Freeman, Gausman selected to All-MLB teams

Toronto Blue Jays ace Kevin Gausman has been selected to the 2023 All-MLB Second Team. Photo: Toronto Blue Jays.

December 17, 2023

Official Major League Baseball News Release

Major League Baseball announced the selections for the fifth annual All-MLB Team presented by MGM Rewards, which were unveiled last night on MLB Network’s “All-MLB Team Show” from Las Vegas, Nevada at the inaugural All-MLB Weekend presented by MGM Resorts.

The first and second team selections were determined by a combination of voting from fans and a decorated panel of media members, broadcasters, former players and other officials throughout the game. Each player named to the All-MLB First or Second Team will receive a trophy to commemorate his selection.

The 2023 All-MLB First Team winners include catcher Adley Rutschman of the Baltimore Orioles; first baseman Freddie Freeman of the Los Angeles Dodgers; second baseman Marcus Semien of the World Series Champion Texas Rangers; shortstop Corey Seager of the Rangers; third baseman Austin Riley of the Atlanta Braves; outfielders Ronald Acuña Jr. of the Braves, Mookie Betts of the Dodgers, and rookie Corbin Carroll of the National League Champion Arizona Diamondbacks; designated hitter Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Angels; starting pitchers Gerrit Cole of the New York Yankees, Zac Gallen of the D-backs, Ohtani of the Angels, Blake Snell of the San Diego Padres, and Spencer Strider of the Braves; and relief pitchers Félix Bautista of the Orioles and Josh Hader of the Padres.

With his selection at designated hitter and starting pitcher, it marks the first time that Ohtani has received First Team honours at both positions in the same year, and the reigning American League Most Valuable Player has now appeared at each position across both the First and Second Teams in each of the last three years.

Second Team All-MLB selections include catcher Jonah Heim of the Rangers; first baseman Matt Olson of the Braves; second baseman Ozzie Albies of the Braves; shortstop Francisco Lindor of the New York Mets; third baseman José Ramírez of the Cleveland Guardians; outfielders Adolis García of the Rangers, Aaron Judge of the Yankees and Kyle Tucker of the Houston Astros; designated hitter Yordan Alvarez of the Astros; starting pitchers Kyle Bradish of the Orioles, Nathan Eovaldi of the Rangers, Kevin Gausman of the Toronto Blue Jays, Sonny Gray of the Minnesota Twins, and Jordan Montgomery of the Rangers/St. Louis Cardinals; and relief pitchers Emmanuel Clase of the Guardians and Devin Williams of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Eight players overall were selected to either of the teams for a second consecutive season, including Alvarez (2022 1st team); Betts (2022 1st team); Clase (2022 1st team); Freeman (2022 2nd team); Judge (2022 1st team); Lindor (2022 2nd team); Ohtani (2022 1st team at SP, 2022 2nd team at DH); and Tucker (2022 2nd team).

Freeman is the only Major Leaguer to have received an All-MLB selection in each of the five seasons since the honour was introduced following the 2019 season. Alvarez, Betts and Cole were each honoured with their fourth All-MLB selection, while Acuña Jr., Hader, Judge, Ohtani, Semien and Tucker garnered All-MLB selections for a third year. Albies, Clase, Gausman, Lindor, Ramírez, Riley, Seager and Williams are now two-time honorees.

Carroll, the 2023 NL Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award winner, became the sixth rookie to be named to an All-MLB team, joining Pete Alonso (2019 1st team); Alvarez (2019 2nd team); Mike Soroka (2019 2nd team); Williams (2020 2nd team); and Julio Rodríguez (2022 2nd team).

The Braves had a Major League-leading three first-team selections and five overall honorees, while the Rangers had a Major League-high six selections across both teams. The Orioles had three players selected across both teams, while the Astros, D-backs, Dodgers, Guardians, Padres and Yankees each had two selections across the two teams.

Nine of the 31 All-MLB Team selections (29.0%) are players age 26-or-younger, including Acuña Jr. (25), Albies (26), Alvarez (26), Carroll (23), Clase (25), Riley (26), Rutschman (25), Strider (25) and Tucker (26). Nine of the selections hail from countries outside the 50 United States, spanning six different countries and territories, while 14 of the 31 selections (45.2%) are players with diverse backgrounds.