Aaron Judge, Paul Goldschmidt on top list of All-MLB teams

Most Valuable Player honorees Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees and Paul Goldschmidt of the St. Louis Cardinals were among the selections for the All-MLB first team, announced Monday.

The first- and second-team choices were determined by a vote of fans, media members, ex-players, and baseball officials. The awards are in their fourth year, and Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman became the only player selected all four years. He made the first team in 2020 and the second in 2019, 2021, and 2022.

Los Angeles Angels two-way star Shohei Ohtani was selected to the first team as a starting pitcher and the second team as a designated hitter. Last year, he made the first team as a DH and the second team as a starting pitcher.

Judge, 30, hit an American League-record 62 homers in 2022 while also topping the AL in RBIs (131), runs (133), walks (111), on-base percentage (.425), and slugging percentage (.686). The outfielder topped the fan voting for All-MLB and is currently a free agent.

Sep 17, 2022; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Andrew Knizner (7) reacts after scoring the game winning run on a first baseman Paul Goldschmidt (not pictured) walk-off fielders choice against the Cincinnati Reds during the eleventh inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Goldschmidt, 35, topped the National League in slugging percentage (.578) while hitting .317 with 35 home runs, 115 RBIs, and 106 runs.

Also making the first team were Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto, Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, then-Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Trea Turner, San Diego third baseman Manny Machado, Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts, Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout and Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez.

NL Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara of the Miami Marlins and AL Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander, then of the Astros, made the list of All-MLB first-team starting pitchers.

Alcantara finished 14-9 with a 2.28 ERA, and big-league-leading totals of innings pitched (228 2/3) and complete games (six). Verlander, who also won AL Comeback Player of the Year after missing the 2021 season due to Tommy John surgery, returned to go 18-4 with a league-best 1.75 ERA.

The other starting pitchers joining Ohtani, Alcantara, and Verlander on the first team were the Toronto Blue Jays’ Alek Manoah and the Astros’ Framber Valdez. The two first-team relievers were the Cleveland Guardians’ Emmanuel Clase and the New York Mets’ Edwin Diaz.

The second team is led by Seattle Mariners outfielder Julio Rodriguez, the AL Rookie of the Year who hit 28 home runs and stole 25 bases.

Also on the second team were Dodgers catcher Will Smith, Freeman, Guardians second baseman Andres Gimenez, Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor, Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado, Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Kyle Schwarber and Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker.

Chosen as second-team starting pitchers were the Chicago White Sox’s Dylan Cease, the Atlanta Braves Max Fried, the Phillies’ Aaron Nola, the Mets’ Max Scherzer, and the Dodgers’ Julio Urias. The Cardinals’ Ryan Helsley and the Astros’ Ryan Pressly were the second-team reliever honorees.

–Field Level Media