Three Chicago Cubs Who Could Be NL All-Stars

The Chicago Cubs have a few players that have a case to be made to be selected for next month’s All-Star Game.

Jun 27, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Shota Imanaga (18) throws a pitch against the San Francisco Giants during the fourth inning at Oracle Park. / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Cubs had to be disappointed that none of their players advanced past the first phase of All-Star Game voting on Thursday.

With the Cubs under-.500, it was a tall order. But, that doesn’t mean there won’t be any Cubs at the All-Star Game in Arlington, Texas.

MLB rules require that one player from each team is selected. So, once the starting lineup is selected on Wednesday, reserve position players and all pitchers — selected via a player ballot and selections made by the Commissioner’s Office"—will be announced on July 7.

The game is set for July 16 at Globe Life Field.

Here are three Cubs that could get consideration (all stats through July 27). The assumption is that just one will be chosen.

P Shota Imanaga

Even with the slippage in his numbers of late, he’s the Cubs’ leader among starters in wins (7-2) and still has a 3.07 ERA. He did some incredible things in the first two months of the season and kept the rotation afloat while Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon and Kyle Hendricks were hurt.

He still has impressive strikeout-to-walk numbers (84 to 14) in 85 innings and a 1.11 WHIP. His win total puts him among the Top 10 and ties in the National League in victories and there is an impressive contingent of starters that are likely to be selected, led Atlanta’s Chris Sale and the Philadelphia trio of Ranger Suarez, Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler.

He’s the most likely Cub to make it because none of the other position players have distinguished themselves to the point where they look like prime candidates for selection. If the NL can only take one Cub, he’s the one least likely to be squeezed out by the one player per team rule.

OF Cody Bellinger

Among qualified hitters, his .271 batting average is the best on the team. He also has a .331 on-base percentage and a .428 slugging percentage.

The power numbers aren’t much to write home about — 13 doubles, a triple, nine home runs and 34 RBI. Christopher Morel leads the team with 15 home runs, but his batting average has turned abysmal (.201). Still, among batters, Bellinger is probably the most deserving.

The NL finalists in the outfield are San Diego’s Jurickson Profar, Milwaukee’s Christian Yelich, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Teoscar Hernández, San Diego’s Fernando Tatis Jr., Philadelphia’s Brandon Marsh and Philadelphia’s Nick Castellanos. Beyond that there’s a large group of outfielders that can build a case for a reserve spot, some of whom play for teams that are likely to get just one All-Star.

Foremost among them is another center fielder, Miami’s Jazz Chisholm, whose numbers are nearly parallel to Bellinger’s.

Corner outfielders like Pittsburgh’s Bryan Reynolds and Arizona’s Lourdes Gurriel would also crash the party.

2B Nico Hoerner

The one infielder that can make a case is first baseman Michael Busch, but he’s at one of the most competitive positions and the starter has already been decided (Philadelphia’s Bryce Harper). Busch would seem an unlikely choice.

Hoerner may stand the best chance among the infielders, even though his slash line is only just steady — .248/.336/.341/.677. He has 14 doubles, a triple, three home runs and 20 RBI. He also had 14 stolen bases.

Arizona’s Ketel Marte and San Diego’s Luis Arraez are competing for the starting spot. Both will make the team on merit regardless of the vote. St. Louis’s Nolan Gorman has 16 home runs but is batting below .200 and has more than 100 strikeouts. Atlanta’s Ozzie Albies can make a case, too.

But if the Cubs can only have one player, Hoerner feels like the third player in the pecking order behind Imanaga and Bellinger.