One of the best measuring tools we have in baseball to evaluate players in a historical context is who makes the most MLB All-Star appearances.
Obviously, this is not a perfect system, as the voting and selection processes are somewhat flawed and have changed over time. However, it’s a safe bet that the players with the most All-Star selections will also be some of the greatest MLB players of all time.
Most MLB All Star appearances of all time
But which players have the most MLB All-Star appearances in baseball history? We searched through generations of players going back to the early days of the Midsummer Classic to find those with the most seasons on the All-Star roster.
Let’s take a look at what we found when we go through our list of baseball players with the most MLB All-Star appearances ever.
Ozzy Smith, 3 p.m
Who said defense doesn’t make you an All-Star? At least in Ozzie Smith’s case, being one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball history was enough to make him a 15-time All-Star, making the team nearly every year between 1981 and 1996.
After missing out in 1993, Smith would return to the All-Star Game three more times. Oddly enough, the 1993 season was also the first year that Smith did not win a Gold Glove after winning the award 13 times in a row.
Tony Gwynn, 3 p.m
In a 20-year career, Tony Gwynn was a 15-time All-Star. An injury early in the 1988 season kept him out of the Midsummer Classic that season, though Gwynn came back from the injury to still win the title.
If not for that injury, Gwynn would have made 16 consecutive All-Star appearances, as it was his only absence between 1984 and 1999. During that time, Gwynn won eight titles, seven Silver Sluggers and five Gold Gloves. which explains why he was an automatic on the All-Star team every year.
Brooks Robinson, 3 p.m
Brooks Robinson was one of the few players in baseball history who enjoyed the All-Star Game so much that once they did it, they never wanted to stop. To be fair, Robinson first joined the Orioles in September 1955, but didn’t make his first All-Star until 1960.
But he got addicted to it, earning All-Star selections over the next 15 years. In addition to being an All-Star every year from 1960 to 1974, Robinson also won 16 consecutive Gold Gloves from 1960-1975. He also won the MVP in 1964 and helped the Orioles win the World Series twice during his Hall of Fame career.
Al Kali, 3:00 p.m
Who knew Al Kalin’s combination of speed and power would pay off so well for him? He spent two decades playing for the Tigers from 1953-1974 and was an All-Star in 15 of his 20 seasons.
Kalin was an All-Star for the first time in 1955 and didn’t make it again until 1968. He also earned several All-Star selections late in his career, including his farewell season in 1974. Don’t forget that Kalin also has 10 Gold Gloves and 399 home runs on his resume, so no one should be surprised that he spent 15 years as an All-Star.
Yogi Berra 15:00
Like many of the greatest Yankees of his era, Yogi Berra was a virtual fixture on the All-Star team for most of his career. He broke out with the Yankees in September 1946 and became an All-Star for the first time in 1948.
Berra then became an automatic for the All-Star team every year until 1962, earning that recognition in 15 consecutive seasons. Along the way, Berra also won the MVP three times and was a part of 10 World Series-winning teams.
Mickey’s Cloak 4 p.m
One of the great hitters in baseball history, Mickey Mantle was an All-Star. He was selected as an All-Star for the first time in his second season in 1952, beginning a streak of 14 consecutive seasons in which Mantle was selected as an All-Star.
Naturally, that 14-year stretch also included three MVPs, a Triple Crown and seven World Series rings. In 1966, that streak ended with Mantle struggling early in the season, only in June and July. But he was able to return and make the All-Star team in what would be his final seasons in the majors in 1967 and 1968.
Pete Rose, 5 p.m
In addition to being the all-time hitting king, Pete Rose also made 17 All-Star appearances. Despite finishing the 1972 season with a .307 average, Rose was left off the All-Star team that year.
But he came back strong the following year, winning a third MVP award and his title, while also starting a streak of 10 consecutive All-Star selections that stretches back to 1982. Even after that streak ended, Rose made his final All-Star team in 1985. in what would become his penultimate season.
Ted Williams, 5 p.m
Like so many things Ted Williams did in his career, his All-Star performances might have been even higher if he hadn’t missed three years in the prime of his career while serving in World War II. Williams established himself as an All-Star in his second season in 1940, then won back-to-back titles in 1941 and 1942, even winning the Triple Crown in 1942.
But even after being sidelined for three years during the war, Williams regained his place on the All-Star team as soon as he returned in 1946. The only year he was left off the All-Star team for the rest of his career was. 1952, when he once again missed time serving in the Korean War.
If Williams had played and been an All-Star in those four seasons, he would have tied the all-time record for most All-Star seasons.
Carl Yastrzemski, 18:00
In 23 seasons in the big leagues, Carl Yastrzemski made the All-Star team 18 times. He missed it in 1964 despite a solid season, and was out again in 1980 and 1981 with his career behind him.
But to his credit, Yastrzemski bounced back and was picked up in his final two seasons. Of course, Yastrzemski was something special in his prime, winning three titles, seven Gold Gloves and even winning the Triple Crown in 1967.
Rod Carew, 6 p.m
Few players in baseball history could put the ball in play the way Rod Carew did. He didn’t need to hit home runs to make a difference, which is why he finished his career with 3,053 hits, just 92 of which were home runs.
Carew’s other accomplishments include seven titles and 18 consecutive All-Star appearances. Keep in mind that his six titles came in seven years, so it should come as no surprise that Carew also managed to appear in 18 straight All-Star games.
Cal Ripken Jr., 7 p.m
Iron Man himself has an unbroken record of 2,632 consecutive games. That record becomes a little more impressive when you realize that Cal Ripken Jr. didn’t even make it past the All-Star Break. He was an All-Star every year from 1983 to 2001. That’s 19 consecutive All-Star appearances for a player who was as revered as any player in baseball history.
Of course, some fans may remember that he earned All-Star Game MVP honors in his last Midsummer Classic game after he hit a first-pitch hit from Chan Ho Park in that game. The honor made Ripken one of only four players with multiple All-Star Game MVP awards.
Stan Musial, 8 p.m
Consistency has always been one of the strengths of Stan Musial’s baseball resume. He was selected as an All-Star in 20 seasons, and it would have been 21 if not for his absence from the 1945 season.
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Willie May 20
It took several years for Willie Mays to become an All-Star caliber player. He made his debut with the New York Giants in 1951, but was not selected as an All-Star for the first time until 1954. But when he became an All-Star, he became a lifer.
Mays became an All-Star for the next 20 years, being selected every year from 1954 to 1973, his final season. Even when he wasn’t the same player at the end of his career with the Mets, Mays earned a spot on the All-Star team.
He also won two MVPs 11 years apart and 12 straight Gold Gloves, two facts that also show how good Mays has been over the long haul.
Henry Aaron, 21
No one in MLB history has earned more All-Star honors than Henry Aaron. He played 23 seasons in the big leagues and was an All-Star every year from 1955 to 1975. There were no down seasons or injury-plagued years for Aaron. He put in his best effort every year, which is why he was literally a perennial star.
Don’t forget, the former home run king hit 755 career homers, never having more than 44 in a single year. He was just consistently good at what he did, which is why he finished his career with 755 homers and more than 3,700 hits while setting the all-time MLB records for RBIs and total bases.