Diamondbacks' Christian Walker Has Case for All-Star Game Appearance

The injury to Bryce Harper could open a door for Arizona's first baseman.

Jun 23, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks first base Christian Walker (53) before game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Diamondbacks certainly have an argument for multiple All-Star representatives this season. While Ketel Marte should be the clear choice to start at second base, another member of the D-backs' infield could have a path to the midsummer classic in light of recent news.

After leading the NL first basemen in fan voting, Philadelphia Phillies star first baseman Bryce Harper is going on the 10-day IL today with a left hamstring strain. Should Harper be down for the All-Star game on July 16th, replacements will need to be made.

In all likelihood, the next man up for the NL would be Dodgers' star first baseman Freddie Freeman. While Freeman's .299/.400/.505 slash would back up his case, moving up from reserve to starter would open a slot for Arizona's Christian Walker.

Walker ranks third in slugging (.466), second in RBI (51), second in home runs (17) and third in bWAR (1.9) among all NL first basemen. He's tied for fourth in OPS+ with 121, or 21% above league average.

He's been a clutch hitter for the D-backs this season as well, with an .848 OPS with runners in scoring position, good for a 134 wRC+. In high leverage situations, he boasts a .948 OPS and 157 wRC+

But it's not just the offensive numbers that say Walker should have a case to be selected. As D-backs fans are well aware, the veteran is more than just a slugger. Defensively, there are none who can stand up to his prowess at first base.

According to FanGraphs, Walker leads all first basemen in Defensive Runs Saved with six. The closest players behind him are Harper, Atlanta's Matt Olson and Baltimore's Ryan Mountcastle, tied with four.

He leads all first basemen in Outs Above Average with eight, which is also good for 13th in MLB among all qualified defenders

Per FanGraphs' defensive rating metric, Walker is, once again, first among first basemen, with an 0.9 rating. Due to positional adjustments, no other first baseman in MLB has a positive rating, with Harper once again trailing right behind him with -0.8.

This is not to say Walker won't have stiff competition, with Chicago's Michael Busch (1.7), Olson (1.6) and San Diego's Jake Cronenworth (1.5) hot on his heels in bWAR.

But if Harper is down for a significant time, it will be very difficult to ignore Walker's prowess, both at first base and at the plate. Since injury replacements and All-Star reserves are selected, rather than voted on by fans, Walker won't have to win fans over to receive his rightful recognition.