All-MLB Team finalists announced
Major League Baseball announced the finalists for the 2020 All-MLB Team on Sunday, headlined by five members of the Atlanta Braves.
The winners will be announced on Dec. 9 at 7:00 p.m. ET. The team will consist of 16 total players: catcher, first baseman, second baseman, third baseman, shortstop, designated hitter, three outfielders, five starting pitchers, and two relievers.
The All-MLB second team will also be announced, with the 15 runners-up.
Catcher
| Player | Team | WAR |
|---|---|---|
| Travis d'Arnaud | ATL | 1.6 |
| J.T. Realmuto | PHI | 1.7 |
| Salvador Perez | KC | 1.9 |
Realmuto - now a free agent - is vying for his second consecutive All-MLB nod, having earned the honor in the inaugural selections last year.
First base
| Player | Team | WAR |
|---|---|---|
| Jose Abreu | CWS | 2.6 |
| Freddie Freeman | ATL | 3.4 |
| Luke Voit | NYY | 1.8 |
Abreu and Freeman are fresh off MVP seasons in their respective leagues, while Voit hit more homers than anyone in 2020 with 22.
Second base
| Player | Team | WAR |
|---|---|---|
| Jake Cronenworth | SD | 1.4 |
| DJ LeMahieu | NYY | 2.5 |
| Brandon Lowe | TB | 2.3 |
Cronenworth was an NL Rookie of the Year finalist and LeMahieu was an AL MVP finalist.
Third base
| Player | Team | WAR |
|---|---|---|
| Manny Machado | SD | 2.6 |
| Jose Ramirez | CLE | 3.4 |
| Justin Turner | LAD | 1.3 |
Ramirez's late-season heroics were a huge reason the Cleveland Indians squeaked into the postseason and earned him MVP consideration, and Machado was also a finalist in the Senior Circuit.
Shortstop
| Player | Team | WAR |
|---|---|---|
| Corey Seager | LAD | 1.9 |
| Fernando Tatis Jr. | SD | 2.9 |
| Trea Turner | WSH | 2.7 |
Tatis was a surprising omission from the NL MVP finalists. Can the budding superstar earn the nod as the best at his position in 2020?
Outfielders
| Player | Team | WAR |
|---|---|---|
| Ronald Acuna Jr. | ATL | 2.4 |
| Mookie Betts | LAD | 3.0 |
| Michael Conforto | NYM | 2.0 |
| Bryce Harper | PHI | 1.6 |
| Eloy Jimenez | CWS | 1.7 |
| Juan Soto | WSH | 2.4 |
| George Springer | HOU | 1.9 |
| Mike Trout | LAA | 2.6 |
| Mike Yastrzemski | SF | 2.7 |
Trout is looking for his second All-MLB honor while everyone else on the list is looking for their first nod with Christian Yelich and Cody Bellinger left off.
Designated hitter
| Player | Team | WAR |
|---|---|---|
| Michael Brantley | HOU | 1.3 |
| Nelson Cruz | MIN | 2.0 |
| Marcell Ozuna | ATL | 2.5 |
Ozuna's platform season into free agency was a huge one, as the slugger led the NL in homers and RBIs.
Starting pitchers
| Player | Team | WAR |
|---|---|---|
| Trevor Bauer | CIN | 2.4 |
| Shane Bieber | CLE | 3.2 |
| Gerrit Cole | NYY | 1.4 |
| Yu Darvish | CHC | 3.0 |
| Jacob deGrom | NYM | 2.6 |
| Max Fried | ATL | 1.5 |
| Clayton Kershaw | LAD | 1.4 |
| Dallas Keuchel | CWS | 1.8 |
| Dinelson Lamet | SD | 2.4 |
| Kenta Maeda | MIN | 2.1 |
| Aaron Nola | PHI | 2.0 |
| Hyun-Jin Ryu | TOR | 1.9 |
Bauer claimed the NL Cy Young and is now poised to land the richest contract of any free agent this winter. In the Junior Circuit, Bieber became the latest unanimous recipient of the AL Cy Young.
Relief pitchers
| Player | Team | WAR |
|---|---|---|
| Nick Anderson | TB | 1.0 |
| Alex Colome | CWS | 0.6 |
| Jake Diekman | OAK | 0.5 |
| Brad Hand | CLE | 1.1 |
| Liam Hendriks | OAK | 1.4 |
| Devin Williams | MIL | 1.4 |
Williams won the NL Rookie of the Year, giving up one run - a solo homer - in all of 2020.
(Statistics source: FanGraphs)