Predicting the Astros Representatives in the All-Star Game

Starting pitcher: Cristian Javier

El Reptíl will be a first-time All-Star this season, narrowly edging out Hunter Brown for the second Astros spot in the AL rotation.

Brown has many All-Star games ahead of him, but Cristian Javier is the right choice for this season. Javier's 3.13 ERA is 20th-best in the game and his 1.06 WHIP is tied with Framber for 11th best in the AL. His strikeouts are down a bit from last season, but he's 7-1 with seven quality starts.

He isn't the shoe-in that Valdez is, but if Javier can string together a few more quality starts with some high strikeout totals, he should have no issues making the team.

Designated Hitter: Yordan Alvarez

Will he play? Who knows at this point. An oblique injury could keep Alvarez from suiting up in the game, but he will no doubt be named an All-Star.

It's a pretty open-and-shut case. Alvarez has carried the Astros offense this season. His 55 RBI lead all of baseball while his 17 RBI are tied for seventh-best. Had he not missed time due to injury, those numbers would be even higher.

His .978 OPS is third-best in the game and his 166 OPS+ is third-best.

No debates to be had here--Yordan Alvarez is an All-Star.

Second Base: Mauricio Dubón

And now for the most controversial pick--Mauricio Dubón will be an All-Star in 2023. All offseason we wanted him gone, but Dubie came back with muscle packed on and an approach adjustment in his swing and all he has done is rake.

Dubon's .300 average ranks second among AL second baseman, as does his 1.7bWAR and four defensive runs saved. He ranks in the 88th percentile in outs above average according to Statcast.

The return of José Altuve sent Dubón back to the bench in his utility role, but the Yordan Alvarez injury has made him an everyday staple in the lineup again, be it at second base or in left field.

His 20-game hit streak earlier this season won't hurt his case either.

Dubón won't be voted in as a starter, and he probably won't make the initial reserve cut either, but each year guys get added to the team as injury replacements. He did a fantastic job batting leadoff in Altuve's absence, and now should have about another month as an everyday player to rack up more counting stats.

Mauricio Dubón should make the All-Star game as an injury replacement.

Honorable Mentions

Kyle Tucker was a first time All-Star in 2022, but his perplexing defensive regression will keep him off this year's team. Tucker posted 16 defensive runs saved last year and was in the 89th percentile in outs above average. This year he is worth -5 defensive runs saved and is in the fourth percentile in outs above average. That's taken quite a toll on his WAR, and he hasn't done quite enough at the plate to overcome his defensive shortcomings.

Alex Bregman will also miss out on the festivities this year, having gone through just too big of a slump to overcome. His 1.2 fWAR is sixth among AL thirrd basemen while his107 WRC+ is seventh. He's had a solid, if not unspectacular start to the season, and if he finishes with a strong second half as he usually does, we'll likely look back and wonder how the 2018 All-Star Game MVP didn't make more All-Star games, but until he hits with consistency in the first half, he won't make many more appearances.

Phil Maton, Bryan Abreu and Hector Neris have been lights out as a reliever, but it's incredibly difficult for relievers to make the cut. All three have had great starts to their season, but would be unlikely to bump Yennier Cano or Felix Bautista off the roster.

Hunter Brown will likely be a staple of AL All-Star games moving forward, and his 1.7 fWAR ranks eighth among AL starters, but a couple of bad starts have inflated his ERA to 3.69. He's got a compelling case, but look for 2024 to be the first time Brown represents the Astros as an All-Star.