Who Deserves to be on the All-MLB Team?
One writer gives his perspective on the best of the best of the 2021 MLB along with recaps
As we step a couple weeks away from the end of the World Series, MLB Award season is now upon us. Most of the big, nameplate type awards that we have become familiar with: Most Valuable Player, Cy Young, and Rookie of the Year among them, are being revealed. Still, in something that hearkens to the type of awards that the NBA puts out every year, the MLB recently implemented one new additional set of awards. This award set it the All-MLB Team.
With its first implementation being in 2019, this year will be only the third time that Major League Baseball will announce the All-MLB Team. There will be first and second teams revealed on Tuesday November 23rd, with the idea behind these honors being to pick the best player at each individual position. Unlike the All-NBA teams that have been part of the Association's end of season awards for decades, these All-MLB awards are not only voted on by media members. Instead, former players, officials within baseball and fans also vote on the selections along with the media.
As a current fan and somewhat-member of the media, I have decided to throw my ring in the hat (as part of the fan vote, which you can participate in as well) and am providing my own ballot selections, which is why we are here today. Mine are crafted mostly through the use of year long statistics, both coming from the basic and more analytical persuasion. My goal in this is to marry both schools of thought and to also consider not just offense, but to include measures that keep in mind what position players do on the bases as well as with a glove on their hands. Lastly, I will also include at least one other candidate that I considered at each position. These are the players that I would pick for a second team or that were closest to toppling my ultimate choice. This will not include ALL players that I thought might be deserving.
Below you will find each of my sixteen selections for the All-MLB Team (1 spot for each position player including DH, 5 starting pitchers and 2 relievers) along with a brief explanation of what made them so All-MLB worthy in 2021. I do this in the (somewhat odd) order that the online ballot provides, meaning that we will start at first base.
Without further delay, for my first 2021 All-MLB selection, I choose...
1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (Tor)
Basic Stats: .311/.401./.601 48 HR 111 RBI 123 runs scored 363 total bases
Analytics in His Favor: 15.8% K-rate 166 wRC+ 10.7% Barrel Rate .413 xwOBA
At long last, Guerrero finally played his first full season in the Majors in 2021 and certainly did not disappoint, especially with the bat in his hands. Truthfully, if not for a certain two-way maven that plays on the west coast, Guerrero would be a shoe-in for the American League's Most Valuable Player Award. He did it with absolute dominance at the plate, leading the league on all slash line numbers as well as runs scored and total bases. He even took an outside shot at the Triple Crown well into September. Vladdy's 48 homers were tied for the most in all of baseball with Salvador Perez, but what's even more impressive is the mere 15.8% K-rate that Guerrero was able to accomplish. Homers and strikeouts typically go hand-in-hand, especially in today's game, but Guerrero's K-rate was nearly 8 points below the league average. He barreled balls with the best of them and wasn't an easy out even when he didn't make the best kind of contact, making him easily one of the premier hitters in the game at only 22 years old. Even with lesser base-running and fielding metrics than some of his peers, he simply bludgeons the competition to death in order to take this distinction.
Other candidate(s) considered: Max Muncy (LAD)
2B Marcus Semien (Tor)
Basic Stats: .265/.334/.538 45 HR 102 RBI 115 runs scored
Analytics in His Favor: 6.6 Ultimate Zone Rating Per 150 Games 7 Outs Above Average
Our second selection and already our second Toronto Blue Jay. Semien might have been the steal of the off-season last winter when Toronto signed him to a $18 million deal for one year. Their only regret might be not trying to tie him up for future seasons as well. The once-again free agent repaid the Blue Jays over the course of the season for their interest in him by smacking 45 home runs and being at the top of the order for one of the best lineups in the game. On the other side of the ball, Semien was once considered one of the most error-prone shortstops in MLB but worked hard to improve his sure-handedness from his earlier days with the Athletics. In 2021 he gracefully moved to second base to allow Blue Jays youngster Bo Bichette to remain at shortstop. The arrangement worked out in spades. Semien was the best 2B in baseball in terms of Ultimate Zone Rating Per 150 Games. He has already won both a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger at second base this off-season. It stands to reason an All-MLB honor is in order as well.
Other candidate(s) considered: Brandon Lowe (TBR)
SS Fernando Tatis Jr. (SDP)
.282/.364/.611 42 HR 97 RBI 25 SB
Analytics in His Favor: 156 wRC+ 9.3 Base-running Runs 12.8% Barrel Rate .401 xwOBA
Tatis falls into a very similar category as Guerrero in being the son of a former Major Leaguer and another young star of the game that has waited to have their first full season in the show. Unfortunately, Tatis's 2021 season wasn't quite as complete as Guerrero's due to a continual left shoulder injury that required both playing through and three different trips to the Injured List. Tatis suffered four different dislocations of that left shoulder in total over the course of the summer. Placing him at shortstop for this team is a little bit of a questionable prospect because the injury limited him to just over 100 games at the position. In turn, Tatis moved to the outfield late in the year to take some of the strain off his body. Still, the fight that he put up just makes his production all that more impressive and that makes his flaws something to be overlooked. While San Diego isn't quite the pitcher's haven that it used to be, hitting 42 home runs (mostly) at the shortstop position while missing time and in a ballpark that's still in the bottom third of the league in home run factor is incredibly impressive. His Barrel Rate was the best in baseball of all candidates with enough Plate Appearances to qualify. Let me say again... he barreled balls more often than anyone else and did it with a busted up front shoulder. He also stole 25 bases and was the 2nd best base-runner in the entire game by Fangraphs Base Runs statistic. Not only is he fast, but at just 22 he is an intelligent base-runner. Tatis has declined surgery in the off-season, so we can only hope that natural healing will allow us to see what can be next for him in a full 2022.
Other candidate(s) considered: Brandon Crawford (SFG)
3B Jose Ramirez (Cle)
Basic Stats: .266/.355/.538 36 HR 103 RBI 111 runs scored 27 stolen bases
Analytics in His Favor: 13.7% K-rate 137 wRC+ 6.3 Base-running Runs 6.7 Ultimate Zone Rating Per 150 Games 7 Outs Above Average
When Cleveland's overall offense was depleted in 2021 in large part through the removal of Francisco Lindor from the roster it stood to reason that a lack of protection could lead to Ramirez's regression. Instead he continued to bolster his resume as one of the finest 5-tool players in the entirety of the game. Ramirez was in the top 10 of all of baseball in runs scored, stolen bases, Isolated Power, Base-running Runs, and UZR Per 150. He also finished with the 11th best K-rate. That's elite power, contact, speed and fielding all rolled into one season. No one else in the league, including those that are on this list, approach being in the top 10 in all of these different statistics in 2021. Ramirez did it with Franmil Reyes and... not much else in the lineup around him to support him. With the newly named Guardians picking up his option for 2022 the only question remaining regarding his on the field production is how the short and somewhat stout, 5 foot 9 Ramirez will last at the hot corner going into his 30s. For the moment his all-around supremacy speaks for itself.
Other candidate(s) considered: Rafael Devers (Bos)
C Mike Zunino (TBR)
Basic Stats: .216/.301/.559 33 HR 62 RBI
Analytics in His Favor: 13.1% Barrel Rate 5 Defensive Runs Saved 6 Frame Runs
Zunino is far from a perfect player, but in 2021 was an excellent combination of power at the plate and prowess behind it at the catcher position. Remember when I said that Tatis had the best Barrel Rate of all qualified players? Well, if you lower expectations to more in line with the number of at bats that a catcher might receive in a season then Zunino actually usurps Tatis for that honor. If he played a different position that would allow him to play everyday, Zunino might be the best legitimate power threat in all of the game. So why doesn't Zunino play a different position? Because in 2021 he was one of the 5 best defensive catchers in the game both based off of pitch framing stats at Statcast and the more comprehensive Defensive Runs Saved statistic at Fangraphs. Of the 4 catchers above him in DRS none of them came within 10 home runs of his output. Ultimately, Zunino is a dream player for those that love analytics. Even if he strikes out way too often, his new age measures jump off the page. There is obvious merit to his game and its enough to fend off the field of backstops (including Perez) and attain this vote.
Other candidate(s) considered: Will Smith (LAD) & JT Realmuto (Phi)
DH Shohei Ohtani (LAA)
Basic Stats:.257/.372/.592 46 HR 100 RBI 8 triples
Analytics in His Favor: 15% BB-rate 152 wRC+ 2.5 Base-running Runs 12.2% Barrel Rate .405 xwOBA 7 “Bolts”
What can be said about Shohei Ohtani's 2021 season that hasn't already been said? We truthfully have never seen anything like it before. Ohtani made 23 starts as a pitcher and logged over 130 innings on the mound with a 9-2 record, but this award has nothing to do with his time on the bump outside of general context. Rather, Ohtani gets this vote for All-MLB at DH purely off of the merit of his time at the plate and on the bases. He led baseball for most of the summer in home runs before a moderate slump and likely fatigue/nagging injury cooled his bat. But this type of cooling only means he went from being engulfed in flames entirely to a slightly less scalding array of burning cinders. Ohtani's quality of contact from March to September was top-notch, making him one of the most feared hitters in the game, a stark contrast to the abbreviated 2020 season that saw him struggle at the plate. This year was a whirlwind for Ohtani not just for the obvious reasons, but also because the narrative around him went from “Is this really going to work? He's been too hurt to pitch and didn't hit well in 2020” to “Holy cow, he's really doing both and doing them well... can this really last?” to “Wow, he was really the Angels best pitcher while being the best DH in the league at the same time,”. You would think with Ohtani showcasing his athleticism at the plate and on the mound it would reinforce what a great all-around athlete he is, but if anything, that got lost in 2021.Ohtani is also incredibly fast for his size (probably be a better WR addition for the Rams than Odell) and on top of all the other accolades, he tied for the league lead in triples. He was the only DH candidate that I considered that had a positive Base-running Runs statistic. So even when you think you have him figured out, he finds new ways to continue being superlative.
Other candidate(s) considered: Yordan Alvarez (Hou)
OF Bryce Harper (Phi)
Basic Stats: .309/.429/.615 35 HR 84 RBI 42 doubles 300 total bases
Analytics in His Favor: 16.7% BB-rate, 170 wRC+ .427 xwOBA
Its funny to think that there was a time this year where Harper was criticized by some Phillies fans for hitting too many solo home runs, as if there was a way for him to prevent his teammates from getting put out in front of him. Those problems non-withstanding, Harper put together a season that should have him comfortably in the MVP conversation in the National League. What stands out for me with Harper in 2021 was his ability to hit to all fields, something he has done in his career, but seemed to be emphasized some in the past season. You wouldn't think a hitter of Harper's power would have this skill, but over his career about 27% of his hits have come to the opposite field. He ranks 8th in opposite field batting average among all players with 700 plate appearances since 2012 (his rookie season). He upped the ante in 2021 though by having 29% of his hits sent to left-field. Additionally, more of his league leading 42 doubles went left than to center or right. 78 extra base hits along with a walk rate that was only bested by 2 other players easily make him one of the most prominent offensive players in the game right now, and this is proven by his league best wRC+. In part it seems he found this success by beating the shift. There wasn't a more productive player per at bat in baseball than Harper, and that includes Ohtani and Guerrero. Yeah, he sounds like an MVP candidate, alright.
OF Juan Soto (Was)
Basic Stats: .313/.465/.534 29 HR 95 RBI 145 BB
Analytics in His Favor: 22.2% BB% 14.2% K% 163 wRC+ .426 xwOBA
At 22 years old, Juan Soto is already an absolute master of the strike zone. Barry Bonds, Jack Clark, Mark McGwire. Those are the names of the only players since 1968's strike zone change that have walked at a higher rate for a single season than Soto did in 2021. That's it. Of the three, Bonds was the only one to also have a better strikeout rate than Soto (this impressively includes a 1996 campaign from Bonds that allegedly comes before the juice). When Soto did put the ball in play in 2021, his quality of contact was also among the top of the league. While he didn't barrel the ball at the same rate as Ohtani or Tatis, he did have incredible expected statistics because he struck an copious amount of hard line drives and ground-balls. Hence a .313 batting average. Hence the third best offensive output by wRC+ of any player in the game in 2021. Hence he is on my ballot, and while its due to his offensive prowess, he's done it in his own way- a discerning batting eye and an approach at the plate that is as good as anyone since Tony Gwynn. Hitting .400 today feels like an impossible premise, but if any of the young talent that's currently pervading the game right now could do it, its Soto.
OF Tyler O'Neill (STL)
Basic Stats: .286/.352/.560 34 HR 80 RBI 26 doubles
Analytics in His Favor: 144 wRC+ 4.7 Base-running Runs 7.9 Ultimate Zone Rating Per 150 Games 10.6% Barrel Rate 38 “Bolts”
A lot has been said about the marketing problem that baseball has and that the game doesn't have a lot of household names anymore. In the individuals listed above O'Neill, there are a number of young, engaging ballplayers that have started to stem that tide and become those type of household names- Guerrero, Tatis and Soto, for instance. In O'Neill though, I feel like I have picked a relative unknown. Though he is a 2-time Gold Glove Award winner in left-field, O'Neill has never been an All-Star, including in this past 2021 season. But quite frankly, I don't care. O'Neill went from far and away a below average hitter who could only muster a .171 batting average in 50 games in 2020 to being significantly better than average at the plate in 2021, hitting .286 and punching in a wRC+ of 144. On top of that, his performance on the bases was better than every other outfielder considered except Startling Marte and Cedric Mullins and includes more “Bolts” than any other outfield in the bunch. That means O'Neill reached an elite level of speed (30 ft/s) on the field more often than any of the other outfielders that were considered- obviously a key element in covering ground in the field and running the bases. In short, O'Neill has been a great athlete in this game since his first promotion to the Majors in 2018, and was immediately an impact player with a glove on his hand. In 2021, his bat came not only came around but proved reliably proficient and for that reason, he gets this final outfield spot.
Other candidate(s) considered: Aaron Judge (NYY), Bryan Reynolds (Pit), Byron Buxton (Min), Kyle Tucker (Hou)
SP Corbin Burnes (Mil)
Basic Stats: 11-5 2.43 ERA 234 Ks 167 IP 0.94 WHIP
Analytics in His Favor: 12.6 K/9 1.8 BB/9 0.4 HR/9 2.30 FIP 1.8% Barrel Rate 2.01 xERA
There are very few statistical pitching measures where Burnes didn't lead the world in 2021, and for that reason he is a complete no-brainer for this award as well as the NL Cy Young Award that he received Wednesday. No starting pitcher struck out batters at a more prolific rate, nor allowed the long-ball at a more stingy rate in 2021 than Burnes did. And while Miller Park in Milwaukee did play very well for pitchers in 2021, environmental factors were not the only reason Burnes kept the ball in the ballpark. He also had the best Barrel Rate of any qualifying pitcher at a measly 1.8%, in fact, he only allowed 12 total barrels for the entire season. All this couples together to give him both the ERA and FIP titles as well. If I have already hit you with too much alphabet soup in terms of statistics also know that he combined to throw one of this year's no-hitters against Cleveland in September. While there were rumors that he was effected by MLB's mid-season crackdown on foreign substances, 2 of his 3 best ERA months for 2021 came in July and August- after the crackdown had been put in place. Nothing was going to stop Burnes from being the premier pitcher in the game in 2021.
SP Zack Wheeler (Phi)
Basic Stats: 14-10 2.78 ERA 247 Ks 213.1 IP 3 Complete Games 2 Shutouts
Analytics In His Favor: 0.7 HR/9 2.84 FIP 2.9% Barrel Rate 2.78 xERA
Wheeler was the closest competition that Burnes has in the NL Cy Young race, and the one big argument he has over him is the 40+ innings of additional work that he put in on the mound over the course of the season. Wheeler was a workhorse for a Phillies rotation that desperately needed one due to a lack of depth. He established himself in his first full-length season in Philadelphia as a prospective ace for the next 3 years that he under contract. He led the league in innings pitched and tied for the league lead in complete games and shutouts, although all of these distinctions came at the modest levels that we see in the latest form of modern baseball. Still, Wheeler parlayed all of those innings into leading the Majors in strikeouts and when the ball was put in play, it was with tons of weak contact. His Barrel Rate was only lesser than Burnes and no one else. He was one of five starters to give up fewer than 0.7 homers per 9. Its unfortunate to keep having to relate back to Burnes in making Wheeler's case as Wheeler was dominant in his own right. His triumphs speak for themselves and he is an easy pick for this ballot.
SP Nathan Eovaldi (Bos)
Basic Stats: 11-9 3.75 ERA 195 Ks 182.1 IP 1.19 WHIP
Analytics in His Favor: 1.7 BB/9 0.7 HR/9
Eovaldi is our first and only American League entry in terms of starting pitchers on my ballot, and with that in mind, I suppose he would be my selection for AL Cy Young by default. This is really odd because not only wasn’t Eovaldi even a finalist for the real-life AL Cy Young Award, but he actually isn’t on the All-MLB ballot. I am going completely off the board here by picking him. I feel like MLB needs a write-in option here! Eovaldi missed out on even being considered for this honor despite having the best walk-rate and FIP of any pitcher in the Junior Circuit. In my opinion, no pitcher in the American League truthfully stood out from the crop including the three real-life Cy Young finalists (Gerrit Cole, Lance Lynn, and the winner Robbie Ray). Instead, I emphasize Eovaldi both for that Cy Young honor as well as this All-MLB one because he was at his best in performing at the elements of the game that a pitcher can entirely control. Specifically, his walks and home runs allowed, which he did well to limit all season, as well as the 195 strikeouts he was able to get in just over 182 innings. His marks in all three categories are better than Cole, Ray and Lynn. For performing so well in this regard, I believe he deserves a spot. And for that reason, I guess I am leaving one spot on my ballot unchecked.
SP Max Scherzer (LAD)
Basic Stats: 15-4 2.45 ERA 236 Ks 179.1 IP 0.86 WHIP
Analytics in His Favor: 1.8 BB/9 2.89 xERA
There was a time in 2021 where a Max Scherzer trade wasn’t a foregone conclusion, even if they found themselves outside of the playoff race. Instead, Scherzer was understandably shipped off to the Dodgers at the trade deadline along with shortstop Trea Turner for a slew of young talent, bringing an end to the six and a half year tenure Mad Max had in Washington. Scherzer performed in exemplary fashion as a hired gun for the Dodgers who were deep into a division race with the San Francisco Giants, trying to avoid the one-game Wildcard playoff. ERAs of 1.55 in August and 2.29 in September are proof positive that Scherzer fought hard for his new team, especially with the context of the “dead arm” he claimed to be fighting off once the playoffs came. The 37-year old Scherzer clearly emptied that tank for the Dodgers down the stretch. Of course, Scherzer was great in his time with Washington as well, putting together a 2.76 ERA for the Nats, his performance helping yield them a strong return in the trade. His all-around body of work, which saw specialties in limiting walks (a continuing theme on my ballot) and avoiding hard contact puts him in this respective spot.
SP Brandon Woodruff (Mil)
Basic Stats: 9-10 2.56 ERA 211 Ks 179.1 IP 0.97 WHIP
Analytics In His Favor: 3.7% Barrel Rate
Woodruff joins Burnes as the lone tandem from the same pitching staff on my ballot. The two righties made for an epic two-headed monster for the Brewers that saw them be part of only one of two starting rotations in baseball that allowed less than a home run per game. Limiting hard contact was a skill of Woodruff's in particular, proven by his minuscule Barrel Rate. He is also yet another case study in an era of baseball where pitcher's won-loss records hold little credence. Interestingly though, there actually is some information that can be taken out of what was so different about his games where he lost versus those that were wins or no-decisions. To put it simply, the long-ball told the tale for what kind of decision Woodruff would deliver. In the 20 appearances he made that were wins or no-decisions, Woodruff allowed 9 homers. In his 10 losses though, he also allowed 9 homers. On a macro level, this was the difference between success and failure for the Brewers with Woodruff on the mound. For the fact that he largely limited that home run tendency, and even more for the fact that even when he pitched more poorly (and lost) he still didn't even allow a home run per appearance, its clear that he put together an excellent 2021. He ultimately edges out the likes of Walker Buehler and Charlie Morton for this final spot also due to stronger walk rates than those two individuals while having similar other peripheral numbers.
Other candidate(s) considered: Walker Buehler (LAD), Charlie Morton (Atl), Gerrit Cole (NYY), Julio Arias (LAD), Kevin Gausman (SFG)
RP Josh Hader (Mil)
Basic Stats: 4-2 34 Saves 1.23 ERA 58.2 IP 0.84 WHIP
Analytics in His Favor: 15.7 K/9 0.5 HR/9 1.69 FIP
Hader is yet another Brewer, and feels to me like the pitching version of Zunino this year. The knock on him, if there is one, is that his innings were limited in 2021. He pitched in a traditional closer's role, much like he did in 2020, which runs against the reputation he had previously garnered for pitching earlier in games or throwing multi-inning saves. He also missed time on the COVID list in July, further lowering his inning total to a level below most of his peers. Regardless, if a Major League manager needed to induce a strikeout, there was not a better pitching option to go to in 2021 than Hader. 58% of the outs that Hader accomplished in 2021 were strikeouts. 45.5% of ALL the batters he faced struck out. These numbers alone make Hader a Statcast darling. It almost feels like Hader was slightly misused in a traditional closer's role. He would be the best fireman in the game if used to get out of jams. His OPS against was just .297 with men in scoring position. With no men on it was also an incredible .493, but that still pales in comparison. Add in an incredible HR/9 rate of 0.5 and finding any pitcher in baseball that would be harder to score on than Hader in 2021 would be quite the accomplishment.
RP Ryan Pressly (Hou)
Basic Stats: 5-3 26 Saves 2.25 ERA 64 IP 0.97 WHIP
Analytics in His Favor: 1.8 BB/9 0.6 HR/9 2.06 FIP
Pressly may not have struck out batters at quite the rate of Hader or some of his other contemporaries in 2021, but showed great control of his pitches, harnessing his fastball, slider, curveball combination and drilling the strike zone. He did this while not laying in many gopher balls, keeping his home run rate down as well and leading him to a very strong FIP stat. Pressly also pitched largely in the 9th inning and closer's role and took on the majority of Houston's save opportunities although he only ended up locking down 26 Saves in total. This had nothing to do with his effectiveness and more to do with his usage and game situations. Pressly pitched in the 9th inning 61 times all season which led to only 28 save opportunities. The fact that more than half of his appearances were not save situations was not his doing, nor his fault. When Pressly did pitch in high leverage situations though, his OPS against was .498, the best of any type of situation. Pressly seemed to be at his best in the clutch in 2021, even if he wasn't put in that position as often as others. He gets credit here for doing his job, no matter the circumstance.
Other candidate(s) considered: Jonathan Loiasiga (NYY), Emmanuel Clase (Cle)
And with that, you have my 2021 All-MLB team. What feels most notable here is that there is absolutely a young crop of talent that is embedded within the confines of this team, especially on the position player side. Only two batters making appearances here are 30 or older currently (Semien and Zunino). The same number of players are 22 years old (Guerrero and Tatis). We have guys that young that are at the top of their position. There's still tons of potential to be found!
But ironically, that same position player group is made up of players that largely did not play in the post-season. Zunino and O'Neill are the only two players that made a playoff appearance while every pitcher except Wheeler did indeed make it to October baseball. So, do we have a lot of young players on young teams still trying to build themselves, does great pitching really propel you to the playoffs, or did the Blue Jays just get robbed of the post-season?
While awe-inspiring offensive play from great individual players may or may not be a catalyst to season success its awe-inspiring regardless. Every single one of these players deserve all the credit they can get.
Which is why I am doing my part. My All-MLB ballot is in. I encourage you to join me.
Twitter- @DJLJR26
Feature Image: amNY