Tatis is in, but are these Padres All-Stars?

PHILADELPHIA -- Fernando Tatis Jr. is headed to the All-Star Game.

So which Padres will join him at Coors Field for the Midsummer Classic this July 13?

Full rosters for the 2021 All-Star Game presented by Mastercard will be announced on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. PT on ESPN. For the first time in recent memory, the Padres have more than a small handful of candidates:

• MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard: July 13 on FOX

Yu Darvish
The National League "rotation" -- yes, we'll call it a rotation, even though it's only one game -- appears to be a bit of a jumbled mess. But two areas separate Darvish, who owns a 2.44 ERA in 16 games this season. First, he's thrown 96 innings and will tack on a few more on Saturday night before rosters are announced Sunday. He's been as good as other candidates, and he's pitched more than them. Second, although the All-Star Game is used to honor the top players from the first half of the season, Darvish is coming off a second-place finish in the 2020 National League Cy Young Award. His excellent performance last season and his international superstardom serve him well in the event a tiebreaker is needed.

Verdict: Probably in

Jake Cronenworth
Internally, the Padres were none too pleased that Cronenworth didn't reach the second phase of All-Star voting. Not only has he been one of the top three second basemen, they said, but he might be the best. The numbers back that assertion. Cronenworth leads all NL second basemen in both bWAR and fWAR. Mananger Jayce Tingler harkened back to last November, when Cronenworth finished second in NL Rookie of the Year voting.

"If I'm being honest, it's pretty disappointing for him not to be in the top three in the All-Star Game, whatever metrics you want to look at,” Tingler said. "On two chances to vote, Jake's come up on the short end of the stick."

Some good news for Cronenworth's candidacy: Pittsburgh's Adam Frazier was elected as a starter. He was always a candidate for the Pirates' automatic spot, and now that leaves room for Cronenworth on the bench, where Atlanta's Ozzie Albies is also a candidate.

Verdict: Probably in

Mark Melancon
Padres fans should be intimately familiar with the mechanics that go into creating All-Star Game bullpens. In the 2010s, eight of their 12 All-Stars were relief pitchers. When every team in the league needs a player, that's often where you fill in the blanks. Then again, Melancon might be deserving, even though the Padres have lots of candidates elsewhere this time. He leads the Majors with 25 saves and owns a 2.27 ERA.

Verdict: On the bubble

Manny Machado
Padres fans are understandably disappointed they didn't get the chance to vote for Machado in the second phase of All-Star voting. But the simple fact is: For the majority of the first voting period, Machado wasn't a top-three third baseman in the NL. Then he caught fire in June, and he began to look like one of the best players in baseball again. Machado enters play Friday night ranked first among NL third basemen in bWAR and third in fWAR. His .259/.338/.452 slash line leaves something to be desired. But his defense has been incredible. Ultimately, Machado's All-Star candidacy will be one of the most fascinating to watch come Sunday night.

Verdict: On the bubble

Joe Musgrove
Here's a harsh reality of All-Star voting: One poor start in Cincinnati may have cost Musgrove this week. His ERA jumped from 2.22 to 2.63 after allowing five runs over four innings against the Reds on Wednesday night. If that start happens next week instead of this week, Musgrove might have the requisite numbers to earn his place. Now, he finds himself in that jumble of NL starters who all have a similar case. It’s worth noting that if Musgrove misses out initially, he’d be a candidate to fill in for any pitchers who throw on Sunday, July 11, and are thus ruled out from pitching two days later.

Verdict: Very close, likely out

Tommy Pham
It says an awful lot about Pham's turnaround that he warrants a mention here, considering his slow start. Pham was hitting .179 with a .503 OPS at the end of April. Since then, he's been one of the best outfielders in baseball. Pham owns a .301/.419/.523 slash line since the start of May. Those numbers are All-Star caliber. But the April stats count, too.

Verdict: Likely out

Trent Grisham
The Padres vehemently believe Grisham is going to be an All-Star. Probably a multiple-time All-Star. Extrapolate his performance -- offensive and defensive -- over a full first half, and he'd absolutely be headed to Denver. The problem? Grisham missed 27 games while spending two stints on the IL this year. He ranks eighth among NL outfielders in fWAR -- close, but perhaps not quite All-Star caliber.

Verdict: Likely out