2022 MLB All-Star Game: Eight Under-the-Radar Players Who Definitely Need to Make it

2022 MLB All-Star Game: Eight Under-the-Radar Players Who Definitely Need to Make it

Major League Baseball recently announced finalists for each position in the 2022 All-Star Game in Los Angeles this month. That means we will soon know starters for each league as well as the reserves that ensures a player from each team will make the squad. Outside the finalists, who are come underrated players who should make the 2022 All-Star team?

Looking for the best sportsbook offers available in your state? Click here

Tommy Edman

Tommy Edman is a top-12 player in WAR this season and has been a superb table-setter at the top of a very potent St. Louis Cardinals' lineup. His 58 runs and 19 steals are both top-five in all of baseball, and he is also second in the league in defensive WAR among all players. With both National League finalists currently injured (Ozzie Albies and Jazz Chisholm, Jr.), it is almost a lock that Edman will end up making this year's National League All-Star squad.

Julio Rodriguez

I'm not so sure you can call one of the best prospects in all of baseball, who leads the majors in steals, an under-the-radar player. But he was nowhere near earning a starting spot from the fan voting. What do we know? He should absolutely, 100% be in the All-Star game not just because of his production, but Major League Baseball needs to do a better job of marketing their young stars. Make no mistake about it, J-Rod is a star. After an abysmal April (.205/.284/.260 with no home runs), Rodriguez has exploded and most recently hit .280/.361/.542 in June with seven home runs and five stolen bases.

Luis Arraez

The combination of playing for the Twins and his league-leading .354 batting average have caused people to draw comparisons to Rod Carew for Luis Arraez. Considering the types of hitters they both are, it's not completely off base. "Off base" is place Arraez rarely is, with that high average and .425 on-base percentage. In addition to the hits, he also has a walk rate over 10% this year. The All-Star Game would be the perfect stage to highlight this next version of Ichiro Suzuki to the world.

Ty France

Recently reinstated from the injured list, Ty France looks to pick up where he left off before straining his elbow a couple of weeks ago. France exits the first half of the season with both an elite batting average (.315) and on-base percentage (.389), both in the top-ten of all players this season. He has elite contact skills and has proven himself to be one of the best offensive first basemen in the American League.

Bet $10, Win $200 on any MLB Moneyline

Josh Bell

Over in the National League, Josh Bell has gone under the radar all year as a first baseman who is on the verge of becoming just the third player in the majors to have both a .400 on-base percentage and .500 slugging percentage. Currently, only Yordan Alvarez and Paul Goldschmidt can make that claim. Bell is slashing .310/.393/.502 and has actually been as good a hitter as Juan Soto this season. It certainly helps his RBI total that Soto has a .388 OBP, but Bell is proving to be an extremely valuable piece of the Washington Nationals' offense.

C.J. Cron

Who cares if the massive offensive output is aided by playing half his games in Coors Field? At age 32, Cron is having a career year with 20 homers and 65 RBI before the break. In fact both of those numbers are top-12 in all of baseball. He also carries a career-high in average (.294) and slugging percentage (.548) into the break. And if MLB wants a power show, Cron can certainly oblige. He recently hit the second-longest homer of the season in a win against the Padres.

Jeff McNeil

While Pete Alonso and Francisco Lindor might get all the hype, Jeff McNeil has been a rock-solid force in the New York Mets' lineup this year. His .316/.376/.441 slash line adds up to a 138 wRC+, which is top-25 in baseball this year. He doesn't offer too much in the way of power or steals (four homers, two steals), but with Albies and Chisholm out of the game, this is a player who certainly deserves a nod for what he brings to the table offensively.

Garrett Cooper

Despite hitting only two home runs, Garrett Cooper had an unreal month of June where he slashed .378/.418/.511 and propelled himself right into All-Star conversation. He does his work in perhaps the most nondescript lineup in the major leagues (the Miami Marlins), but his consistent hitting and on-base ability have pushed him up to a top-35 player in offensive WAR this year. Sandy Alcantara will be the lock player to make the team if Jazz Chisholm ends up being injured, but if the NL is looking for a 1B/OF combo player to round out the roster, Cooper makes an excellent choice.