Superstars and snubs: Deserving All-Star starters over past full season's stats
But every year there are some deserving players who don't get invited to the party, despite putting up numbers that prove they belong.
Should a player's reputation or a half-season's worth of stats be the primary measuring stick for All-Star recognition? Or would it be better to use an entire season's worth of stats to determine which players really deserve to be honored?
That's why we have our own All-Star tradition: the unveiling of our Full-Season All-Stars.
With some major assistance from BaseballHQ.com, here are the statistical leaders from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. (Players listed at their primary position in 2025 with a minimum of 20 games to qualify. Our selections for AL and NL starters are in bold.)
Catcher
There's no question who the best catcher in the game is right now. Cal Raleigh leads the majors in home runs this season, but he's not just swinging for the fences. He's getting on base, occasionally stealing them and scoring runs too. His numbers over the past calendar year, especially among his positional peers, are eye-popping: 53 home runs, 121 RBI, 103 runs and 11 stolen bases. No one's even in the same ballpark.
It's much closer in the National League, where All-Star starter Will Smith and non-star William Contreras are neck-and-neck. (Mask-and-mask?) Smith has a 16-point edge in batting average, but Contreras tops him in the other four major fantasy categories.
First base
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. may not be putting up MVP-type numbers this season, but he's been incredibly consistent. His scorching second half in 2024 helped put him far above the AL competition in every offensive category except stolen bases. And he's the only one at the position with more than 100 runs scored over the past calendar year.
Once again, the battle is much closer in the NL. Pete Alonso gets the nod over Matt Olson by the slightest of margins. Alonso leads in homers (35 to 32) and runs (91 to 87), while Olson tops all first basemen with 109 RBI (to Alonso's 107). ASG starter Freddie Freeman has a higher batting average, but can't touch either one's power numbers.
Second base
It's been pretty clear for a while that Ketel Marte is the best second baseman in the majors. Over the past full season, he leads the position in home runs (36), ranks second in RBI (83) and batting average (.300) and fourth in runs scored (84). Brendan Donovan may be his closest NL competition.
In the AL, Brandon Lowe stands out. Finally healthy (149 games), Lowe leads all AL second basemen in homers (33), RBI (84) and runs (90) over the past year.
Shortstop
AL All-Star starter Jacob Wilson tops all shortstops with a .339 average, but Bobby Witt Jr. is second at .317 – in addition to his league-leading 31 homers, 100 RBI and 106 runs. Witt's 30 stolen bases complete the package and put him far ahead of everyone else. Honorable mention: Jeremy Peña, who cracks the position's top 10 in all five categories.
Not much separates Francisco Lindor and Elly De La Cruz in the NL. Lindor has a better average (.281 to .273) and more homers (36 to 29), but De La Cruz is ahead in RBI (96 to 94) and he pulls away with big margins in steals (49 to 27) and runs (117 to 105).
Third base
Even at age 32, Jose Ramirez continues to put up stellar numbers. He very nearly makes it a clean sweep in the AL with a .293 average, 29 homers, 92 runs and a whopping 47 steals. The only category Ramirez doesn't come out on top is RBI, where he trails Isaac Paredes 83-80. Alex Bregman also makes a strong showing in everything but steals.
In the NL, Manny Machado is a deserving All-Star starter, ranking second overall at the position in average (.288), homers (32) and RBI (107). But look at what Eugenio Suarez has done over the past year. He far outpaces everyone at the hot corner with 50 home runs, 138 RBI and 110 runs. A horrible first half of 2024 obscures what a tremendous offensive force he's been.
Outfield
Reigning AL MVP Aaron Judge is in a world of his own. Not only does he lead all American Leaguers with 57 home runs 129 RBI and 130 runs scored over the past calendar year, he tops the major leagues with a .343 average over that span as well. But who joins him in the AL outfield? Riley Greene is a deserving starter, ranking highly in average (.287), homers (28) and RBI (96). And Lawrence Butler may have started slowly in 2025, but his full-season numbers (.274, 31 HR, 83 RBI, 100 runs, 27 steals) certainly hold up.
In the NL, Corbin Carroll leads Juan Soto 41-40 in homers and 131-120 in RBI. Carroll's 31 steals cement him in the top spot, but Soto certainly deserves a place on the All-Star roster. Jackson Chourio is also deserving, ranking in the overall top 12 in all five statistical categories. Sorry, James Wood and Pete Crow-Armstrong. You have to wait your turn.
Also, we can't forget designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, whose 57 home runs over the past full season are tied with Judge for the most in the majors. Ohtani also leads everyone with 149 runs and 54 stolen bases. And despite batting leadoff, he's third in RBI with 122.
Pitcher
It's easy to recognize dominance when it's displayed so clearly by Tarik Skubal. He's far and away the best pitcher in the game, and the full-season stats bear that out. Skubal is the only one to reach 19 wins and he leads the majors with 254 strikeouts. Throw in a 2.29 ERA and league-leading 0.87 WHIP and the result is a strong candidate for a second consecutive Cy Young award.
Elsewhere in the AL, Framber Valdez has 18 wins, a 2.30 ERA, 1.04 WHIP and 209 whiffs. While Jacob deGrom might win on ratios (2.04 ERA, 0.91 WHIP), he cedes the third spot to Carlos Rodon who has 226 K's and 16 wins, despite a slightly higher 3.16 ERA.
Zack Wheeler deserves top billing in the NL. He leads the league with 248 whiffs, plus his ratios are equally impressive (2.32 ERA, 0.91 WHIP). Not even broken ribs can keep Chris Sale from making the cut. He remained healthy until late June, giving him enough time to rack up 221 strikeouts to pair with a stellar 2.23 ERA. Wheeler also has 15 wins to Sale's 13. Meanwhile, it's hard to hold Paul Skenes' paltry 11 wins against hm. He has 210 whiffs and ranks second in the NL to Hunter Greene in both ERA (2.02) and WHIP (0.90).
Among the closers, Emmanuel Clase's ridiculous finish to 2024 gives him the edge over Josh Hader. Clase trails in saves 45-40, but his 1.91 ERA is nearly a full point lower. In the NL, Ryan Helsley has the best combination of production (8 wins, 35 saves) and effectiveness (2.35 ERA).
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