Many of the inclusions on the All-MLB rosters were inevitable. Cal Raleigh, Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Tarik Skubal, Paul Skenes, and a raft of others were guaranteed for the first team.
There was no question players like José Ramírez, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Corbin Carroll would find their way onto one of the two rosters.
Other spots were more contentious. There are more than a few players who can feel aggrieved to be left off.
Logan Webb
Fifth in fWAR among pitchers, Logan Webb led the majors in innings and topped the NL strikeout charts. It is unfathomable that he was left off both All-MLB teams.
At the very least, Webb should have been sixth out of the 10 pitchers to make the roster. There’s a strong argument he should join Skubal and Skenes on the First Team. Instead, he’s behind Bryan Woo and Freddy Peralta.
Despite winning his first Gold Glove and finishing fourth in Cy Young voting in 2025, Webb seems to be one of MLB’s most underrated players. He carries an immense workload and does so at an All-Star level.
Geraldo Perdomo
Only four players were worth more fWAR than Geraldo Perdomo. He played 161 regular-season games and his wRC+ was eight points higher than Bobby Witt Jr.’s.
Bo Bichette, one of the worst defenders in the big leagues, made the Second Team ahead of Perdomo. There’s a compelling case for the Diamondbacks’ shortstop to be ahead of Witt in the pecking order, let alone not making either team.
Despite a low bat speed and infrequent barrels, Perdomo still posted a high OPS and ranked in the 86th percentile in xwOBA, while stealing 27 bags and crushing 27 home runs.
Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Getting some time at third base might have hindered Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s candidacy. Chisholm, though, tied Brice Turang in fWAR and had a narrow edge in wRC+, while hitting more home runs and stealing more bases in 26 fewer games.
Ketel Marte was in a league of his own among second basemen, posting far superior offensive numbers across the board, including a low strikeout rate and high walk rate. The Second Team spot was very much up for grabs, and Chisholm had a strong case to be selected over Turang.
Perhaps this was a case of too much credit being given for the Brewers’ better record.
Byron Buxton
Byron Buxton was worth more fWAR than Cody Bellinger in 26 fewer games. Buxton also hit six more home runs, stole 11 more bases, and his wRC+ was 11 points higher than Bellinger’s mark.
With a 136 wRC+, it’s not outrageous to say Buxton could’ve been selected ahead of Pete Crow-Armstrong, who tailed off dramatically after some MVP buzz in the first half. Aaron Judge and Juan Soto were the only outfielders who were considerably better than Buxton offensively.
This really comes down to playing in a small market and being part of a team that sold at the trade deadline. Buxton has never been the model of durability, but he played 126 games in 2025 and posted some All-MLB-worthy numbers.
Maikel Garcia
The power of Junior Caminero was always going to give him an advantage over Maikel Garcia. Matt Chapman didn’t play enough games. Manny Machado’s season was a bit overlooked. Eugenio Suárez went ice-cold as a Mariner.
It came down to Caminero and Garcia for the second spot at third base. Caminero hit 45 home runs to Garcia’s 16, but this was a much closer debate than the reputations of the players suggest.
Garcia posted a 121 wRC+ (only eight points off Caminero’s mark), he stole 21 bases to Caminero’s seven, and his 5.6 fWAR was a whole win ahead of Caminero.
Caminero was 21 outs above average behind Garcia, too. It’s a shame a great season from the Royals’ third baseman ends with an All-MLB snub.
All-MLB Rosters
First Team
Catcher: Cal Raleigh, Seattle Mariners
First Base: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays
Second Base: Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks
Shortstop: Bobby Witt Jr., Kansas City Royals
Third Base: José Ramírez, Cleveland Guardians
Outfielders: Aaron Judge, New York Yankees; Julio Rodríguez, Seattle Mariners; Juan Soto, New York Mets
Designated Hitter: Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers
Starting Pitchers: Tarik Skubal, Detroit Tigers; Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates; Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Los Angeles Dodgers; Max Fried, New York Yankees; Garrett Crochet, Boston Red Sox
Relief Pitchers: Aroldis Chapman, Boston Red Sox; Jhoan Duran, Philadelphia Phillies/Minnesota Twins
Second Team
Catcher: Will Smith, Los Angeles Dodgers
First Base: Nick Kurtz, Athletics
Second Base: Brice Turang, Milwaukee Brewers
Shortstop: Bo Bichette, Toronto Blue Jays
Third Base: Junior Caminero, Tampa Bay Rays
Outfielders: Corbin Carroll, Arizona Diamondbacks; Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs; Cody Bellinger, New York Yankees
Designated Hitter: Kyle Schwarber, Philadelphia Phillies
Starting Pitchers: Freddy Peralta, Milwaukee Brewers; Hunter Brown, Houston Astros; Bryan Woo, Seattle Mariners; Zack Wheeler, Philadelphia Phillies; Cristopher Sánchez, Philadelphia Phillies
Relief Pitchers: Andrés Muñoz, Seattle Mariners; Edwin Díaz, New York Mets
Want more Sandman? Come connect with us here at sandmansports.com/onestopshop
Author
