4 Padres who deserve to represent San Diego at the 2023 All-Star Game in Seattle

3 of 3

Folks, the time has arrived for All-Star Game voting.

MLB released its 2023 All-Star Game ballot on Wednesday in anticipation of the Midsummer Classic happening this July in Seattle. And the San Diego Padres figure to send multiple representatives to T-Mobile Park despite their season struggles to date.

Here are four Padres who most deserve the opportunity to represent San Diego at the 2023 All-Star Game.

4 San Diego Padres who should be 2023 MLB All-Stars in Seattle

1. Juan Soto

Things have taken a complete 360 for Juan Soto over the last few weeks.

It wasn't long ago that we were concerned about the superstar outfielder's lackluster hitting. But Washington Nationals' GM Mike Rizzo was right: Soto will be Soto. And Soto he has been of late.

In fact, the 24-year-old currently possesses the second-highest OPS (.938) among outfielders in the National League, trailing only MVP candidate Ronald Acuna Jr. of the Atlanta Braves. That's a long way from being mired in the depths of struggle. This is a bounceback worthy of an All-Star nod.

May 26, 2023; Bronx, New York, USA; San Diego Padres relief pitcher Josh Hader (71) pitches against / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

2. Josh Hader

The brightest light on this 2023 Padres team so far has been Josh Hader. You might not know it given the team's struggles and recent bad press, but Hader has been money this season.

The lefty closer owns a microscopic 0.82 ERA, 0.73 WHIP and 13 saves in 22 relief appearances, all of which are tops or near the top in the National League, if not throughout MLB.

Hader has truly turned it on this season, finding the form that made him so dominant in Milwaukee all those years. Turns out his 2022 struggles were just a fluke, in the best way. His performance is more than deserving of an All-Star nod this summer.

May 30, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) celebrates / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

Fringe 2023 San Diego Padres All-Stars

These next two Padres players have less concrete cases for the 2023 All-Star Game, so we decided to elaborate on both here.

We'll start with the dynamo that is Fernando Tatis Jr. He isn't blowing away the field in any one category since returning from his PED suspension, but his stats are solid and during the Padres' series at Yankee Stadium, displayed why he belongs on a big stage.

It's quite possible that Padres (and baseball) fans vote Tatis in, even if he's not completely deserving on a number of fronts just on his stardom alone.

The other Padres players who could be selected to the All-Star Game is Michael Wacha. Wacha was great in May, posting a 2.41 ERA over his seven starts and becoming the most consistent presence in San Diego's rotation of late. His overall ERA in 10 starts is 3.45.

Fans don't have a say in the All-Star pitching staffs, so Wacha doesn't have that working in his favor, unlike Tatis Jr. However, Wacha's resurgence could still earn him a trip to Seattle.

feed

Home / Padres News