Tailor Made Double Play's MLB All-Star Team

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.

The Struggles that are Ike Davis

Of course the obligatory first post of substance regarding the New York Mets is going to be about the enigma that is Ike Davis.  The question really remains as to whether Davis is truly an enigma or Ike is just an overwhelmed athlete with an overall lack of a mechanically-sound swing and hitting approach.

There's two trains of thought here: a) the NY Mets way of thinking, and B) the Tailor Made Double Play way of thinking.

Davis was a highly touted two-way prospect out of both HS and Arizona State University.  For all those non-baseball enthusiasts, a two-way prospect is one that is seen as a professional prospect as both a pitcher and a position player.  Davis, a lefthander, is wishing he embarked on a professional career as a Pitcher, than as a first baseman at the current time.  Ike, a first round pick, out of an Arizona State baseball program that has produced perennial all-stars, such as Dustin Pedroia, Andre Ethier, and Ian Kinsler (L'chaim!), Davis was thought to surpass all of the aforementioned sluggers with his own hitting prowess.  To say that the development of Ike Davis has been heart-wrenching and disappointing to watch would be an understatement, but am I really surprised?

The answer is no, and here's why:

The Good:
2006-2008 Arizona State Totals: 244/691 (.353) 40 HR 204 RBI's 131K's
        Notes: Davis improved each and every year, which is the progress you want to see out of a young hitter, with his junior year (2008) being his best.  His strikeout percentage hovered around 19% of his at-bats, which isn't too alarming of a statistic, especially for someone with as much power potential as this young man.

The Bad:
2009 (Full-season A and AA) 112 K's in 429 AB's  (26.1%)
        Notes: Davis plays in two levels, and hits a combined .298 with 20 HR over the two levels.  In AA, Davis has a total of 207 AB's over a 55-game spread, striking out in 29% of his AB's.  Davis's K percentage is slowly rising; but despite this he hits over .300 and hits 13 HR in only 207 AB's in AA.  On the surface, these numbers look superb and worthy of a promotion, but one cannot overlook the importance of a rising strikeout percentage, as this is a tell-tell sign that Davis is becoming overmatched as he rises through the Minor League ranks.

The smart move post-2009: Have Davis start 2010 in AA and finish out the year in AAA, barring no major developmental setbacks

The NY Mets philosophy: Have Davis start in AAA, play 10 games, and call him up after having a grand total of 677 Minor League AB's over parts of 3 minor league years.

The Damage:
Ike has been in a two-season slump that can be a testament to his long swing, his front foot bailing out, his high hand setup and his subsequent dropping of his hands, and him being 2 miles away from the outer part of the plate.  It amazes me how this guy has not made adjustments to try to rectify his inconsistencies.  Ike is almost assuredly due for a Minor League trip down to the AAA affiliate in Las Vegas to work out his inconsistencies and allow a more productive player to aid in helping the Mets attempt to win.

Let's break down Ike's swing with the assistance of this Youtube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npt4AbrPi3s
  
    Some of the notable issues are Ike's front foot swinging wide-open after his leg kick, which allows his hips to fly open and for him to completely lose bat coverage to the outer third of the plate (meaning he will swing and miss at anything that is away, because he is physically unable to reach it) Also, his bat plane is all screwed up due to his high pre-pitch hand location and his subsequent dropping of those hands, which forces the bat to drag through the zone in an undesirable trajectory (leading to many pop-ups, swings and misses, etc.)

     These issues are glaringly obvious and it perplexes me as to how nobody in the Mets organization has attempted to correct these flaws.

If you've made it this far, congrats. Here's your prize: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTnIaaSUbAQ

I'm pulling for Landon Powell (Mets farmhand) after watching that one, wow talk about putting things in perspective.

Until next time...

The Proverbial First Post

If you're looking at this site that means either a) you're my dad, b) you're a good friend and I sent you this link 100+ times, or c) you're most certainly on the wrong page.  In all seriousness, to all my devoted fans (looking at you, dad) out there checking this site out, I really appreciate it.  I decided to start this blog mainly to air out my dirty laundry about the Mets struggles, but also offer the keenest insight into my thoughts about everything that is right and wrong in the MLB today.  Shoutout to my man, John Vittas (acrossthejohn.blogspot.com) for giving me the inspiration to start my own blog and get things rolling.

That being said, be on the lookout for weekly or bi-montly posts (rants) about the struggles of the finest MLB franchise that we all love to loathe; the New York Mets.  I will also be discussing the Maryland Terrapins Baseball Team, and other pertinent MLB news.