3 Phillies players who could become first-time All-Stars in 2023

Seranthony Domínguez could become the Phillies' first All-Star reliever since Pat Neshek in 2017.

Seranthony Domínguez made a name for himself in the 2022 postseason, allowing just two earned runs, seven hits, and a walk spanning 10 2/3 innings. The Dominican Republic native also nearly struck out half of his 40 batters faced, recording 18 strikeouts.

After being sidelined from June 2019 through the final game of the 2021 season, Domínguez remained healthy for the first time since his 2018 rookie season — going 6-5 with a 3.00 ERA, 61-22 strikeouts-to-walks ratio, and 1.137 WHIP spanning 51 innings and 54 appearances in the 2022 regular season.

Domínguez once was leaned on as the key back-end cog of the Phillies bullpen, but now that President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski added Gregory Soto, Craig Kimbrel, and Matt Strahm into the mix this past offseason, the four-year veteran should be able to thrive in the second year under manager Rob Thomson.

Domínguez and the Phillies recently avoided arbitration by agreeing to a two-year contract with a club option for the 2025 season. Shortly after arriving at spring training, the reliever told reporters that he wants to spend the rest of his career in Philadelphia — as the Phillies are "the only family" he has known — and that it does not matter to him who closes games.

The most recent Phillies bullpen arms to make the All-Star Game were Pat Neshek (2017); Jonathan Papelbon (2012, 2015); and Brad Lidge (2008). If Domínguez puts up numbers that resemble anything close to his "Red October" performance from this past fall, he undoubtedly will join this list come July.