Ranking '22 All-Star vote winners by chance to repeat

Read our story on the balloting format, which includes two phases of fan voting to determine the All-Star starters.

It’s not easy to make back-to-back All-Star Games. Only the very best players can repeat All-Star-caliber production year after year, and even then, injuries or slow starts can mean the difference between representing your league on a national stage and taking a four-day break in mid-July.

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Starting consecutive All-Star Games is even more difficult, as few players can perennially remain the best in their league at their position and continuously top the fan vote.

So which position players who topped All-Star ballots in 2022 are likely to hold down their starting spots for this year's event on July 11 in Seattle -- and which might have to wait until 2024 to return to the Midsummer Classic at all? Here is a breakdown of the 2022 All-Star voting winners.

^Player won 2022 fan vote but was unable to play in All-Star Game

Leading the charge

Ronald Acuña Jr., ATL (NL OF)
Coming off a torn ACL in 2021, Acuña was named an All-Star starter despite a relative down season in 2022. He’s been anything but down in 2023, stealing 26 bases and hitting 12 homers. Acuña is the front-runner for NL MVP and should be a shoo-in as an All-Star starter.

Mookie Betts, LAD (NL OF)
Betts is likely to make his seventh career All-Star Game in 2023, and back-to-back two-homer games on Wednesday and Friday should go a long way toward solidifying his spot. Now in his fourth year with the Dodgers, Betts has slugged 15 homers and owns an .893 OPS for an L.A. club tied for first in the NL West.

Aaron Judge, NYY (AL OF)
Judge landed on the injured list earlier this season with a hip strain, but his numbers in 2023 rival those of his 2022 AL MVP campaign. He’s hitting .291 with an AL-leading 19 homers and a 1.078 OPS. Judge might not hit 62 homers again, but he’s as good a bet as any to start in the outfield for the AL All-Stars.

Shohei Ohtani, LAA (AL DH)
Ohtani’s prowess at the plate alone would almost be enough to earn him another All-Star start. The two-way star has hit 15 homers so far for the Angels and has an .885 OPS. Ohtani also owns a 3.30 ERA in 12 starts with an impressive 96 strikeouts in 71 innings in 2023, so he has the numbers to make it as a pitcher as well.

In the mix

Rafael Devers, BOS (AL 3B)
Devers’ average (.246) and on-base percentage (.298) are down, but he’s still slugging close to .500 and has launched 13 homers. Toronto’s Matt Chapman is probably the favorite to start at third base for the AL, but Devers could still make his third straight All-Star team if he maintains his power production.

Paul Goldschmidt, STL (NL 1B)
Last year’s NL MVP isn’t too far off the pace he set during a standout 2022 campaign. Hitting .292 with 10 homers, seven steals and an .894 OPS, Goldschmidt will still have a battle on his hands for the starting job, with the Mets' Pete Alonso, the Dodgers' Freddie Freeman and the Braves' Matt Olson among the competition.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr., TOR (AL 1B)
Guerrero’s numbers are comparable to his 2022 stat line, which was enough to put him in his second straight Midsummer Classic. One of baseball’s unluckier hitters based on expected stats, Guerrero could use a hot streak in June in order to feel assured of a spot on the AL team, although the Rays’ Yandy Díaz and the Yankees’ Anthony Rizzo are also strong candidates to start at first base.

Mike Trout, LAA (AL OF^)
By his own standards, Trout is having a bit of a down year. But 13 homers and an .849 OPS would be a stellar season for almost any other hitter. Will it be enough for Trout? His 10th straight All-Star voting win would tie him for fifth all-time, but the competition should be fierce in a crowded AL outfield.

Fighting through injuries

Jose Altuve, HOU (AL 2B^)
Altuve missed the Astros’ first 43 games after fracturing his right thumb during the World Baseball Classic. Add in an oblique injury that sidelined him on Saturday against the Angels, and Altuve -- despite an .888 OPS -- seems unlikely to play enough to add to his eight All-Star appearances thus far. The Rangers’ Marcus Semien looks like the favorite to start at second instead.

Jazz Chisholm Jr., MIA (NL 2B^)
Currently on the injured list with turf toe, Chisholm has only played 39 games this year after shifting to center field. His .229 average and .694 OPS in 2023 are unlikely to get it done, and Chisholm will be out at least a few more weeks, giving him little if any time to build an All-Star case. Second base in the NL is a crowded position in any case, with St. Louis' Nolan Gorman and Miami teammate Luis Arraez at the front of the pack.

Bryce Harper, PHI (NL DH^)
Harper returned remarkably quickly after offseason Tommy John surgery, but he still didn’t make his 2023 debut until May 2. His rate stats since then are solid (.303/.403/.459), but Harper doesn't boast the sort of counting stats (three homers, nine RBIs) to stack up against NL DH candidates such as the Dodgers’ J.D. Martinez or the Marlins’ Jorge Soler.

Joc Pederson, SF (NL OF)
A pair of stints on the injured list so far this season have limited Pederson to just 26 games. The Giants slugger hasn't played since May 12 due to a right hand contusion after being hit by a pitch; he also missed time in April with right wrist inflammation.

Giancarlo Stanton, NYY (AL OF)
After missing roughly six weeks, Stanton homered Friday against the Dodgers in his return from a left hamstring strain. He’s played just 15 games this year, but Stanton has solid numbers in that time -- and he’s never far away from a major home run hot streak.

An uphill battle ahead

Tim Anderson, CWS (AL SS)
Anderson’s fourth straight season with a .300 or better average earned him his second All-Star nod in 2022. But he’s fallen off this year, owning a .273 average with no homers and a .320 slugging percentage. Anderson also missed time in April with a knee injury, further diminishing his odds of another All-Star selection, especially with the Blue Jays' Bo Bichette and the Rays' Wander Franco having monster seasons.

Willson Contreras, STL (NL C)
Contreras hit his sixth homer of the year Saturday against the Pirates, but his power is down so far in 2023 after 20 or more blasts in each of his past three full seasons. In his first year with the Cardinals, Contreras owns just a .211 average, while fellow NL catchers such as the Braves' Sean Murphy and the Dodgers' Will Smith are crushing the ball.

Alejandro Kirk, TOR (AL C)
Kirk earned the AL starting nod in 2022, finishing the season with a .285 average and 14 homers. This year, he’s batting just .260 with only three long balls. Kirk’s dropoff will make it tough for him to crack the AL roster, given competition from the likes of the Orioles' Adley Rutschman, the Royals' Salvador Perez and the Rangers' Jonah Heim.

Manny Machado, SD (NL 3B)
Any way you slice it, it’s been a tough 2023 for Machado. The Padres third baseman came off the injured list Friday against the Cubs after recovering from a small fracture in his hand. Machado owns a disappointing .234/.285/.368 batting line this season, lagging well behind top candidates such as the Dodgers' Max Muncy and the Giants' J.D. Davis.

Trea Turner, PHI (NL SS)
Turner’s numbers have taken a huge dip in the first season of his 11-year contract with the Phillies. Batting just .243/.286/.398, the 2022 All-Star starter with the Dodgers may need to turn things around in a hurry to get back to the Midsummer Classic.