As Marlins wrap up series with Mariners, who could return to Seattle for All-Star Game?
The Miami Marlins’ trip to Seattle was mostly one to forget.
The Marlins salvaged the three-game series by winning the finale 4-1 on Wednesday after being thumped the first two games 8-1 on Monday and 9-3 on Tuesday. It was the middle series of a three-city road trip that ends with a weekend series against the Washington Nationals starting Friday. The trip began with a series win against the Chicago White Sox.
But this won’t be the last trip to Seattle this season for select Marlins players.
T-Mobile Park is hosting the 2023 All-Star Game on July 11 and its other festivities, including the Futures Game on July 8, Home Run Derby on July 10 and the three-day MLB Draft from July 9-11.
So... which Marlins players have the best chance to come back to Seattle next month?
One name is obvious: Luis Arraez. The Marlins’ hit-collecting second baseman leads MLB with a .378 batting average and .431 on-base percentage even after going into a mini slump against the Mariners — Arraez went 0 for 12 with one walk, one hit by pitch and two strikeouts in the three games against Seattle.
Arraez was a first-time All-Star last season with the Minnesota Twins, a year in which he won the American League batting title before ultimately being traded to Miami over the offseason for pitcher Pablo Lopez and a pair of prospects.
As of Monday, Arraez led National League second basemen in the fan voting process that determines the starters for each All-Star team (more on the full process in a minute).
The other most likely candidate: Jorge Soler. The Marlins’ slugging outfielder/designated hitter is second in the National League with 20 home runs, fifth with a .554 slugging mark, 16th with 40 RBI and tied for 21st with 37 runs scored. He is just the 10th player in Marlins history to have 20 home runs before the All-Star Break and the first since Giancarlo Stanton, Justin Bour and Marcell Ozuna all accomplished the feat in 2017.
He was fourth in voting among NL designated hitters in the first ballot update, behind the Dodgers’ JD Martinez, Phillies’ Bryce Harper and Braves’ Travis d’Arnaud.
Soler would seem like a shoo-in for the Home Run Derby, right? Of his 20 home runs, an MLB-leading 17 have gone at least 400 feet.
But Soler said Wednesday he is undecided on if he would compete in the derby if he is invited.
“In the past, it would have been great to participate in an event like this,” Soler said, “but since my injury with my back [last season], I don’t think it’s a good idea to participate in something like this.”
Soler later added that his goal is to “finish the season healthy and continue helping the team and make it to the playoffs.” The Marlins enter Thursday’s off day with a 38-31 record.
Beyond those two, it’s hard to say who else could have a case for an All-Star bid.
Maybe Bryan De La Cruz, who is tied for ninth among NL outfielders in RBI (35), tied for 12th in doubles (14) 18th in OPS (.774).
Closer A.J. Puk, who has a 2.41 ERA and seven saves in eight opportunities, could have been a candidate if not for missing nearly a month with left elbow nerve irritation.
Jesus Luzardo has been the Marlins’ best starting pitcher among those who qualify for the league leaderboard, but even he is just 23rd in the NL in ERA (4.17), tied for 18th in innings pitched (77 2/3), and 19th in walks and hits per inning pitched (1.27). Luzardo does rank seventh in strikeouts per nine innings (10.31), tied for seventh in groundball double plays induced (10) and 13th in walks per nine innings (2.43).
How All-Star Game selection works
The starting position players for each team are voted on by fans. The first phase of fan voting runs through noon on June 22. Fans are allowed to vote up to five times per day at mlb.com/all-star/ballot.
After Phase 1 ends, the top vote-getter in each league automatically earns a spot in his league’s starting lineup. The top-two vote-getters at every other position — except for outfield, which will be the top six (or four, if the top vote-getter was an outfielder) — then move to Phase 2 of voting, which starts on June 26. The player who receives the most votes at each position (and top two or three for outfield, depending again on if the league’s Phase 1 winner was an outfielder) in Phase 2 will make up the starting lineups.
From there, the final 23 spots for each All-Star Game roster — 12 pitchers, nine reserve position players — are selected through a combination of player and Commissioner Office selections.
Every team has at least one representative.
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