to be spoken about. Through 84 games, the reliable slugger has 14 home runs and 53 RBIs.

11. Randy Arozarena, Rays

“Randy Land” showed up in Seattle on Monday night. Arozarena captivated fans at the Home Run Derby, hitting 82 over the wall and coming up just short to eventual winner Vladamir Guerrero Jr. in a dramatic final round. Arozarena was voted as an outfield starter, and well-deserved, as he’s helped lift the Rays to the best record in the AL. 

12. Matt Olson, Braves

How fantastic do you have to be for Braves fans to forget about Freddie Freeman? This is beyond what anyone in Atlanta could have hoped for. Olson has 29 home runs in 87 games, which is second in the Majors behind only Ohtani.

13. Adley Rutschman, Orioles

No disrespect to Jonah Heim, who is a deserving All-Star starting catcher, but Rutschman is precisely what a superstar looks like: someone whose club couldn’t accomplish anything before he arrived and then became outright outstanding after he arrived. Thanks to him, the Orioles are tied with the Rays in the loss column for best record in the AL.

14. Wander Franco, Rays

The Rays shortstop doesn’t get enough credit for how good he’s been, but in terms of talent, he’s trending towards the top. A recent cool down has dropped him some in the AL MVP talk, but he’s still posted solid numbers across the board, including 28 stolen bases, 49 runs scored, and 44 RBIs.

15. Nolan Arenado, Cardinals

The Cardinals have had a difficult season thus far this year, to say the least. Arenado’s been a bright spot, returning to the form we’ve all come to know and love. And there would be no All-Star Game without him. Arenado is making his eighth appearance at the Mid-Summer Classic, hitting .283 with 19 home runs this year.