6 MLB Talents Who Will Be First-Time All-Stars This Year
By Parker White
Mike Trout, Christian Yelich and Cody Bellinger are shoo-ins to represent their teams in the Midsummer Classic, but like we see every year, there are players who make it for the first time.
Who will see their childhood dreams come true in the coming months? Here are six MLB talents who will be first-time All-Stars this year.
6. SS Dansby Swanson, Atlanta Braves
Dansby Swanson was the No. 1 pick in the draft back in 2015, and when he was traded over to his hometown Atlanta Braves, he was suppose to be the savior of this franchise. Combine that pressure with the wrist injury he dealt with all of 2018, Swanson was on his way to be an average contributor, at-best. He's been more than that for this team in 2019, as he's slashing .268/.319/.498 with 13 home runs and a team-leading 43 RBI. He's starting to come into his own on both sides of the ball, becoming one of the better players at his position.
5. SS Jorge Polanco, Minnesota Twins
Do you know he leads all MLB shortstops in OPS? It's not Javier Baez, Francisco Lindor or Trevor Story. Minnesota Twins shortstop Jorge Polanco is leading the pack, slashing .338/.400/.578 with 32 extra-base hits (10 home runs) and 32 RBI. The highly-touted shortstop prospect had his career turned upside down last year when he received a PED suspension, but he's come back better than ever and stirs the drink for this high-octane Twins offense.
4. RHP Lucas Giolito, Chicago White Sox
It would be a shame if Lucas Giolito doesn't make the American League squad. After being one of the worst pitchers in baseball last season, the former first round pick made some adjustments and he's finally pitching like the guy who was believed to be a future ace. In 11 starts, the White Sox right-hander is 8-1 with a 2.54 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 78 strikeouts over 67.1 innings.
3. 1B Josh Bell, Pittsburgh Pirates
Has there been a better first baseman in the National League this year than Josh Bell? He doesn't get a lot of attention playing in Pittsburgh, but he's been destroying the baseball all season, slashing an incredible .333/.396/.684 with 18 home runs and an MLB-leading 56 RBI.
2. OF Austin Meadows, Tampa Bay Rays
Speaking of the Pirates, they made a terrible mistake by trading both Tyler Glasnow and Austin Meadows for Chris Archer, who is in the conversation for AL MVP. Meadows has become a cornerstone for the Tampa Bay Rays, as he's leading the AL with a .345 batting average to go along with 12 home runs, 38 RBI and a whopping 1.051 OPS.
1. RHP Mike Soroka, Atlanta Braves
Rookie right-hander Mike Soroka is the most highly-regarded of the Atlanta Braves' stockpile of pitching, and boy does he look like a future ace. In 10 starts, Soroka owns a 7-1 record with a 1.38 ERA and 0.87 WHIP, both of which are top-three in baseball. Soroka is definitely one of the favorites for NL Rookie of the Year, but could he win a Cy Young as a 21-year-old? We still have a long way to go for that, but the coaches wouldn't be doing their job if they don't put him on the roster.