With the All-Star game right around the corner and balloting being already open, it is a good time to discuss who to vote for and who deserves to be an All-Star.
Catcher
AL: Salvador Perez -Royals
NL: Yadier Molina -Cardinals
Starting with the National League, there was a toss-up between Molina and Nationals catcher Wilson Ramos. Molina has the pedigree as well as a .321 average while Ramos has a .343 average on the season. The reason Molina gets the nod is that he has played more games than Ramos has, 39-29, and Molina is also more proven. On the American League side, Perez is the pick because of the name and fact that he has played in 38 games so far. The concerning thing is that no AL catcher is producing, with the best batting title qualifier is hitting only .283, and the second best with the same criteria is at .268. No other big name catcher is having a good year in the AL.
First Base
AL: Eric Hosmer -Royals
NL: Paul Goldschmidt -Diamondbacks
Hosmer is the obvious pick as he is hitting .327 with 8 homers so far on the season. Hosmer also has the name recognition as he has been one of the best players on a great team for the past three years. A dark horse in the AL is Hanley Ramirez, who is having a sneaky good year hitting .314 with 4 homers and 23 RBIs. On the NL side, it is a down year for the group as only two hitters hitting over .300, Mark Reynolds at .315 and Brandon Belt at .301, so Goldschmidt gets the nod based on his past productivity. There are other options in the NL such as Chris Carter of the Brewers who has 13 homers good for fourth in the MLB currently, and
Second Base
AL: Jose Altuve -Astros
NL: Daniel Murphy -Nationals
Murphy is the easiest choice as he is leading all of baseball with a .395 batting average with 5 home runs on the season, showing he is not just a one hit wonder. Some others to watch for are Josh Harrison of the Pirates and DJ LeMahieu of the Rockies. Altuve is also leading his team with a .348 average but is showing more power this year, hitting 9 home runs before the end of May as well as having 15 stolen bases. Both players are preforming well above the rest of the players at their position and are solid defenders as well.
Shortstop
AL: Xander Bogaerts -Red Sox
NL: Zack Cozart -Reds
Cozart is hitting .320 on the season and is well above the rest of his position as the next highest is Corey Seager with a .290 average. Trevor Story is the man to watch after that hot start to the season, but he has cooled off since then. That start could be enough to get him into the game as a reserve. Bogaerts is the choice over other youngsters Francisco Lindor of the Indians and Carlos Correa of the Astros because of his offense. Correa is hitting .273 and Lindor .325, while Bogaerts is at a solid .339 average to go along with 22 RBIs. All three players are deserving, but Bogaerts has the best stats so he gets the call.
Third Base
AL: Manny Machado -Orioles
NL: Nolan Arenado -Rockies
This was the easiest choices as both Machado and Arenado are MVP candidates as well as some of the best young players in the game. Arenado is hitting .305 with a Major League leading 13 home runs while Machado is hitting .319 with 11 home runs. All of this on top of their well-known defensive prowess makes for a unanimous All-Star selection. On top of the stats for the year for both players, they are in the upper echelon for youth in baseball, alongside Bryce Harper and Mike Trout. Both Arenado and Machado have won Gold Gloves at third and in the three years they have been in the league they have established themselves at the top of the position.
Outfield
AL: Mike Trout -Angles
AL: Jackie Bradley Jr. -Red Sox
AL: Josh Reddick -A’s
NL: Bryce Harper -Nationals
NL: Ryan Braun -Brewers
NL: Dexter Fowler -Cubs
First things first, Bryce Harper and Mike Trout are two of the best players in the game right now, period. Braun, even with the proven PED use in the past, is still having a great year, hitting .364 with 7 home runs and 28 RBIs. Those are All-Star numbers, as are Bradley’s .338 with 7 home runs and 32 RBIs. He is currently on a 27-game hitting streak as of May 23. This was not expected, but since he is tearing it up, he should be rewarded. Fowler is also having a great season as he is hitting .314 and he is the best outfielder on the best team. Riddick is having a breakout year, hitting .315 with 4 homers and 17 RBIs on a offensively deprived A’s team.
Designated Hitter
AL: David Ortiz -Red Sox
It’s his last season. That is all that needs to be said. But he also has a .312 average, 10 home runs, and 34 RBIs. It has been just a great last season and a much deserving send off for one of the best designated hitters in Major League history. Ortiz has been to 9 All-Star games and is a fan favorite in Boston and across the nation. Even New York recognizes his greatness as they still respect him when he goes to Yankee Stadium. Ortiz has been a face of the league to the Dominican Republic for his whole career and is very deserving of this honor in his last year. Especially since Derek Jeter got put into the game last year with his stats, Ortiz should be a shoe-in.
There is my ballot for you to look at. It is based for the most part on what they are doing this year, with some exceptions. That is how the All-Star team should be decided, rather than what their whole career has been. So what do you guys think? Do you agree with my picks? Who is on your team? Leave the answers to those and the biggest snub in the comments.
