CTH Staff: Which Astros deserve to be All-Stars?

As we near our first Mid-Summer Classic in two years, the Houston Astros have some legit contenders for starters but also as reserves. Injuries will always play a role in selections, but even with certain players excelling over time, they could possibly look even more like All-Stars by the end of the season rather than now.

With the infield and outfield showing legit contenders, there is a couple dark horses among the pitching staff as well. The CTH staff took a stab at who they would add to the American League roster, if they got their way.

With there being some shoo-ins across the AL, here is who we think should make it from the Astros.

Andrew Gleinser, Contributor

The Shoo-In

Yuli Gurriel is in a class all his own thanks to his stellar play this season. He leads the AL in batting average, carrying a .323/.392/.536 line with 17 doubles and 47 RBI. If not for the insane season Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is having, Gurriel would probably be the starter. Still, he should make the team as a backup in what is shaping up to be a career year at age 37.

The Strong Cases

Jose Altuve may not be the starter with Marcus Semien having a strong year and with casual fans wrongly thinking he’s a cheater. But his .831 OPS is second among AL second basemen, trailing only Semien. His .288/.358/.473 line and his return to playing solid defense should be more than enough to earn him a spot as a reserve.

Carlos Correa will have a hard time surpassing Xander Bogaerts’ excellent campaign this far, but his recent hot streak gives him the inside track at a reserve spot as well. His .868 OPS is by far the second-best among AL shortstops, and he’s the leader in walks and tied for the lead in home runs at the position.

The Rest

Alex Bregman and Zack Greinke are both having decent, but unspectacular years. Bregman’s OPS is fourth among AL third basemen, which is a crowded field. Greinke got knocked down a peg by his poor start against Boston, but there’s time for both of them to force their way into the conversation with a hot streak.

Michael Brantley and Luis Garcia don’t have enough plate appearances/innings to qualify for the league leaders. If they did, Brantley’s .337 average would by far be the best among AL left fielders, and Garcia’s 2.98 ERA would be sixth-best in the league. If they can stay healthy over the next month, and if Garcia remains in the rotation, they could both sneak their way onto the team.

Then there’s Ryan Pressly. He’s having a nice season as the team’s closer, and his numbers are really good. But there are a few AL relievers whose numbers are better, and a lot can change for a relief pitcher’s numbers between now and the All-Star game. Pressly has a chance, but it could be a really crowded field.

Matt Kunkel, Contributor 

Lock(s)

Yuli Gurriel, now 37-year-old, leads the American League in batting average (.323) and is second in the AL in OPS (.928) behind only the red-hot Vladimir Guerrero Jr. For someone who looked like his career was over during the playoffs last year, Gurriel has come back and reminded everyone in baseball he’s one of the best clutch hitters in the game. He likely won’t start at first base, but he’ll make his first (and very deserving) All-Star Appearance.

Jose Altuve is hitting .288 (3rd amongst MLB second baseman) with 12 homers and 30 RBI with a .831 OPS (again 3rd among MLB second baseman) while playing at the Astros primary leadoff guy. It’ll be neck-and-neck between Altuve and Marcus Semien as far as who starts the game, but the former-MVP should make his seventh All-Star appearance – especially now since Nick Madrigal is on the 60-Day IL and Whit Merrifield having a so-so season thus far. And let’s face it – Astro-haters want Altuve at the game so they can boo him.

On the Bubble – In

With Francisco Lindor now playing in the NL, Carlos Correa now has a clearer path to reach the All-Star Game. Correa is third among shortstops in OPS (.868) with 11 HR, 35 RBI and 33 walks. He also leads the Astros in Wins Above Replacement at 2.9, thanks to his bat and elite defensive play at the position. I doubt he’ll beat out Xander Bogaerts as the starter, and Tim Anderson would be another worthy selection, but expect Carlos has the inside track to be named an All-Star reserve.

Alex Bregman is slashing .281/.366/.438 this season, which is a profile for a bonafide All-Star at the plate. And he is perhaps the best defensive third baseman in the league not named Matt Chapman. But Bregman hasn’t been “wowing” people with his play like he usually does in other season and his recent hitting slump may not be helping his case.

Plus, when you factor in the crowd of great players at the position (Rafael Devers, Jose Ramirez, Yoan Moncada) – it gets a little tough to argue. But the guy is a superstar, and the game is meant for superstars. I think he earns a spot as a reserve – but I wouldn’t put any money on it.

On the Bubble – Out

Luis Garcia is posting a 2.98 ERA, with a 1.04 WHIP and has won five of his last six starts. He’s been the best starter in this rotation for the past month and looks like another slam-dunk find for the Houston Astros front office.

However, the impressive crowd of AL starting pitchers with name and pedigree make it highly unlikely Garcia will be selected. I don’t think the world is ready for a Luis Garcia-Framber Valdez domination tour quite yet – but it’s coming.

If it weren’t for the injury last month, Michael Brantley could be looking like a lock as an All-Star. But he’s still hitting .337, which would be best among AL outfielders, and an OPS above .800. If he could get hot at the plate over the next couple of weeks, he might sneak in.

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If we did this piece last month when Yordan Alvarez was hitting .380, I’d say he would have been a no-brainer to get his first All-Star. Now, after an extended slump and some time on the IL, Alvarez is hitting just .302 with nine homers and 35 RBI. He hasn’t found the same production from his 2019 campaign, but he’s still among one of the most feared hitters in the game.  But Shohei Ohtani has the DH position locked up, and Alvarez won’t get in over Giancarlo Stanton or JD Martinez.

He could very well get hot over the next month and make himself a lock for the All-Star game. At the very least, he should participate in the Home Run Derby and show the world his absurd power at the plate.

If the season started May 8th, Kyle Tucker might be a lock as a starting left fielder. Since that date, he’s been hitting .348 with an OPS of 1.032 to go along with six homers, 11 doubles and 24 RBIs. However, his early season slump where he hit sub .200 might have cost him an All-Star appearance. It also doesn’t help that Aaron Judge, Trey Mancini and Mitch Haniger also play the same position. I’d be pleasantly surprised if he makes it – but he’s deserving.

Ryan Pressly, a Dallas native, is among the best relief pitchers in the game who has been adjusting to his first full season as the team’s primary closer. Besides Fernando Tatis’ home run that he gave up over a week ago, he’s been solid as the shutdown closer – Pressly has a 1.73 ERA in 21 Innings in the 9th inning of games. However, he’s not the biggest name amongst relief pitchers (Aroldis Chapman, Liam Hendriks) and he’s not having a better season than some other AL relievers (Matt Barnes, Emmanuel Clase). It also doesn’t help that the Astros bullpen has been very un-good as of late, which might play into perception of Pressly’s play.

Kenny Van Doren, Site Expert

At the moment, there aren’t any clear-cut Astros that will be taking their talents as starters to Colorado in July. Reserves are the way to go, and with three infielders posting All-Star numbers, I think we will see a few Houston players at the Mid-Summer Classic.

The Automatics

Yuli Gurriel is definitely an All-Star, and the only way he would fall out of contention is if he doesn’t hit a baseball again. This won’t happen. Vlad Guerrero Jr. is in the running for AL MVP at the moment and is the best first baseman in baseball, so there’s no doubting he will be the starter come July. Gurriel is slashing .323/.392/.536 with 10 home runs thus far, and at 37-years-old, the Cuban baseball player will make his first All-Star game of his career.

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Then comes the best middle infield duo in the AL West; Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa will most likely finish second at their respected positions. This is in part to fan votes being biased against the Astros and the superstar seasons from Xander Bogaerts and Marcus Semien. Altuve currently has a 2.0 WAR, that is quickly climbing toward Semien’s 2.9, but fans will make the final call on the starter. Correa has been on a tear, and with his change in approach, the right-hander has a .868 OPS and five defensive runs saved.

The Dark Horses

Pitchers making All-Star games are sometimes a tossup. While the coaching staff will help dictate it, some teams’ only selection comes as a pitcher, which will be tough for two Astros bordering an appearance.

Luis Garcia is pitching out of his mind, but without much chatter on his success, he might fall into the abyss. The right-hander has a 2.98 ERA in 63.1 innings pitched this season. While maturing into an everyday starter, Garcia is an All-Star caliber player, but it comes down to if he keeps bumping his ERA down.

Another pitcher in All-Star contention has to be Ryan Pressly. The closer has a renovated ERA at 2.08 through 26 innings of work. With not the most save opportunities this season, the right-hander has fallen to two bad pitches that have placed his ERA above the 2.00 mark. If it weren’t for limited spots for relief arms, we would see Pressly as a shoo-in, but he will need to keep limiting runs to make it to Colorado.

Outside Looking In

Outfield competition will come down to many fans voting for Mike Trout, who won’t even play in the game or the eight weeks before. Paying attention to games played and health doesn’t come into discussion when discussing votes.

For the Astros, three players that are on the outside looking in are Alex Bregman, Kyle Tucker and Yordan Alvarez. These three positions are stacked this year and probably don’t stand as top two at their jobs in the AL. For the case of Michael Brantley, his stint on the injured list is probably holding him back from being selected by managers, but he is still destroying the ball.

Phase 1 of All-Star voting ends June 24th. This vote can be conducted on MLB.com five times every 24 hours to help boost your favorites to the next round of voting. For final starter votes, it starts on June 28th and ends July 1st. The All-Star Game is Tuesday, July 13th.