3 Phillies players who could be first-time All-Stars in 2024
The Phillies have a cast of emerging and veteran stars, but who will earn their first All-Star appearance in 2024?
The 2024 Philadelphia Phillies have a total of nine former All-Stars on the squad to begin the season but have a few candidates still vying for their first Midsummer Classic appearance.
In a roster loaded with superstars, it's not always easy for newcomers or breakout players to earn their due. Many times, they are overshadowed by their teammates and left out of awards or events like the All-Star Game. With Bryce Harper back healthy and veterans J.T. Realmuto, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Nick Castellanos (the Phillies' lone representative last season) always a threat, there could be a lot of Phillies heading to Texas this summer.
This year's MLB All-Star Game will be played on Tuesday, July 16, in Arlington, Texas, at Globe Life Field, the home of the reigning World Series champion Texas Rangers.
All-Star Game selections have had flaws in recent memory, with some huge misses and snubs such as Zack Wheeler in 2022, who had finished the first half with a 2.89 ERA over almost 100 innings. Then there has been some crazy fan intervention, like the debacle that happened in 2016 when the entire Chicago Cubs infield was voted to start the All-Star Game.
The "one player from every team" rule is helpful in these cases. This era of Phillies baseball is much different from the days when players like Odubel Herrera and Dominic Brown were the lone Philadelphia representatives to the Midsummer Classic. Now, to break into the elite All-Star club, first-half performances have to be pretty special.
A handful of Phillies players have had stretches in previous years when they have performed at or above All-Star levels, and other Phillies are poised for a breakout year. The Phillies have several candidates who could earn their first All-Star appearance in 2024, and here are our three picks.
3 Phillies players who could be first-time All-Stars in 2024: Bryson Stott
The fan-favorite Bryson Stott has the best chance of any player on the Phillies in 2024 to make the first All-Star game of their career.
At an already weak position at second base, Stott has quickly risen to the top of the heap in the National League. In Bleacher Report's recent rankings of the position, the Las Vegas native took home the 10th spot, ranked as the sixth-best second baseman in the NL. Stott moves into the top five because the No. 1 second baseman, Mookie Betts, will be primarily playing shortstop for the Los Angeles Dodgers for the foreseeable future.
In 2023, fans pushed hard to include the second-year player in All-Star festivities as he finished the first half hitting .301 with a .760 OPS and 16 stolen bases. Stott's calling card, however, is his elite defense. He ended last season with the second most outs above average for qualified players at the position (16), only two behind the American League Gold Glove winner Andrés Giménez.
yep, that's our second baseman pic.twitter.com/gaSYCPSsMz
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) September 8, 2023
The 26-year-old has been one of the most composed and pure hitters on the Phillies since his call-up in 2022. His long at-bats and knack for contact point toward a future at the top of the lineup, whether it's hitting leadoff or second.
To get his first All-Star nod, Stott will need to be a top-three second baseman in the NL. His projections for this season are not kind, putting him at an average between .258 and .265, depending on the model. With that being said, he is still projected to have around a 2.5 fWAR, which is a very respectable number coming from the second base position.
If Stott can continue to find grass and get on base, it's likely that he will find his way to Texas as a Phillies representative this summer.
3 Phillies players who could be first-time All-Stars in 2024: Jeff Hoffman
Jeff Hoffman, one of the Philadelphia Phillies' breakout players of the 2023 season, has already started to build his case toward an All-Star season in 2024.
After a Bryce Harper rehab stint catapulted Hoffman into the majors (subscription required), as reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer's Alex Coffey, the 31-year-old has run with the opportunity. In 2023, Hoffman pitched to a 2.41 ERA over 52 1/3 innings, which eventually brought him right into the mix, making him one of the Phillies' most trusted high-leverage relievers down the stretch and into the postseason.
With a lefty-dominant bullpen, Hoffman looks to be the Phillies top right-handed arm alongside long-time Phillie Seranthony Domínguez. Early into this young season, the former Rockie and Red has already entered games on multiple occasions where he either faced the heart of the lineup or was tasked with wiggling out of a jam created by the previous pitcher.
Across his nine spring training outings and three so far in the regular season, Hoffman hasn't allowed an earned run. He has pitched 10 2/3 innings, striking out 15 of 42 batters, and only walking three. For a player who had jumped between the bullpen and the rotation in the other organizations he had been a part of, the difference looks night and day.
While his splitter has always been his knockout punch, the increased reliance on sliders allowed him to better use his fastball to set hitters up for the splitter resulting in positive run values for each of his pitches, including a plus-nine run value on the slider.
As volatile as relievers typically are, Hoffman has been a rock for manager Rob Thomson out of the bullpen so far. If he can stay on track, there's no way they can keep him off the All-Star game roster in 2024.
3 Phillies players who could be first-time All-Stars in 2024: Ranger Suárez
Paired with two perennial All-Star-caliber pitchers at the top of the Philadelphia Phillies rotation, Ranger Suárez has played second fiddle since being inserted into the rotation in 2021. After primarily being a bullpen option for the first few seasons of his career, Suárez has blossomed into an outstanding No. 3 starter.
In 2021, the Venezuelan native broke out pitching to an incredible 1.36 ERA over the course of 106 innings. Suárez used his new-found success to become a primary piece in the Phillies' 2022 World Series run. He even gained the trust of manager Rob Thomson to the point where he was chosen to get the final two outs to clinch the National League pennant.
Since then, the fan-favorite hasn't looked back; he's a consistent groundball pitcher who can get solid outs and keep guys off base. While he's not the power pitcher who gains the most hype in today's game, Suárez can keep hitters off balance with his sinker and changeup combo.
Suárez has been great in the regular season, but he has also been one of the best in the postseason, per MLB.com's Jesús Cano.
In the past two postseasons, Suárez has thrown 33 1/3 innings and has been crucial in both deep playoff runs. Over that time, he has allowed only six earned runs, struck out 32, and compiled a 0.90 WHIP and a 1.62 ERA. He now looks to continue to build off that success in 2024.
In spring training, the 28-year-old was one of three qualified pitchers who did not allow an earned run. In his 15 innings, Suárez allowed five hits, four walks, and struck out 16. In his 2024 debut, he struck out seven Atlanta Braves over five innings, allowing three runs on three hits, helping the Phillies secure the first win of the season.
Suárez has the stuff to miss bats and induce weak contact. His ability to get outs is what makes him a great pitcher. While he isn't the flashiest (except with his glove), he is effective, and effectiveness is what makes stars, and All-Stars, for that matter.
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