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Which Phillies are All-Stars? Sizing up the cases for six candidates.

Who, other than manager Rob Thomson and his staff, will represent the Phillies at the July 11 All-Star Game?

The Phillies’ Nick Castellanos (left), Bryce Harper (center), and Craig Kimbrel.
The Phillies’ Nick Castellanos (left), Bryce Harper (center), and Craig Kimbrel.Read moreYong Kim and Monica Herndon / Staff Photographers

Craig Kimbrel is an eight-time All-Star, a tribute to his dominance as a closer for the better part of a decade. But he has achieved the distinction only once since 2018. And at age 35, pitching for his fourth team in three years, it’s far from a guarantee that he will be chosen for another All-Star Game before he retires.

Unless the commissioner decrees it.

Kimbrel said this week that he hasn’t been contacted by Rob Manfred or anyone from MLB headquarters in New York, though the Phillies reliever was aware of a recent USA Today report that Manfred is considering naming him and Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen to the All-Star rosters in recognition of their 400th career saves, both recorded last month.

» READ MORE: What’s Craig Kimbrel’s role with José Alvarado about to return to the Phillies?

“First I heard about it. I had no idea,” said Kimbrel, one of only eight relievers in the 400-save club. “If it’s something that Major League Baseball wants to do, obviously I’d be willing. But I hope it’s not taking someone else’s spot that deserves to be there. If it comes to taking somebody else’s spot, by no means is that anything I want to be a part of.”

Kimbrel need not fret. Under terms of the collective bargaining agreement, Manfred can make “special selections” to honor active players who have had distinguished careers. Last season, he picked Albert Pujols and Miguel Cabrera. Not only were they add-ons to each league’s 32-player roster, but they didn’t count toward team representation. Both the Cardinals and Tigers had at least one other All-Star.

Which leads us to this: Who, other than manager Rob Thomson and his coaching staff, will represent the Phillies at the 93rd All-Star Game on July 11 in Seattle?

There are surely more urgent matters facing the Phillies, who on Friday began a stretch of 10 out of 13 games against the Dodgers, Diamondbacks, and Braves, to date the three best teams in the National League. But it’s still a confounding question. Because there isn’t a slam-dunk All-Star in the bunch, apropos for a team that has rated among baseball’s biggest disappointments.

The Phillies have had exactly one All-Star in six of the last eight seasons. Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber were selected last year, but Harper was unable to play — and didn’t attend the festivities at Dodger Stadium — after breaking his left thumb a few weeks earlier.

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A lot can — and almost surely will — happen between now and the middle of July. But the initial phase of fan balloting began last week, with MLB due to release the first batch of results within the next few days. The announcement of the All-Star starters is set for June 29, and the full rosters — chosen by players, managers, and coaches — three days later.

It’s the perfect time, then, to dive into several Phillies players’ candidacies for a spot on the NL roster, perhaps alongside Kimbrel:

Nick Castellanos

Think of the odds you could have gotten in spring training if you wagered that Castellanos would be the Phillies’ most deserving All-Star. A massive underachiever last season after signing a five-year, $100 million contract, he’s more comfortable with his surroundings and has been the team’s most consistent and best overall player.

Before Harper returned from Tommy John surgery, Castellanos batted .319/.373/.509, often carrying the offense while Schwarber, Trea Turner, and J.T. Realmuto struggled. Through Thursday, he was batting .312/.349/.484 since Harper has been back. Castellanos had started every game, too, and was leading the team with 1.8 wins above replacement, according to Baseball-Reference.com, a credit to his improved defense.

» READ MORE: How Nick Castellanos’ time in Cincinnati — and a meeting with a Reds icon — helped set him up for Year 2 with the Phillies

As usual, outfield is a loaded position, led by Ronald Acuña Jr. (Braves), Mookie Betts (Dodgers), Corbin Carroll and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (Diamondbacks), and Juan Soto (Padres). But Castellanos is right there with them. Entering the weekend, he led NL outfielders in doubles (20) and ranked second in hits (76), tied for fourth in RBIs (35), fifth in slugging (.494), and sixth in OPS (.857) and runs (38).

Castellanos was voted as an All-Star starter in 2021. This time around, he should be the closest thing the Phillies have to an All-Star lock.

Bryce Harper

It’s spelled out right there in the name: All-Star Game. Taken literally, it means all the stars in the sport are on display. How many players are more recognizable — even to the casual fans who tend to tune in for All-Star events — than Harper?

Harper won the fan voting among NL designated hitters last year. Will it hurt that he missed the first 30 games this season? It shouldn’t. He was projected to be sidelined for much longer, and after making the fastest recorded return from an elbow ligament reconstruction, he ranked fifth among NL DHs in OPS (.842) and second in OPS+ (132) through Thursday.

» READ MORE: How AI pitching technology helped Bryce Harper return to the Phillies even sooner?

No disrespect to Jorge Soler (Marlins) and J.D. Martinez (Dodgers), who entered the weekend with 17 and 15 home runs, respectively. Or even Andrew McCutchen, whose first All-Star appearance since 2015 with the surprising Pirates would be a terrific story. But Harper is a draw.

Interest in baseball’s All-Star showcase is waning, with television viewership sinking last year to an all-time low of 7.51 million, down from 8.32 million in 2021, 9.28 million in 2017, 11.34 million in 2014, and 14.59 million in 2009. With his bandannas and Phanatic-themed neon green spikes, Harper brings in eyeballs. He’s magnetic.

Somehow, though, he hasn’t played in an All-Star Game since 2018. That streak should end.

Brandon Marsh

Pop quiz: Name the NL center fielders with the highest OPS and most home runs.

Answer: TJ Friedl (.873) and Jack Suwinski (11).

The point is, this isn’t exactly a golden era for center fielders. Betts, Soto, and the Cubs’ Ian Happ played center field for the NL in last year’s All-Star Game, even though none is a center fielder for his team. It’s possible the NL won’t have a true center fielder again, unless Mets on-base machine Brandon Nimmo or Dodgers rookie James Outman cracks the roster.

» READ MORE: Re-examining the Phillies' trade of Logan O'Hoppe for Brandon Marsh

Marsh has cooled since his .329/.418/.647 April. But he still carried a .269/.361/.451 batting line into the weekend, which put him near the head of the NL’s center-field class. He’s also the Phillies’ most improved hitter since the end of last season.

It’s probably not enough to get Marsh to his first All-Star Game. But a solid two weeks may help him capture some attention in the player balloting.

J.T. Realmuto

In 2021, Realmuto batted .264 with seven homers and a .797 OPS through June and still made the All-Star team largely because of his well-earned reputation as the best catcher in baseball. But his omission amid a slow start last season showed that reputation goes only so far, even among players who sometimes reflexively check off names on the ballot without diving into the stat sheet.

Barring a hot streak, it may not be enough for Realmuto this year, either.

» READ MORE: How the Phillies' J.T. Realmuto dominates the bases unlike any player in baseball

Entering the weekend, Realmuto was batting .249/.294/.433 with five homers, production that paled in comparison with that of Braves catcher Sean Murphy (.287/.389/.552, 12 homers). Elias Díaz (Rockies) and Will Smith (Dodgers) had better numbers, too, with Díaz having the added benefit of being the best player on one of the NL’s worst teams.

Matt Strahm

If any Phillies pitcher was going to get All-Star consideration, it figured to be José Alvarado, who began the season by striking out 24 of 52 batters — 11 in a row, at one point — and not permitting a walk.

But then he missed a month with an elbow injury.

Alvarado must pick up where he left off to reenter the All-Star conversation. It may happen. Relievers typically get recognized for throwing smoke and piling up saves. Alvarado will be positioned to do both over the next few weeks.

Strahm is neither a flamethrower nor a closer, which makes him a long shot All-Star. It’s too bad because he’s been the most valuable member of the pitching staff.

» READ MORE: Matt Strahm understands Phillies’ hesitance to push the innings envelope and make him a starter again

When the season began, the Phillies put Strahm in the rotation after injuries eroded their depth. He had a 3.51 ERA in six starts. Since moving back to the bullpen, he had a 2.45 ERA through nine appearances. If not for workload considerations, he might still be starting.

“I’ve kind of sat back and thought, if I could run a team, I would want 13 multi-inning guys,” said Strahm, who signed a two-year, $15 million deal that some rival executives criticized as excessive. “The difference in the [perceived] value of a reliever and a starter is so big. You have to look at some of these relievers that aren’t getting holds, aren’t getting saves, but they’re throwing tie ballgames, keeping them tied, throwing multiple innings. That’s just as valuable as the eighth-inning setup man, if not more valuable.”

Indeed, at a time when teams are generally asking less from their starters, there’s more value than ever in pitchers like Strahm, reliever/starter hybrids who can help hold a staff together.

There should be a place on the All-Star team for those pitchers, too.

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