With All-Star Weekend at Citi Field quickly approaching, I saw it fit to post my rosters for the American League and National League teams. I promise there will be no home-cooking here and it will be based solely on on-field performance. Enjoy!
American League
Starters
C- Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins
Seemingly an all-star starter each and every year, Mauer is heads and shoulders above any other American League catcher in offensive statistics. I mean when you're competing with the likes of Chris Stewart for votes, I guess it isn't hard for Mauer to be the clear favorite. Mauer is batting .332 with 8 HR and 26 RBI's thus far.
Honorable Mention: Jason Castro, Salvador Perez
1B- Chris Davis, Baltimore Orioles
There's really no discussion here. Davis has already hit 28 bombs this year, as he is finally living up to the potential he was always billed to have. Shout out to the Rangers for trading Davis and dependable Tommy Hunter for an immediate fix in reliever Koji Uehara, talk about a one-sided deal. Also, Davis is batting .330, what a year.
Honorable Mention: James Loney, Adam Lind, Edwin Encarnacion
2B- Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox
As much as it pains me to make Pedroia the starter, he's having the best statistical year, leading all AL 2B in batting average, and on-base percentage and is tied with the Indians' Jason Kipnis for 1st in RBI's. I despise Pedroia as much as the next guy, but his solid offensive numbers cannot be ignored
Honorable Mention: Howie Kendrick, Robinson Cano, Jason Kipnis, Jose Altuve
SS- J.J. Hardy, Baltimore Orioles
Gotta give the nod to Hardy who leads all AL shortstops in HR's and RBI's and batting a steady .265. Hardy is an above-average defender and his power numbers make him the clear choice, despite solid years from Jhonny Peralta and Jed Lowrie
Honorable Mention: Jhonny Peralta, Jed Lowrie
3B- Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
Cabrera is the best player in MLB, no questions asked.
Honorable Mention: N/A
OF- Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Trout is having another fantastic year leading all American League outfielders in batting average (.316) He has also put up solid power numbers with 13 HR's and 51 RBI's. His .389 OBP is phenomenal as well. There's nothing this 21 year-old doesn't do well on the diamond.
OF- Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles
Jones is having another solid year patrolling centerfield for the O's. Both his batting average and RBI's are within the top 3 among American League outfielders. A .296, 15 HR, 55 RBI first half is worthy of a starting nod.
OF- Daniel Nava, Boston Red Sox
A surprising pick, and yes I'm a huge Daniel Nava fan, but he's every bit deserving of a starting nod and here's why: his .372 OBP is good for 2nd among AL outfielders, his 49 RBIs are good for 4th among AL outfielders, and the outfielder is hitting a solid .281 to go along with 10 dingers. His numbers stack up with anyones in the AL. More to come on Nava's story.
Honorable Mention: Nelson Cruz, Nate McLouth
DH-David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox
Big Papi is having a heck of a year, how old is this guy now? Like a fine wine, Ortiz is getting better with age, his .319, 16 HR, 57 RBI's lead all American League DH's by a Texas Mile.
Honorable Mention: None
SP- Max Scherzer, Detroit Tigers
Scherzer is 12-0 with a 3.10 ERA and is 2nd in the AL in K's. He has great stuff, with a 12-0 record, it's clear that Scherzer is deserving of this opportunity.
Honorable Mention: Clay Buchholz, Bartolo Colon, Felix Hernandez, Chris Tillman
Reserves
C- Jason Castro, Houston Astros
Most likely the 'Stros lone rep, Castro's .273, 10 HR, 26 RBI's is deserving of a nod.
C- Salvador Perez, Kansas City Royals
The young Perez's .303, 4 HR, 30 RBI first-half is good enough to get him to Citi Field.
1B- James Loney, Tampa Bay Rays
Loney has been a revelation for the Rays. His .309 9 HR and 39 RBI first half is every bit deserving of a trip to the big apple.
1B-Edwin Encarnacion, Toronto Blue Jays
Tough to deny a guy a bid to the ASG when he's hit 22 HR's and driven in 64 runs.
2B-Howie Kendrick, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Kendrick's .317 8 HR 37 RBI first half speaks for itself.
2B- Robinson Cano, New York Yankees
Cano's 14 HR's and 46 RBI's earn him a quick commute to Citi Field.
SS- Jhonny Peralta, Detroit Tigers
Peralta leads all American League Shortstops in Batting Average and is 2nd in homers.
3B- Manny Machado, Baltimore Orioles
All of 20 years old, Machado leads all AL third basemen in doubles, and is batting .318 with 5 dingers and 41 RBIs. Kid will be a good one for a very long time.
3B- Josh Donaldson, Oakland Athletics
Donaldson's .308/12/51 are all-star worthy and his .376 On-base % is impressive as well. Donaldson deserves the nod.
3B- Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays
In typical Longoria fashion, Evan is having another dominant year. A .298/17/47 is too good of a first-half to be watching the game on TV.
OF- Nate McLouth, Baltimore Orioles
McLouth has been the sparkplug that makes the O's offense go. His .288 Batting Average and 24 SB's sneak him into Citi Field as an AL reserve
OF-Nelson Cruz, Texas Rangers
Cruz's 20 HR's are tops among AL outfielders.
OF- Alex Gordon, Kansas City Royals
Gordon's .292/7/40 line are deserving of a Citi Field invite.
Pitchers
SP-Yu Darvish, Texas Rangers
Darvish is leading the AL in K's and is 7-3 with a sub-3 ERA.
SP-Hisashi Iwakuma, Seattle Mariners
Iwakuma's sophomore season has been marvelous for the M's. He is 7-3 with a 2.26 ERA. Opponents are hitting a paltry .204 against him.
SP- Bartolo Colon, Oakland Athletics
The pudgy 40 yr-old is 11-2 with a sub-3 ERA. Billy Beane always finds bargain-barrel gems and Colon is the perfect example of that.
SP- Clay Buccholz, Boston Red Sox
Buchholz is 9-0 with a Major League low 1.71 ERA. Despite being injured, Buccholz's phenomenal start is more than enough to warrant an invite to the All Star Weekend.
SP- Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners
Another year, another All-Star nod for King Felix. An 8-4 record and a sub 3-ERA will get you to NYC for All-Star weekend.
SP- Chris Sale, Chicago White Sox
Back to back All-Star appearances for the pride of Florida Gulf Coast University. The big lefty has put together another superb year as the consummate ace of the Sox staff. Opponents are hitting a meager .199 against Sale.
SP- Justin Masterson, Cleveland Indians
The staff ace for Terry Francona's revitalized Indians, Masterson has 9 wins, a 3.76 ERA, and has more K's than innings pitched. The lone representative for the Indians, Masterson has had a solid year.
SP- Chris Tillman, Baltimore Orioles
Tillman's 9-2 record is one of the main reasons the O's are contending this year. Tillman has stepped up as the staff ace, and has had a real solid start to the year.
RP- Jesse Crain, Chicago White Sox
It's rare to see a middle-reliever get the nod, but how can you deny a guy who has pitched in 36 games and has allowed only two earned runs all year? Crain's pitched to a 0.50 ERA and has struck out 46 in 35 2/3 innings pitched.
RP- Joe Nathan, Texas Rangers
One of the better baseball story lines has been the resurgence of Joe Nathan as a top-notch closer. Nathan is 26 for 27 in save chances, has a paltry 1.62 ERA, as opponents are hitting a meager .165 against him.
RP- Mariano Rivera, New York Yankees
Rivera is 26 for 27 in save chances (his only blown save to my NY Mets, just saying) pitching to the tune of a 1.55 ERA in 29 innings pitched
RP- Grant Balfour, Oakland Athletics
The Aussie is a perfect 18 for 18 in save chances, pitching to the tune of a 2.03 ERA.
RP- Greg Holland, Kansas City Royals
Holland is 16 for 18 in save chances, opponents are batting just .178 against him and he has pitched to the tune of a 1.86 ERA. Oh yeah, he's also struck out 47 batters in just 29 innings pitched.
RP- Casey Janssen, Toronto Blue Jays
Janssen is 20 for 22 in save chances, has a 2.03 ERA and opponents are batting just .163 against him
National League Roster
Starters
C- Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals
Molina is batting a robust .352/6/44 for the contending Cards.
1B- Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks
Goldschmidt's .308/19/67 line is deserving of the starting nod at 1B, as he beats out the Reds' Votto and Cards' Allen Craig.
2B- Matt Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals
Carpenter's .319/6/30 line are overly impressive. Another great story of a utility guy turned All-Star. Carpenter is leading all National League 2B in batting average and on-base percentage.
SS- Troy Tulowitzski, Colorado Rockies
Another phenomenal year from the human web gem with an absolute cannon for an arm. Despite only playing in 61 games, Tulo is leading the National League in both HR's and RBI's, while simultaneously leading the NL in average and on-base percentage as well.
3B- David Wright, New York Mets
As a diehard Mets fan, nobody deserves to start in his home ballpark more than Wright does. His .306/12/41 line despite minimal protection in the line are every bit all-star worthy. Not to mention that David is a premier defender at the hot corner.
OF- Michael Cuddyer, Colorado Rockies
Cuddyer is in the midst of a 25-game hitting streak (whoops, hope I didn't jinx anything) and is batting .347/14/47 for the year. His batting average leads all National League outfielders, and his .398 OBP is good for second among all NL outfielders.
OF- Carlos Gomez- Milwaukee Brewers
Gomez, a once highly thought of prospect, is having the year that he was always capable of having. He has the unique combination of speed, power, and the ability to hit for average all of which have been readily visible this year. Gomez's .314/12/37 line to go along with 15 SB's illustrate his ability to change the game in many ways.
OF- Carlos Beltran, St. Louis Cardinals
Another year, another starting nod for Beltran. The real question becomes is Beltran a future hall-of-famer? A discussion for another day. But his 2013 stat line of .303/18/48 are every bit deserving of the starting nod to patrol the Mets outfield once again.
SP- Matt Harvey, New York Mets
Harvey is the most dominant pitcher in the Major Leagues, no questions asked. Harvey's explosive repertoire of pitches includes a plus-plus Fastball and downer Curve. His 7-1 record and a 2.00 ERA doesn't do Harvey justice, as he should really have about 15 wins at this point. Harvey is leading the National League in K's.
Reserves
C- Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants
Posey is having a characteristically Buster Posey year with a .321/11/46 line.
C- Wilin Rosario, Colorado Rockies
Rosario, who quietly hit 28 HR's last year, is having another solid year as the backstop for the Rockies. His .274/13/40 line are All-Star worthy.
1B- Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds
Votto is one of the most talented left-handed sticks in the game. His keen eye and ability to not stretch the zone, allows him the ability to hit for a high average, as seen by his .321 batting average. He also can hit the ball a mile and a half. His 14 HR's and 38 RBI's are proof of this. He is always in the talks for MVP consideration, and Votto is on-pace to being one of the best ever.
2B- Marco Scutaro, San Francisco Giants
Scutaro is leading the NL in batting average, hitting .319.
2B- Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati Reds
Phillips is leading all NL 2B in RBI's with 60 and has hit 11 first-half dingers. Hard to deny that kind of run production an invite to Citi Field.
SS- Jean Segura, Milwaukee Brewers
Segura has burst onto the scene as a premier offensive SS. Like his teammate, Carlos Gomez, Segura has all the tools. His .334/11/32 line to go along with 24 SB's speaks for itself.
SS- Ian Desmond, Washington Nationals
Desmond has turned himself into an All-Star caliber player year in and year out. His .276/14/45 line is good enough to earn Desmond an invite to All-Star Weekend.
3B- Pedro Alvarez, Pittsburgh Pirates
Alvarez, who went to the Horace Mann School in the Bronx, and grew up in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan would love an invite to the Big Apple to compete in All-Star weekend and his 19 HR's and 52 RBI's are ever so worthy. The thing that impresses me about Alvarez is his improving batting average. He is now batting .246 on the year, and while that doesn't scream "All-Star" his average has been steadily climbing all year and with his power production, the average is decent enough to see Alvarez at Citi come mid-July.
OF- Yaisiel Puig, Los Angeles Dodgers
Puig is the next big thing in Major League Baseball. The 22-year old has only had 92 AB's but he has already hit 7 HR's and driven in 16 Runs while batting a sexy .424. Puig's performance thus far and fan support will get him to Citi Field despite playing in just 24 games, and there's no denying that Puig is not an All-Star talent.
OF- Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado Rockies
Car-Go is tied with D. Brown in leading the National League in HR's among outfielders with 21 round-trippers, he's hitting an even .300, and has driven in 59 runs, good for 1st among NL outfielders. Another solid year for the perennial all-star.
OF- Jay Bruce, Cincinnati Reds
The sweet-swinging lefty is having an All-Star year with a solid .276 Batting Average to go along with 18 HR and 55 RBI's.
OF- Domonic Brown, Philadelphia Phillies
Brown has been a revelation for the Phils, and single-handedly carried them through the month of May. His 21 HR's tie Car-Go atop all NL outfielders and his 57 RBI's and .275 average are solid enough to earn him his 1st trip to All-Star Weekend.
OF-Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates
Hard to deny the Pirates' all-everything player a trip to the Mid-Summer Classic. His .293/9/41 line are solid enough for the dependable Pirates' Centerfielder and fan-favorite to squeak his way to the Big Apple for the festivities.
Pitchers
SP- Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers
Kershaw is having another banner year as the ace of the Dodgers. His 2.08 ERA speaks for itself. Also, he has a sub-1 WHIP which just screams dominance.
SP- Patrick Corbin, Arizona Diamondbacks
The 23 year-old lefty has been a godsend for the D-Backs. He is 9-0 with a 2.22 ERA, had it not been for Matt Harvey and his 100 MPH fastball, Corbin would be the All-Star starter.
SP- Cliff Lee, Philadelphia Phillies
It's amazing what happens when Cliff Lee gets a bit of run-support, he actually wins! It's funny how that works. Anyway, Lee is 9-2 with a 2.51 ERA
SP- Jordan Zimmermann, Washington Nationals
Zimmermann has outperformed the heralded Stephen Strasburg and has established himself as staff ace. The pride of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Zimmermann is 11-3 with a 2.28 ERA.
SP- Adam Wainwright, St. Louis Cardinals
Wainwright has had another dominant year for the Cards. His 10 wins and 2.51 ERA earn him a trip to the Mid-Summer Classic.
SP- Jason Marquis, San Diego Padres
The Padres in need of a representative have one in the veteran Marquis. The pride of Staten Island, and Tottenville HS, Marquis has amassed 9 wins thus far with a sub-4 ERA. I'm pulling for this vet to come home for his 2nd All-Star nod.
SP- Jose Fernandez, Miami Marlins
The 20-year old flamethrower is head and shoulders above any other potential Marlins all-star. His 2.98 ERA and 4 wins for an absolutely pathetic Marlins team make him deserving of a nod.
SP- Jeff Locke, Pittsburgh Pirates
Locke the opening day 5th starter on the Pirates staff has turned himself into the staff ace with a 7-1 record and 2.06 ERA, the lefty has opponents batting .199 against him
SP- Jeff Samardzija- Chicago Cubs
The former NCAA All-American Wide Receiver for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Samardzija doubles as a flame-throwing staff ace for the Cubs. The Cubs need a rep, and Samardzija is the most deserving of any Cub for a trip to Citi Field. His 3.37 ERA and 115 K's in 106 1/3 Innings Pitched are All-Star worthy.
RP-Jason Grilli, Pittsburgh Pirates
The pride of Seton Hall University and long-time journeyman has found himself a home in Pittsburgh. He has had the best year of any relief pitcher in the Majors this year. The front-man for the "Shark Tank" (the name of the Pirates very successful bullpen) is 26 of 27 in save chances, with a 1.82 ERA. Opponents are batting just .181 against Grilli and he has 58 K's in just 34 2/3 innings pitched.
RP-Edward Mujica, St. Louis Cardinals
Mujica has been perfect in save chances this year, despite not being a dominant-type closer. A perfect 21 for 21 in save chances and a 2.30 ERA earn him a trip to Citi Field.
RP-Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta Braves
Kimbrel is about as unhittable as they come, as his 1.48 ERA and .196 opponent batting average speak to this dominance. Kimbrel is 23 for 26 in save chances.
RP-Aroldis Chapman, Cincinnati Reds
A lefty who throws 100+ is a once-in-a generation type pitcher. Chapman has not been as dominant as his stuff dictates he should be, but his 2.73 ERA, 56 K's in 33 innings pitched, and 19 for 22 in save chances allow Chapman and his eye-scratching ability the chance to participate in the Mid-Summer Classic.
RP-Mark Melancon, Pittsburgh Pirates
The preeminent set-up man in all of Major League Baseball, Melancon has pitched to the tune of 0.94 ERA while striking out 41 and walking just 4 in 38 1/3 innings pitched. He has also filled in admirably for the oft-used Grilli and picked up 2 saves this week.
Again, if you made it this far, congrats. Here's your reward (an uplifting story from 2010 about the rollercoaster ride Daniel Nava has faced to become an AL All-Star)
http://espn.go.com/blog/boston/red-sox/post/_/id/2090/meet-daniel-nava-the-best-red-sox-minor-leaguer-you’ve-never-heard-of
Be on the look for my next piece, which is a 'Where Are They Now?' piece about NJ prospects drafted from 2007-2013.
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