If the Chicago White Sox continue to have the worst record in the American League (10-24), it’s likely we won’t see a ton of Southside representation in the 2025 Major League Baseball All-Star Game from Atlanta. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be Sox players deserving of the honor.
We know the White Sox will get at least one representative elected to the AL roster and I think there are four clear contenders for that spot. Who knows more than one of these Sox players stays hot over the next few months and Chicago can have multiple all-stars for the first time since 2022.
Shane Smith
As of today, Shane Smith has to be the favorite to be the White Sox rep in the 2025 MLB All-Star Game (assuming there is only one representative).
Smith’s 2.23 ERA would be 8th among qualified American League pitchers. He would also land in the Top 10 in batting average against (.200) and Top 15 in WHIP (1.08).
Smith has been one of baseball’s biggest breakout performers to open the 2025 season. He has been the anchor of a White Sox pitching staff that was already supposed to be the strength of the roster and firmly solidified himself as part of Chicago’s future plans. His changeup is also one of the filthiest pitches in baseball.
I’m not sure you could find a better representative of the 2025 Chicago White Sox and what this season is about for them than Shane Smith, which would make him entirely deserving of an All-Star selection as a rookie.
Davis Martin
Davis Martin has the numbers and the reputation necessary to be an All-Star this season, especially if Smith does not close out the first half strong.
Martin is steady. He has a 3.52 ERA in seven appearances this season and has never fallen short of getting through five innings. That has proved to be important for an inexperienced White Sox pitching staff.
In 15 of Martin’s 32 career appearances, he has completed 5+ innings while allowing two runs or less. He is largely underrated due to missing the 2023 season and most of 2024 with Tommy John surgery.
If you exclude the start in which Martin hurt his elbow back in 2022 (1.2 innings, 9 runs), his career ERA would be 3.84.He is just a really solid and reliable starting pitcher. If no clear choice emerges as an obvious All-Star selection, I could see Martin being the Sox player rewarded.
Luis Robert Jr.
When Luis Robert Jr. was hitting .138 with a .493 OPS on April 24th, nobody thought we’d be talking about him as a candidate for the American League All-Star Game roster.
But over his last nine games, Robert has been red hot. He is hitting .333/.450/.636 with three home runs, nine RBIs, eight stolen bases, and an OPS of 1.086. It brings him just below league average in OPS+ on the season, but trending sharply in the right direction.
Robert’s 15 stolen bases are the most in Major League Baseball and his 20 walks are uncharacteristic for him in the best way possible.
I wouldn't be surprised to see Robert continue his hot streak in May and June. We could see Robert rack up 15 home runs and 30 stolen bases by the All-Star break. He could absolutely still earn his second career ASG nod.
Mike Vasil
Mike Vasil is probably a long shot, mainly because All-Star game roster spots for relief pitchers are typically reserved for closers. But given his 0.92 ERA, I couldn’t keep him off this list.
Maybe the AL is loaded with starting pitching and Luis Robert Jr. falls back into a slump. That could open the door for Chicago’s lone rep to be a relief pitcher like Vasil.
Given his early season success, I suspect manager Will Venable will turn to Vasil more often than he did throughout the first month of the season. He is by far the most consistent arm the White Sox have right now in a lackluster bullpen and if he is at the break with 50+ innings pitched and an ERA under 1.00...You'd have to send him to the All-Star Game!