American League All-Star Fantasy Check-In: Aaron Judge, Seth Lugo, Gunnar Henderson, Tarik Skubal, Jose Ramirez and More

We are past the halfway point of the MLB season and nearing the All-Star break. 

With the All-Star Game rosters now announced, I thought it would be fun to look at how all the All-Stars are faring as fantasy baseball players this season.

We’ll kick things off with the American League. Check back soon for the National League story.

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Starting Lineup

New York Yankees’ Aaron Judge was the top vote-getter in the entire league. He’ll be joined in the outfield by teammate Juan Soto and Cleveland Guardians’ Steven Kwan.

Another Guardian, Jose Ramirez, is starting at third base for the AL. He’ll be joined in the infield by Toronto Blue Jays’ Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (first base), Houston Astros’ Jose Altuve (second base) and Baltimore Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson (shortstop).

Baltimore’s Adley Rutschman is the AL’s starting catcher, while Houston’s Yordan Alvarez is the starting designated hitter.

Judge has been the best fantasy hitter in points leagues this season. He’s also the top player on the FantasySP Fantasy Baseball Trade Value Chart.

Soto is third in points leagues right now and fifth on our trade chart. He’s cooled a touch at the plate, but his ridiculous .430 OBP helps him continue to be a strong fantasy asset when he’s not racking up a ton of hits.

Kwan was flirting with a .400 average for a while there, but has “cooled” to a strong .358 mark. He’s got a ton of fantasy value despite missing 26 games so far.

Ramirez is fourth overall in points leagues and sixth on our trade chart. His average is a bit down from the past couple seasons, and if he could get it closer to his career .278 mark, he’ll push for the top fantasy hitter in the game.

Guerrero is having a fine season, most notably bumping his average up over 30 points from a season ago. He’s on pace to at least match most of his other stats from last year, but because his homers are a bit down, he might be fairly easy to acquire in fantasy leagues.

Altuve continues to play at a high level despite being in his age-34 season. He’s on pace to rival some of his better-hitting seasons in his career.

Henderson has been fantastic this season, currently sitting sixth in points leagues and third on our trade chart. He now looks like he’ll be one of the leaders of the game for a long time.

Rutschman has seen his numbers dip of late, but he’s still hitting .284 with a .365 OBP. He’s on pace to shatter most of his career-best marks this season, but after some recent struggles at the plate, is probably as easy to acquire as he ever will be.

Alvarez has been red hot of late, and it’s put him into the top 10 in points leagues and 11th on our trade chart. If he can stay healthy, he’s also got a chance to deliver career-best numbers in a lot of stats.

Pitchers

Kansas City Royals’ Seth Lugo and Cole Ragans, Chicago White Sox’s Garrett Crochet, Seattle Mariners’ Logan Gilbert, Detroit Tigers’ Tarik Skubal and Boston Red Sox’s Tanner Houck are all first-time All-Stars as starting pitchers. Los Angeles Angels’ Tyler Anderson and Orioles’ Corbin Burnes will be making their second and fourth All-Star appearances, respectively.

Guardians’ Emmanuel Clase, Yankees’ Clay Holmes, Oakland Athletics’ Mason Miller and Texas Rangers’ Kirby Yates are the All-Star relievers in the AL.

Skubal is the top fantasy pitcher in points leagues so far. He ranks 10th on our trade chart and is the first pitcher to appear.

Lugo is second among SP in points leagues. He’s had a career season and is ranked 16th on the trade chart.

Crochet ranks fifth among fantasy pitchers this season and is 34th on our trade chart. I’ve been on the “sell high” train for Crochet for a while, and still think he’s going to fade at some point, but it’s impossible to deny his level of dominance this season.

Burnes is seventh overall among all fantasy pitchers in points leagues and is 27th on the trade chart. He’s lacking the big strikeout numbers from past seasons, but still has a career-best ERA so far (not counting the COVID season).

Gilbert sits eighth in points leagues and is 28th on the trade chart. Gilbert is on track to put up some of his best numbers ever, despite sitting with a 5-5 record right now.

Ragans is a top-20 fantasy pitcher in points leagues and sits 43rd on the trade chart. He’s got a 5-6 record, but strong 3.28 ERA and 134 strikeouts in 109 2/3 innings.

Houck is a top-15 fantasy pitcher in points leagues and is 51st on the trade chart. If not for an eight-run outing a couple starts ago, Houck’s trade value would be even higher.

Anderson has pretty quietly had a great season for LA. He’s 8-8, but with a 2.81 ERA. He’s only got 77 punchouts in 112 innings, so his trade value sits 126th right now.

Clase is the top closer in the game and is actually ninth among all pitchers in points leagues. He’s blown just three saves all season and is second in the league in saves.

Miller has just 14 saves on the season, but his 66 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings makes him a great fantasy option. 

Holmes is 1-3 with a 3.00 ERA this season. He’s blown five saves while converting 19 chances.

Yates has been great for Texas. He’s 3-1 with a 0.86 ERA and 13 saves in as many chances, with 43 Ks over 31 1/3 innings. 

Reserves

Royals’ Salvador Perez and Bobby Witt Jr., Minnesota Twins’ Carlos Correa, Red Sox’s Rafael Devers and Jarren Duran, Guardians’ Josh Naylor and David Fry, Tampa Bay Rays’ Isaac Paredes, Texas Rangers’ Marcus Semien, Tigers’ Riley Greene and Astros’ Kyle Tucker are the AL reserves.

Perez was one of the top fantasy hitters early in the MLB season, but has cooled off a bit now. He’s still a near everyday fantasy option in his age-34 season.

Witt is fourth overall in points leagues and sits fourth on our trade chart - he’d be a sure starter if not for Henderson. Witt has been raking of late and should shatter a lot of his career bests.

Correa is having one of his best seasons ever, but still is available in several fantasy leagues. He really should be owned and played in all leagues and league types.

Devers is another top-end fantasy hitter who only is a reserve because of a stud (Ramirez) in front of him. Devers has been extremely hot of late and is up to 11th on the trade chart.

Duran is in the midst of a breakout season in his fourth year in the MLB. He’s a top-50 player on the trade chart now. 

Naylor already has a career high in home runs, and should shatter a bunch of his other previous bests by the end of the season. His average his tumbled over 65 points, but his homers and RBIs make up for the lower average.

Fry has been one of the cooler stories in the league this season. He’s hitting .300 and getting on base at a .406 clip still, but has seen his fantasy value drop considerably from the start of the season.

Paredes has taken a step back from a season ago, but he’s still a top-100 player on our trade chart. He’s a fairly cheap fantasy asset to try to acquire, and the value he brings will probably outproduce what you paid for him.

Semien’s average has dropped over 40 points this season, and his OBP is under .300. His big name still makes him a touch more valuable in fantasy baseball, and he currently sits 81st on the trade chart.

Greene is 44th on the trade chart. He’s approaching a career high for games played in a season, and if he can stay healthy, is going to be a high-end fantasy finisher.

Tucker was one of the top fantasy hitters in the game before an injury derailed his season. He’s expected back after the All-Star break, so there’s a slim chance he finishes among the top fantasy hitters after so much missed time.