Atlanta Braves first-time All-Star players

Last season, the Braves sent eight players to the All-Star Game in Seattle, including four rookies.

Ronald Acuna Jr., Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, Orlando Arcia, Austin Riley, Sean Murphy, Spencer Strider, and Bryce Elder all received bids. If you count, the entire Atlanta infield made it.

This season, there may not be as many familiar faces at Globe Life Field. Acuna and Strider are out for the season, while Olson and Riley will need to rebound significantly over the next month.

Albies, Murphy, Arcia, and Elder are all unlikely to make it back. That is not to say that there aren’t any Braves who deserve the accolade. Max Fried and Chris Sale are off to strong beginnings and will be in contention for the Cy Young Award if they keep up their current pace.

There are a few players who could make their first All-Star squad this season, starting with one of the best offseason acquisitions.

Reynaldo Lopez

Lopez signed a three-year, $30 million contract this offseason, and saying the experiment to make him into a starter was successful would be an understatement. Lopez has a 1.73 ERA in 10 starts, totaling 57.1 innings. It’s one of the top marks in the league, and Lopez might be chosen an All-Star for the first time since joining the Braves.

Michael Harris II

Mike Harris won Rookie of the Year and finished the season with a.293 batting average,.808 OPS, and Gold Glove-caliber fielding in center field, but he hasn’t done enough to be invited to the dance. Part of this can be attributed to his early-season problems last year; Harris joined the team late in 2023, and this season is starting off similarly.

Harris has a.679 OPS. His average and power numbers are down slightly, and he hasn’t been as dominant in center field as he once was. The Stockbridge native has recently been chasing less and improving at the plate, so a solid month could lead to his first bid.

Jesse Chavez

The story of Jesse Chavez is reminiscent of a Disney film. In every other team’s uniform, he is a below-average pitcher; nevertheless, with the Braves, he transforms into Mariano Rivera. The 40-year-old started Spring Training with the White Sox but was eventually released, and Alex Anthopoulos was waiting for him.

He now has a 1.46 ERA over 24.2 innings. Last season, Chavez had a solid case for an All-Star selection; he had a 1.56 ERA over 34.2 innings before suffering an injury that sidelined him for the majority of the season. Relievers are notoriously difficult to vote in, but both of these Braves arms deserve attention.

Dylan Lee

Dylan Lee is back after missing the majority of the 2023 season due to injury. Over 26.1 innings, he has an incredible 1.71 ERA and 242 ERA+ (142% higher than the league average). Recovering from shoulder injuries is difficult, but Lee has not missed a beat.

Both of these guys deserve recognition for their contributions over the years. Lee had a 2.13 ERA in 50.2 innings in 2022 before an injury interrupted his 2023 season. In his last two seasons in Atlanta, Chavez had a 1.52 ERA in 59.1 innings.