The MLB all-star teams were officially announced on Sunday, and as always, there are plenty of quality players who didn't make the cut. The following players didn't make the real AL all-star roster, but they have been all-stars in fantasy:
Yordan Alvarez, OF, HOU
Alvarez was left off the AL all-star team this year, mostly due to a crunch at the DH position, as Shohei Ohtani, J.D. Martinez, and Nelson Cruz were all selected ahead of Alvarez. Fortunately for fantasy owners, Alvarez does qualify as an OF in most fantasy leagues, and he has been among the best at that position, hitting .300 with 14 HR's, 51 RBI, and 50 runs in just 69 games. Of course, he would be very valuable even if he only qualified at DH. Alvarez has now played 158 games in his career, roughly a full season's worth of games, and his numbers have been staggering: .306 BA, 42 HR's, 42 doubles, 133 RBI, and 110 runs. He has a career 49.4% HardHit% and 24.6% LD% which have helped him overcome a 25.4% k%. Alvarez should have plenty more all-star opportunities in the years to come.
Randy Arozarena, OF, TB
Arozarena's traditional numbers don't jump off the page, as he's hitting .252 with 10 HR's and 40 RBI at about the halfway point of the season. But he has produced nicely for fantasy owners, as he has already reached double-digits in HR's and SB's, and has scored 51 runs in just 79 games. He has slumped a bit recently, hitting just .157 with 2 XBH's (both doubles), 5 runs, and 3 RBI over his last 14 games, and he has gotten caught in all 3 of his SB attempts during that time. His EV has dropped to 83.8 during this slump, compared to 90.4 for the season. Fantasy owners aren't complaining about his overall production thus far though, and he should turn things around before too long.
Chris Bassitt, SP, OAK
Bassitt was a bit of a snub from the AL all-star team this year, but he has certainly been an all-star for his fantasy owners, going 9-2 with a 3.04 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and 109 K's in 106.2 IP across 17 starts. One of the keys to Bassitt's success has been his ability to go deep into games, as he currently ranks 5th in all of baseball with 106.2 IP, and he has lasted at least 7 innings in 7 of his last 11 starts. This has helped propel him to a strong win total, and put him on a pace for over 200 K's, despite not having an elite K%. But while it's not elite, Bassitt's 9.20 K/9 is a career best, as his 2.28 BB/9, and he continues to limit hard contact (87.5 EV). He has had even more success recently, posting a 2.19 ERA over his last 8 starts, and looks well on his way to the best season of his career.
Raisel Iglesias, RP, LAA
Iglesias' 3.52 ERA may be a bit high to get selected as an all-star closer (although that didn't stop Aroldis Chapman), but the rest of his numbers are elite, as he owns a 0.89 WHIP and a 58:7 K:BB in 38.2 IP, while recording 16 saves for the Angels. He's even chipped in 6 wins. Iglesias has been especially good recently; over his last 17 appearances, he has recorded a 2.01 ERA, 1.89 xFIP, 0.58 WHIP, and 36:4 K:BB across 22.1 IP, and has collected 4 wins and 9 saves during that span. He should be considered an elite option going forward.
Whit Merrifield, 2B, OF, KC
Steals aren't quite as important in real baseball as they are in fantasy, so it's not a huge surprise that Merrifield wasn't selected to the AL all-star team this year. From a fantasy perspective though, he has been one of the best 2B in the league with an MLB-leading 23 SB's, 5 ahead of the next closest competitor. There was fair concern after Merrifield's stolen base total dipped from 45 to 20 in 2019 that his steal total would continue to decline as he entered his 30's, but fortunately that has not been the case. And while SB's are his bread and butter, what makes Merrifield so special is that he is not nearly a one-trick pony; in fact, he's quite the opposite. He has also contributed a .283 BA, 8 HR's, 45 RBI, and 50 runs through 84 games. He continues to make contact at an elite rate (12.8% K%), and right now has a career-best 6.6% SwStr%. He is not only one of the top fantasy 2B, but one of the best fantasy players overall.
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