In the 2019 MLB All-Star Game, 37 of the 75 players that made the American and National League rosters were attending this game for the first time as a player, meaning that 49.3% of all players were making their All-Star debuts.
A testament to how certain players are able to put their best seasons together and be recognized by their peers and fans for their remarkable seasons, players like starters Marcus Stroman and Shane Bieber, infielders Brandon Lowe and Matt Chapman, and outfielders Joey Gallo and Whit Merrifield made their ASG debuts for the AL. On the NL side, starters Hyun-Jin Ryu (who started the game for the NL) and Luis Castillo, infielders Josh Bell and Anthony Rendon, and outfielder David Dahl all made their first appearances in the ASG.
There were plenty of other players that were justified in making their debuts last year but unfortunately fell short in their bids, paving the way for 2020 to be the year for them. With that in mind, here are five players who have all have really good shots at joining their MLB peers for the All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium.
Matt Olson
First Baseman, Oakland Athletics
Having needed to overcome Carlos Santana, Dan Vogelbach, and Jose Abreu in the race for the AL’s best first baseman, the Athletics’ Matt Olson fell short in his bid to make the AS roster in 2019. His season stats did nothing to hinder his chances though, and the league should be in store for another solid performance from him in 2020.
36 home runs and 91 runs driven in, all while playing in 127 games, put Olson near the top in overall production from first base. While not necessarily a household name when the voting was making its rounds last year, it is safe to say that people actually know who Olson is now.
Playing for a small-market franchise like the A’s can put players at a disadvantage, but for Olson, he seemed to thrive in a low-spotlight opportunity. He, along with Chapman, put up really solid seasons manning the corner infield spots for Oakland, helping the team get into the playoffs last season, even though they fell in their nine-straight win-or-go-home matchup, losing 5-1 to the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL Wild Card round.
For Olson, teams will understand what he brings to the table better in 2020, pitching away from him so they do not get burned by his sweet lefty power stroke. While a downtick in offensive numbers is a fair thing to guess, his average will probably increase by 10 – 12 points due to contact swings dominating his arsenal more than his power hacks.
Yusei Kikuchi
Starting Pitcher, Seattle Mariners
When the Seattle Mariners took to the international market in search of starting pitching help, they were able to sign Japanese product Yusei Kikuchi to a four-year, $56 million deal, helping jumpstart the 28-year-old’s MLB career. While an 11-loss rookie season seems not to scream success, what Kikuchi was able to show in his freshman campaign paints a very clear picture for Seattle moving forward.
32 starts were the most that he had ever put together in one season, as he reached no higher than 26 in any season while playing overseas, and that number could have easily factored into his overall record of 6-11 with a 5.46 ERA. However, the Mariners, which have been treading water for the past few seasons, look to potentially be on the incline for their postseason hopes, and with the AL West potentially in shambles at the top of the standings, there is no better time than 2020 to try and start that climb.
With franchise savant Felix Hernandez out of town and suiting up for the Atlanta Braves now, Kikuchi enters the pitching spotlight for Seattle, and for the lefty, his stuff should play quite nicely into earning himself his first MLB ASG bid, which would actually place him in the game before Shohei Ohtani has, unless they both receive bids in 2020.
Austin Riley
Third Baseman, Atlanta Braves
Johan Camargo is technically penciled in as the starting third baseman for the Atlanta Braves moving into 2020, but with how Austin Riley has performed in his brief MLB career, that should change for Opening Day. The 22-year-old, who split time at first base, third base, left field and right field in 2019, should be the leading candidate to replace Josh Donaldson at the hot corner.
For the Braves, their commitment to their cheap, young core has paved the way for them to make large financial additions to the team the past few years, and outfielder Marcell Ozuna represented that type of move for the team this offseason. Slated to be Atlanta’s starting left fielder on a one-year contract, Riley’s playing time in left field (58 of 71 games) has all but been ruled out.
Moving full time to third base would be a great way to acclimate Riley to a position full time, which is what he was not able to do last year. While his offensive numbers may decline a bit as he undertakes a bigger defensive responsibility, the Braves will be better off with him in their starting lineup more often than not.
Third base seems to be a bit more up for grabs for the ASG in the NL this upcoming season, as both Donaldson and Rendon left for greener pastures in the AL, which could open up the door for an upstart guy like Riley to make it to Los Angeles and help represent the Braves in a big way on a big stage.
Chris Paddack
Starting Pitcher, San Diego Padres
As it currently stands, Chris Paddack projects to be the best starting pitcher on the roster of the San Diego Padres moving into the 2020 regular season. While that means that the team is well off or behind the eight ball remains to be seen, but what can be discussed is how Paddack is primed for a breakout season.
26 starts, nine victories against seven losses, and a 3.33 ERA all speaks to how easily Paddack was able to slide into the big-league rotation and take over a full-time role last season. For a Padres team that sees its postseason window as being open now, Paddack’s role on this team has got to become even larger if they want to improve.
Moving into 2020, the Padres have a decent chance to make noise (finally) in the playoffs, as besides the Dodgers, they look to be one of the more solid teams in the NL West division, one that has been dominated by LA for a long time. While not on that level yet to compete with them for the divisional crown, their bid for a Wild Card berth should help elevate Paddack’s game throughout the season, projecting him to earn a bid to this upcoming season’s ASG.
Nine victories across 26 starts is a solid way to start a baseball career, and 15 wins seem to be possible for 2020, representing the second-year leap that Paddack should make on his way to leading this team’s rotation.
Mike Clevinger
Starting Pitcher, Cleveland Indians
Even with having been mentioned in trade rumors with the Los Angeles Angels at the beginning of 2020, the starting pitcher that has the nickname of Sunshine, Mike Clevinger, has somehow managed to remain out of the All-Star Game for his entire career. With Trevor Bauer having been traded to the Cincinnati Reds at last year’s trade deadline, the pressure now falls on Clev, as he looks to be the best starter in the team’s rotation.
While Shane Bieber has been taking the vast majority of the headlines, both for his pitching performance and his last name, Clevinger has stayed out of the spotlight, except for his public comments made about the ongoing scandal backlash involving the sign-stealing actions of the Houston Astros. And while Clevinger has been in the league for four years, his notoriety has only grown bigger and bigger each season, showing how dominant his stuff has become.
With the Indians looking to get themselves back into the hunt for the AL Central crown, needing to fight off the defending champ Minnesota Twins and the upstart Chicago White Sox is going to be hard, but Clevinger is a great piece for this team to have to try and accomplish that feat. Even if the team does not make the postseason this year, Clevinger’s season should be more than enough to get him into his first Mid-Summer Classic.
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