Making the Case for Cleveland Guardians' David Fry to Make the 2024 MLB All Star Team

With the MLB All Star Ballots now open, MLB fans need to consider David Fry as the starting DH for the AL squad in July.

David Fry hits a home run against the Minnesota Twins / Matt Kartozian/USA TODAY Sports

David Fry has quickly become a household name to many Cleveland Guardians fans this season. His impressive 2024 season is finally grabbing attention of the national media, and now baseball fans are beginning to discover the blossoming career of Fry.

With fans beginning to vote for the 2024 MLB All-Star game, it is the perfect time to say it: David Fry should be considered as the American League's DH.

His main competition, Houston Astros Yonder Alvarez, has been the popular vote within the media. Looking at the statistical breakdown between the two, you can see why Alvarez is considered to be the fan-favorite:

David Fry	Yonder Alvarez
48 Games Played	68 Games Played
131 ABs	263 ABs
.321 Batting Average	.293 Batting Average
.452 OBP	.367 OBP
.565 SLUG%	.521 SLUG%
1.017 OPS	.888 OPS
2.0 WAR	2.2 WAR
30 RBIs	35 RBIs
8 HRs	14 HRs
.229 Strikeouts per ABs	.171 Strikeouts per ABs

Alvarez has put together a solid 2024 campaign so far, displaying his power with 14 home runs while striking out a total of 45 times this season. There is the possibility that Fry could have similar numbers to Houston heavy-hitter, but the answer remains unknown.

Playing time will hinder Fry's chances of starting in the All-Star game this year. But the lack of attention to the Guardians' emerging star could also cost him a shot at a potential reserve spot. Many analysts, like David Schoenfield of ESPN.com, will even defer the reserve DH spot to players like Okaland A's Brent Rooker. Schoenfield, in his recent article predicting the lineups, said this:

Rooker gets the nod over Cleveland utility player David Fry, who has been outstanding but hasn't played as much.

- David Schoenfield

Playing time aside, the numbers make it a clear decision:

David Fry	Brent Rooker
48 Games Played	57 Games Played
131 ABs	209 ABs
.321 Batting Average	.248 Batting Average
.452 OBP	.340 OBP
.565 SLUG%	.512 SLUG%
1.017 OPS	.852 OPS
2.0 WAR	1.5 WAR
30 RBIs	40 RBIs
8 HRs	13 HRs
.229 Strikeouts per ABs	.392 Strikeouts per ABs

Basic stats, like home runs and RBIs benefit the everyday player, while the advance analytics cut through those numbers and help determine what players are making the best out of each plate appearance. While Rooker gets the upper hand in games played, RBIs, and home runs, Fry's advance stats demonstrate how he is the more efficient hitter this season.

WAR, or win above replacement, was a stat created to depict how many more wins a player is worth over a replacement-level, league-average player. The right-handed hitter's 2.0 WAR may not rank amongst the best in the MLB, but only two players possess the same or higher WAR with fewer games played this season (Steven Kwan: 40 games, 2.5 and Heliot Ramos: 32, 2.0).

Another common debate during the All-Star selection period is whether or not team record has an impact on a player. There are many cases of a player that could be having the best season of his career while playing for a team that will not be competing for a playoff spot. But, there are times where a key contributor to a playoff-contending team that does not get much recognition who could be in the running for a spot.

Even though Fry does not start every game for the Guardians, the development of his bat has helped to pave the way to the Guardians' 43-23 record, considering Cleveland is 34-14 when Fry is in the lineup.

Fry may not receive the national attention like some of his teammates, but his efforts this season should not go unnoticed. At the bare minimum, David Fry should be the reserve DH for the AL Team.