Rutschman, Ward and, yes, Rico Garcia deserve All-Star consideration

The All-Star Game is still two months away, and voting won’t begin until early next month. While the Orioles begin Friday night’s series opener at Washington four games under .500, that doesn’t mean it’s too early to talk about the All-Star Game.

This year’s game is at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on July 14^th, and if players were chosen now, the feeling here is that there are three deserving Orioles.

Five-time All-Star Pete Alonso will have to pump up his numbers to play first base for the American League team. Shortstop Gunnar Henderson, who played in 2024, isn’t close to having an All-Star year.

You might think that three All-Stars is a little high for a team that’s 20-24.

But look at the American League. Some of the teams with the biggest names—Boston, Detroit, Houston, Seattle and Toronto—have records that are about the same as the Orioles’, and in the case of the Astros, even worse.

One of the surprise teams of the first quarter of the season, the Chicago White Sox, who were swept by the Orioles in three games last month, lacks star power, and their All-Star could be starting pitcher Davis Martin, who has put together a terrific season.

All-Star staples Houston second baseman Jose Altuve and Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. are having disappointing seasons, and Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh has seen his stats plummet a year after he hit 60 home runs and finished second in Most Valuable Player voting.

With big-name players faltering, that might allow the Orioles to have three All-Stars.

Adley Rutschman was an All-Star catcher in 2023 and 2024. His numbers fell sharply after the All-Star Game in 2024, but they’re finally better. Rutschman is hitting .291 with an .893 OPS, six home runs and 24 RBIs. He’s thrown out a career high 33.3 percent of runners attempting to steal (nine of 27).

Despite the first-quarter excellence of Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers, who’s compiled outstanding offensive numbers, Rutschman has a good chance to be the starting catcher. Langeliers plays his games for the smallest fan base in baseball, and because the Athletics play in a small temporary home in Sacramento, they’re never featured in national telecasts.

Rutschman’s higher national profile could work in his favor.

How about an outfielder who hit 36 home runs and drove in 103 runs last season, but has only one home run and 12 RBIs this year? Taylor Ward’s offensive numbers are odd but still deserving of All-Star consideration. He has 14 doubles and leads the league with a .426 on-base percentage. Ward has 42 walks, which also leads the league, and is a rare player with more walks than strikeouts (35). He had a quirky 0-for-19 streak where he walked 11 times.

Every team must have an All-Star, and Ward could lose out because of his substandard power numbers, but despite those, still has an .803 OPS.

Every All-Star Game has a feel-good story or two, and this year’s should be Rico Garcia.

Garcia was hardly assured of having a place on the 2026 Orioles, yet he’s put together relief numbers that are mind-boggling.

In 19 innings, Garcia has allowed just one hit, a home run. Right-handed batters are hitless in 28 at-bats against him. Left-handed hitters are 1-for-29 (.034). Kansas City’s Michael Massey’s home run is the only hit he’s allowed.

In home games, Garcia hasn’t allowed a hit and just one walk to 29 batters for an .0107 WHIP. He’s struck out 12 He’s walked six and allowed the homer in games away from Oriole Park and still has an .0724 WHIP.

Garcia has pitched where manager Craig Albernaz needs him, from the fifth to the ninth.

With the team’s regular closer, Ryan Helsley, out with right elbow inflammation, there have been more late-inning opportunities, but Albernaz has still used Anthony Nunez as well as Garcia to close.

He’s picked up his first three saves of his career in 2026, two while Helsley’s been out. The other came in that series in Chicago when Helsley recorded saves in the first two games of the series but wasn’t available in the third.

All this from a 32-year-old who’s pitching on his seventh team and whose only full season in the majors came during the pandemic-shortened 60-game schedule in 2020.

Of course it’s early to be talking All-Star Game, but never too early to recognize the achievements of Rutschman, Ward, and especially Garcia.

Call for questions: I answer Orioles questions most weekdays. Please send yours to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com