The 2016 One-Star Roster
As the All-Star Game comes closer and the teams are on the beginning of the All-Star Break, it is a perfect time to do what is my favorite post that I do every year: the One-Star Roster.
It isn’t what you think it is. Every year, right before the All-Star Game, I make my own All-Star roster, but I use different rules. Each roster has 15 players and each team has one representative. So not only am I looking for the best player from each team, but also for the best player from each position. There is the regular starting eight, three SP, two RP, and two bench players, except in the AL where they have one bench player and one DH. Then, I make the rosters and simulate the games on MLB The Show in a best-of-three series. Amount of times a player has been on the roster goes back to the 2012 season, my earliest electronic copy. I stated this tradition in 2009 with a good friend but I’ve lost my hard copies from 08-11… Oops!
Qualifications: 200 ABs and 450 innings played at the position or 100/30 IP (SP/RP). The player must not be on the DL at the time of which I write this, not traded before I wrote this, and not suspended for a drug-related incident in the past season.
Starting with the AL:
C: Salvador Perez, Royals (1st appearance): This was not a very hard position to fill as there were not many players who qualified for the AL. Perez leads the AL catchers in SLUG %, tied with the Yankees Brian McCann with 14 HRs, and posts a 3 WAR, higher than the second place catcher (A’s and last year’s catcher Stephen Vogt) by 1.6 WAR.
1B: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers (3rd appearance): Has not been on the list since 2013 and his numbers this year really reflect his recall to the position. Second in the AL in AVG for first basemen, tied second in HRs, his WAR is 2.3 which is good for second as well. There are plenty of very good 1st basemen this season for the AL, but the K/BB ratio for Cabrera of .63 is outstanding.
2B: Jose Altuve, Astros (2nd appearance): Making his return after missing the roster last year, Altuve is putting up numbers that only the Mariners Robinson Cano can rival him. Altuve leads all AL 2nd basemen in hits, AVG, doubles, OBP, WAR, walks, runs scored, and stolen bases. He also has a .991 FLD %, which is second only to Cano.
3B: Josh Donaldson, Blue Jays (2nd appearance): Back-to-back years for Donaldson and deservedly so. He is first among AL 3rd basemen in WAR, hits, runs scored, triples, walks, and RBIs. He is second in DWAR, HRs, AVG, and stolen bases. His move to Toronto was a career changer.
SS: Xander Bogarts, Red Sox (2nd appearance): Back-to-back for Bogarts as well as he leads his AL position in AVG, hits, runs, RBIs, and walks. His biggest competition in the Orioles Manny Machado does not qualify defensively and the Indians Francisco Lindor is slightly edged out offensively.
LF: Melky Cabrera, White Sox (1st appearance): Second to the Blue Jays Michael Saunders but TOR already has their rep. Cabrera is not a bad fill in, however, as he is having a great bounce-back year from last year with a .297 AVG, 90 hits, 18 doubles, 41 RBIs, and the lowest amount of strikeouts at 34 (Mariners Nori Aoki is currently in AAA and thus does not qualify.)
CF: Mike Trout, Angels (5th appearance): Making records with the most appearances of all players on my One-Star Roster and most consecutive appearances. And why not? He leads all CF in AVG, runs, HRs, RBIs, BB, and WAR.
RF: Nomar Mazara, Rangers (1st appearance): A rare rookie to make the list, but he’s earned it for the position, but he has also been helped some by players who do not qualify (Orioles Mark Trumbo) or by having the team rep already in the list. Still, Mazara is not too shabby since coming to the majors with .282 AVG, 11 HRs, and 36 runs scored and RBIs.
DH: Nelson Cruz, Mariners (1st appearance): Making the roster for the first time after barely missing it the last two years but his HR total is greater than David Ortiz, he is 2nd in the AL DH with a 2.7 WAR, and is second in run scored.
SP: Danny Salazar, Indians (1st appearance): Highest WAR of all qualified SP for the AL with a fantastic 1.18 WHIP and 2.75 ERA on the season. He also as 118 Ks to 46 BB (2.6 K/BB ratio) and even has the win-loss record to back up his numbers at 10-3.
SP: Masahiro Tanaka, Yankees (1st appearance): A 2.8 WAR, 1.11 WHIP, and a 3.23 ERA all look very nice-and-neat for the Yankees staff ace.
SP: Chris Tillman, Orioles (1st appearance): One of the bright spots on BAL’s 2nd worst AL pitching rotation. Tillman does have a 32 WAR and a 3.41 ERA in 113.1 IP, though.
RP: Ryan Presley, Twins (1st appearance): Twins needed a rep and Presley has not been too bad. 44/16 K/BB ratio. (Yes, I know, it is a reach but every team needs a rep…)
RP: Ryan Dull, Athletics (1st appearance): One of the better RPs in the AL this season. 0.72 WHIP, 2.01 ERA, 47/8 K/BB ratio, and has a save so he is not unfamiliar with the closer role.
Bench: Evan Longoria, Rays (2nd appearance): Not a bad bat to have off the bench. 47 runs scored, 19 HRs, .289 AVG and 24 doubles. Pretty useful.
Now for the NL:
C: Jonathan Lucroy, Brewers (2nd appearance): Missed last year due to injury but back with the 2nd highest WAR among NL catchers, as well as 2nd in hits, RBIs, OBP, and SLUG.
1B: Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks (4th appearance): Cubs Anthony Rizzo might be a tick better offensively this year, but Goldschmidt is the D-Backs best player, year in and year out. 3.1 WAR, .297 AVG, 15 HRs, 58 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases. This guy does it all.
2B: Daniel Murphy, Nationals (2nd appearance): Leads the NL position with 117 hits, .348 AVG (league leading), 25 doubles, 17 HRs, 66 RBIs, and a 3.0 WAR.
3B: Nolan Arenado, Rockies (1st appearance): Leads the NL in RBIs with 70, has 24 doubles, 23 HRs, and is the best in the NL defensively at 3rd with only 1 error and a 1.7 DWAR.
SS: Corey Seager, Dodgers (1st appearance): 2nd at the SS position in the senior circuit with a 3.2 WAR while having an all-around balance offensive game with a .297 AVG, 17 HRs, 22 doubles, 42 RBIs, and a position leading 105 hits.
LF: Starling Marte, Pirates (2nd appearance): Back-to-back years for Marte as he continues to be one of the best LF in the game. His WAR is tops at 3.1, is 2nd in the majors with 30 stolen bases, has four triples, 19 doubles, and six HRs, while still having excellent defense (.5 DWAR, 9 assists).
CF: Odubel Herrera, Phillies (1st appearance): 97 hits, 49 runs, and 10 HRs has made Herrera a spark-plug for the Phillies offense. Leads all NL CF with 8 assists, as well.
RF: Stephen Piscotty, Cardinals (1st appearance): NL position leading 2.7 WAR on the season backed up by his .295 AVG, 11 HRs, 22 doubles, 48 RBIs, and 53 runs scored.
SP: Madison Bumgarner, Giants (1st appearance): Top NL pitcher currently active (Remember, Clayton Kershaw is on the DL right now) with a 1.94 ER, 0.96 WHIP, and a 146/32 K/BB ratio.
SP: Jose Fernandez, Marlins (1st appearance): Fully healthy season for Fernandez has allowed him to spin a 1.02 WHIP, 2.52 ERA, in 107.1 IP type of ball so far. He is also second to Max Scherzer in strikeouts with 154.
SP: Drew Pomeranz, Padres (1st appearance): Pomeranz is putting up numbers that many never expected him to: 1.06 WHP, 2.07 ERA, 115 Ks, and has allowed only 67 hits, the least in the NL.
RP: Jeurys Familia, Mets (1st appearance): Leads the majors with 31 saves and has done so while keeping his base runners low (1.20 WHIP). 41 Ks in 42 IP is not too shabby, either.
RP: Hector Rondon, Cubs (1st appearance): A 0.67 WHIP is second best in the NL and he has struck out 42 batters in 31 innings. He is an unsung hero to the Cubs success this year.
Bench: Adam Duvall, Reds (1st appearance) Does not have much average to his name, but Duvall is a heavy hitter. 23 HRs and 20 doubles so far on the season makes him a big power threat off the bench.
Bench: Freddie Freeman, Braves (1st appearance): Still Atlanta’s best offensive player and he has not disappointed. 16 HRs, 21 doubles, a .286 AVG, and a 2.6 WAR on the season. I can only imagine he would have even larger numbers if the offense around him were stronger.
Lineups:
AL: NL:
Bogarts Herrera
Altuve Marte
Trout Goldschmidt
Cruz Arenado
Donaldson Murphy
Cabrera Seager
Perez Piscotty
Mazara Lucroy
Cabrera Pitcher
*Note: I allow the AL to use the DH even in NL stadiums, having the pitcher still be in the DH slot for the NL. Games simulated on MLB 16 The Show
Game One: NL defeats the AL 4-2
Notes: Solo HRs by Trout and Donaldson. Goldschmidt with a 2 run HR and Seager with a 2 RBI double, Marte with 2 SBs and 2 runs. Bumgarner with 8 IP, Rendon with the save. Salazar with 7 IP, Presley with the loss.
Game Two: NL defeats the AL 5-1
Notes: Tanaka with 7 shutout innings, Presley allowed all 5 runs including an Arenado grand slam. Marte had an RBI BB. Fernandez allowed 1 run off 2 hits in 8 innings, HR by Cruz was the lone run.
Game 3: NL defeats AL 11-2
Notes: Tillman lasts 4.2 IP, giving up 8 runs. Presley allowed the last 3 in 1.1 IP. Pomeranz allowed both runs in the 8th inning, before being relieved by Familia. All NL batters had a hit and a run scored.
Series MVP: Marte: 7-12, 4 SB, 3 doubles, 5 runs scored, 4 RBIs.
Series LVP: Bogarts: 1-12
MLB 16 Preview: AL West
Baseball season is upon us! In just a handful of days, first pitch will be coming across home plate to the sound of many screaming fans and to the delight of many, including myself. Half the fun of the season, however, is looking at the off-season and trying to predict what will happen with each team. As we are closing in on the start of baseball season, I want to start giving my projections, moving on to the AL West. If you are new to my previews, this is the way my predictions go: I give a little blurb about each team in alphabetical order, then my predictions for the 2016 season, and then a quick reason why. If you disagree and/or wish to discuss my rankings, comment below!
Houston Astros: A team that, thanks to a plethora of young talent, made a grand playoff push and took the Royals to game five of the ALDS, is looking to push with that young team that now has more experience to make it deeper into the playoffs. The bullpen was upgraded aggressively this off-season by making a blockbuster trade for a young, controllable power arm in Ken Giles, while sacrificing a lot of pitching depth to do so, and added a lefty relief option in Tony Sipp to help with the late inning situations. The rotation is still a bit thin, but the signing of Doug Fister to a one year, prove-it deal could be the signing of the off-season. A few other questions for this team is if Luis Valbuena will hit higher than .225 this season (his highest career AVG is .250 in 2009) but if he does not and he is able to keep his power numbers from last season (25 HRs, 18 doubles) and OBP (.310 last season, .312 career), he can still be a valuable member to this team. First base, with rookie Tyler White, and center, with Carlos Gomez, are the other questionable slots. If the Astros are close, however, I would not count them out on making a huge deadline move to try to push the team over the top.
Los Angeles Angels: This is another team that loves to confuse me with off-season moves. The left side of the infield was changed with the trades for Andrelton Simmons (3.5 DWAR, 7 total WAR; a career .265 hitter but devoid of much power sans his 2013 outlier season) and Yunel Escobar (-1 DWAR, .9 total WAR; known more for his offense as a career .281 hitter with average power) but those trades made barren the minor league system for the Angels. And the offense runs through Mike Trout and… a lot of power and little average (Albert Pujols: .244 AVG, 40 HR, C. J. Cron: .262 AVG and 16 HR, and Kole Calhoun: .256 AVG and 26 HRs) and not much else. The rotation is flimsy at best; no starters had over 150 IP and an ERA below 3.50 or a WHIP below 1.20. And there is a lot of money sunk into some pitchers who are not performing to that cost (Jared Weaver and C. J. Wilson) and the bullpen also looks iffy. A lot of money in the Angels (seventh most at 161M) yet not a lot to gain from it following a very low-key off-season.
Oakland Athletics: I believe in Billy Beane and his ability to put a team together easily, even after a very rough season. The A’s are taking a lot of risk in hoping that Yonder Alonso, Jed Lowrie, and Khris Davis all improve on the bay, while watching some younger players improve in Marcus Semien and Billy Burns. The rotation has a true ace on top in Sonny Gray but there is not much behind him. It is a young team in Oakland that can surprise, but looks more like a team that needs more time to develop and gel together.
Seattle Mariners: One of the busiest teams this off-season in both the free agent market, signing Hisashi Iwakuma (after the medical mishap with the Dodgers), Nori Aoki, Chris Iannetta, and Steve Cishek, while trading for Nate Karns, Adam Lind, Wade Miley, Joaquin Benoit, Leonys Martin, just to name a few. The team looks solid on paper on offense and in the rotation, but it has a feel of the White Sox and Marlins from last year; a lot done but really nothing that should have been done. Also, the bullpen looks a little shaky, lead by Cichek as the closer who has been spotty the past two seasons. I am very interested, however, to see how Ketel Marte progresses this season after an impressive .283/.351/.402 slashline in his rookie year.
Texas Rangers: Had one of the more interesting off-season moves in adding Ian Desmond to play in left field in hopes that his offense picks back up after a career low in AVG and OBP while having his worst power season since 2011 (the only season he did not have more than 10 HRs while playing a full season). Defense is also a worry here as the last time Desmond played OF, he had a negative DWAR (2010 and -.1 with a negative .5 in 2009). The new stadium and the overall pitching weak AL West could change that aspect easily for Desmond. The Rangers rotation is top heavy with Cole Hamels, as Derek Holland, Colby Lewis, and Martin Perez all had an ERA above 4.40 and a WHIP above 1.20. Having Yu Darvish this season as he recovers from his TJ surgery will be huge, but that will not be until halfway through the season at best. The offense is good, but the pitching is suspect. Adding Tom Wilhelmsen for the bullpen, however, was a good addition from the trade that sent Martin to Seattle.
Predictions:
Astros: 94-68
Mariners: 89-73
Rangers: 82-80
Athletics: 78-84
Angels: 66-96
The Astros have the young talent and top heavy rotation that a division winner usually has along with a solid back-end bullpen. I do think the Astros will be very active come the deadline to add to the rotation, bullpen, and possibly first base, depending on who is available. The Mariners team, again, looks very solid on paper and have enough prospects to add to the team should the need arise. I do worry that the team will fall apart akin to the Marlins and White Sox of 2015, but they have done enough to instill my faith. The Rangers look to take a step back after being the surprise division winners in 2015 due to a weak rotation. A good offense by all accords, but that can only take a team so far.
The Athletics are improved 10 games from last season and are trending up. I have a lot of faith in Billy Beane’s ability to make a team great, but I think he is still one more very interesting off-season away from doing so. It does not help, of course, that AJ Grffin and Jerrod Parker did not stay healthy (Griffin has since gone to the Rangers and he is an interesting piece of the team’s pitching, health allowing). Meanwhile, the Angels look to be one of the worst teams in the league, on paper of course. A handful of guys with power, but the best AVG from last season for LA was, of course, Mike Trout at .299 but below him, the next player that is still on the team is Johnny Giavotella at .272. Everyone else, below .270. It is a weak rotation, a weak bullpen, and the Angels are not getting the return on the big contracts that were shelled out in the past that team has hoped for. An empty farm system does not help with this issue, either, which could lead to a streak of empty seasons.
Pirates Payroll: A look at Gerrit Cole
A lot of talk lately has focused around the Pirates payroll. Never-mind that it is projected to be the largest opening day payroll in Pirates history at 93 million dollars, which is a tick under the almost 96 million dollar payroll the Pirates ended with last season, and will increase when the official opening day roster is announced as some minor league signings have a chance to make the roster, thus changing their salaries. People have still been claiming that the Pirates do not spend enough and, lately, the hot players mentioned have been Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole.
Shall we begin with Cole? Everyone in Pittsburgh, and most MLB fans, noticed that Cole hit a new status for the Pirates last season. 19-8 record, 2.60 ERA, 202 Ks, 1.09 WHIP, only walked 44 batters, pitched 208 innings, allowed only 11 HRs, and had a 4.5 WAR last season. Truly fantastic numbers and what any team wants to see from its number one pitcher. And this was all done before Cole finished his third full MLB season. The MLB has a rule that states that a team can assign any salary it so chooses as long as it is at or above league minimum. So the Pirates assigned Cole a salary of $541,000 with an additional $10,000 for making it to the All-Star Game. Is that a low number? Compared to many pitchers, sure it is. It is, however, $10,000 more than Cole made last season at base-salary, which breaks a team rule that no player will be given more than $7,000 more than last season when the team still controls the player’s salary. Also, most other top pitchers are not in the same service category as Cole.
The closest player to Cole, in terms of service time and stats, is Oakland A’s pitcher, Sonny Gray. Gray was worth more overall than Cole last season (5.8 WAR) but the A’s did not make it to the playoffs last season. Regardless, Gray pitched with a salary of $512,500 last season, which is far less than what Cole had pitched for. If you look at what Gray pitched for in 2013, it was $505,000. If you follow what the A’s did for Gray, they added about $7,500 to Gray’s salary in between years. Now, Gray has not had his salary for 2016 announced yet, but it would take about a $30,000 raise for Gray to match Cole and that is something that is hard to envision the very frugal A’s doing.
The Pirates have the right to assign Cole any amount they wish. They are not short-changing him, they are not slighting him, they are doing what every other team does. No outcry has been made about Gray pitching for less than what Cole does despite his numbers. Cole also has what most MLB players now will not ever see: an eight million dollar signing bonus the day he was drafted. Eight million when the Pirates had NO guarantee what he would become.
Baseball is a business and the Pirates top brass is going to treat it as such. The higher the salary at year three, the higher the first trip through arbitration will be, and the second, and the third. It is not unfair, it is smart business for a small market team that has to scrape every nickel and dime together to keep as many top-talent players on the roster for as long as possible.
And that extra money is not going to just disappear. The Pirates will invest any savings they get from Cole; be it into scouting, international signings, over-slot draft bonuses, an extension (Cole and Gregory Polanco are top extension candidates), or a trade deadline acquisition. Baseball is more than just a payroll; there are expenses for everything and there is always more than just what shows up as the cost for the 25-man roster.
Teeing Off: Top News from the Day
A lot happened today in the world of sports. The Blue Jays and Rockies got together for a trade-deadline blockbuster, the Royals got Ben Zobrist from the Athletics, and the Penguins (the NHL not wanting to be forgotten in the news) traded Brandon Sutter to the Canucks. The NFL got involved by announcing news on two suspensions: the one for Le’Veon Bell and for Tom Brady. Starting first with the trades:
Blue Jays and Rockies: The Blue Jays acquired shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and relief pitcher LaTroy Hawkins from the Rockies for shortstop Jose Reyes and three minor league pitchers: Miguel Castro, Jeff Hoffman, and Jesus Tinoco. In the short-term, I like this trade for Toronto. Tulo is an upgrade over Reyes and helps the Blue Jays strong offense get better. Toronto was also looking to add a reliever and while they may not be done with that aspect of the team, and are still in the market for a starter, Hawkins is a good person to start with. Even if the Blue Jays miss the playoffs this season, Toronto still has most of the team under contract for next season. Of the upcoming four free agents for Toronto, only SP Marco Estrada is the biggest loss. None of the offensive players are scheduled to hit free agency and, when including dead money and options that I believe will be declined (Dickey and Izturis), the Blue Jays have about 82.1 million dollars coming off of the books for the off-season. Sure, some of that will be used in arbitration raises, but Toronto could use that money to peruse a top starter (Price, Cueto, Kazmir, etc…). Toronto did this with a mind on the future and the present.
Colorado also gets a bonus from this, but more long term. When all is said and done, the Rockies shed about 50 million in payroll and added three prospects who add pitching depth, and promise, to an organization that has been devoid of such for years. That being said, Colorado is often where pitching prospects go to die. It’s a hard organization, and a hard ballpark, to throw in. And, apparently, Tulo isn’t happy with the trade or how it was handled (in the past, the owner said that Tulo wasn’t going to be moved this season and Tulo himself said he wanted to stay in Colorado) which might turn off future free agents from joining the Rockies. But money talks and Colorado has more of it now to use to add a younger position player (Heyward, maybe Cespedes?) and/or a veteran pitcher to help the coming influx of younger talent. But if the money isn’t well managed and the pitchers follow a long line of young pitchers who struggle at Coors Field, it’ll be a hard one for Colorado; especially if the Blue Jays win a World Series with Tulo in tow.
Royals and Athletics: Kansas City is on a tear right now when it comes to trades. They added Cueto and Zobrist to strengthen this team now without worrying about next season. The Royals know their window is small and don’t have many shots at a World Series so they’re going all in for this one. I liked the Cueto trade for the Royals and I like the Zobrist one as well. Zobrist can play the outfield until Alex Gordon returns and then second and outfield once Gordon does return, spelling Gordon when he needs a day off and effectively replace Infante at second. Oakland got a nice return in Sean Manaea who was Kansas City’s third rated prospect but did struggle this season when he was promoted to AA. Aaron Brooks has bounced between the majors and AAA this season and looks to be another bullpen piece for the Athletics. A throw in as Manaea was the headliner in that deal.
Brandon Sutter: Sutter and a 2016 third round pick left Pittsburgh to go to Vancouver for a 2016 second round pick, center Nick Bonino and defensemen Adam Clendening. Sutter had a cap hit of 3.3 million this season and, to replace him on the third line, the Penguins signed center Eric Fehr, who will have a cap hit of about 2 million this season. The stats are similar as well: Sutter had 21 goals, 12 assists, a plus/minus rating of six, and 14 penalty minutes last season. Fehr had 19 goals, 14 assists, a plus/minus of six, and 20 penalty minutes. Career wise, shooting percentages are quite even as well with Sutter at 10.3% and Fehr at 10.1%.
Le’Veon Bell Suspension: The Steelers running back had his suspension reduced today from three games to two. It happened quietly and easily, and was expected. Two games is the usual penalty for this type of incident and while I personally believe it should be more (he broke a law; not just in the NFL but in real life. And drove while doing it. And didn’t know it was illegal. That might be the worst part…) it falls within the precedent for the league. The Steelers will miss him as they open the season at New England and vs. San Francisco, two teams that might be trouble if the running game is non-existent for the Steelers, as the Ravens playoff match-up was.
DeflateGate: The saga continues: If you read my earlier DeflateGate series when the penalties and suspension were first handed down, you would know that I wasn’t a fan of such an abuse of power by Goodell, especially since he decided to rule over the appeal hearing. Well the ruling came in today and the suspension hasn’t been reduced one bit. Goodell is stating that the fact that Brady “destroyed his cell phone” on the day he met with Ted Wells to interview for his very… loose report. As expected, the NFLPA is going to appeal this in federal court, as they did with Adrian Peterson’s suspension (which they won) and the NFL is suing to keep the suspension active, even if this should go to a federal court during the NFL season. The drama is piling on with this saga and I am going to do a full article on this next. But for now, be content in knowing that I still think Goodell and this case is a sham and an abuse of power. And I also find it… ya know what? I’m saving it for my next article.
Personal Notes: Marvel’s Ant-Man was a great movie. Go see it. It’s not as funny as Guardians of the Galaxy and not as action-packed or serious as Avengers: Age of Ultron, but it was really good and really has me excited for the next round of Marvel movies coming up in the future. Excluding Fantastic Four. I still hold some trepidation about that movie.
Also, Billy Joel’s Glass Houses album is very good classic rock. Just saying.
The Tale of Three Cities: A Look at the Minnesota Twins’ Playoff Chances
Three teams have risen above my expectations and have put themselves in the midst of a playoff hunt for the second half of the MLB season. The Astros, the Twins, and the Mets are all winning games that I didn’t think that they would. I did believe during the pre-season that the Astros and the Mets were trending upwards right now with their minor league talent and the strong teams that are being built. The Twins, however, I had less hope for. I mentioned in my “Mid-Season Review” piece that, of all those teams, the Twins would be the only one to make the playoffs. Here is a deeper look into the teams and why I believe the team will go where it does. Finally, the Minnesota Twins.
I really didn’t think much of the Twins coming into the season. I thought that the rotation was poor and even poorer when the team lost Ervin Santana to a PED suspension. That being said, I still have them grabbing hold of the last Wild Card spot in the AL. Here’s why:
The Twins are an average team on getting on base (15th in the league in AVG, 21st in OBP) but, once the guys get on base, they seem to have a knack for hitting them in (9th in runs and 10th in RBIs) due to the large number of extra base hits; 256 is 9th in the majors. The offense is average which isn’t amazing, but it’s a better than the missing offense of the Mets and the hot-and-cold offense of the Astros. Another aspect that really helps the Twins this season is the young blood that the Twins are bring up from the minors. Most notably is Sano who is tearing it up in his first 11 games played. Small sample size and the league still has time to adjust to him, but if he keeps hitting at a .300 clip, that’s a huge assist for the Twins. Also waiting in the wings is top prospect Byron Buxton. He struggled in his first taste of major league action before he was injured, but if he’s able to come back and add more juice to the Twins line up, it’ll really boost the Twins playoff chances.
The Astros and Mets don’t have much in the way of offensive reinforcements from the minors the way the Twins have. Astros tried a few call ups but Carlos Correa is the only one who has really put in much of an impact. Twins also have the same amount of players hitting over .250 (min 100 ABs) at eight, with four regulars, as the Mets and Astros have combined (and only four regulars combined as well). Twins have good power in the lineup with three guys having more than 10 home runs from the first half of the season and four guys having more than 35 runs scored as well as a RBI total of over 40. The Twins are a quietly good offensive team. Not great, but good.
The pitching is average as well. 15th in the league in ERA and a pitching staff that doesn’t strike out a ton of batters (537 Ks is last in the majors) but also doesn’t walk many men, either (215 walks, third least in the majors). The rotation just welcomed Santana after his suspension ended but it hasn’t been a very pretty first two starts (12 IP, 8 ER). Tommy Milone (2.84 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) and Kyle Gibson (2.85 ERA, 1.21 WHIP) are the rotation leaders right now, but the Twins do need reinforcements from the deadline deals to add to the rotation and the bullpen. Luckily, the offense is doing just enough right now to keep the Twins afloat in the first Wild Card slot and the deadline is filled with more pitchers than hitters.
The Twins can target an ace to lead the staff (Cueto, Kazmir, maybe Samardzija) or go smaller and look at Haren, Latos, Gallardo (if the Rangers decide to sell) and look at Papelbon, Francisco Rodriguez, A. J. Ramos, Addison Russell, or others to address the bullpen. What I’m getting at is that the Twins have more options when looking to add pitching than the Mets or Astros have of getting the needed offense at the deadline.
The Twins open the second half with the Athletics, Angels, and Yankees. Not quite the easy schedule, but not a very difficult way to open the second half of the season. As with the Astros and the Mets, a bad start out of the gate can really change everything. I see the Twins as a more complete team than the Mets and Astros, however. The offense and pitching is a little more balanced and the players that fit the Twins needs are more plentiful than those that fit the Astros or Mets.
If you read my Mid-Season Review post, you’ll know that I have the Twins getting the second Wild Card slot but losing to the Blue Jays. If you’ve not read my Mid-Season Review post, check it out to see my full post-season predictions (https://citb10.wordpress.com/2015/07/14/2015-mid-season-review/).
2015 Mid-Season Review
Well, the Mets are winning the games that I thought the Marlins would, the Astros are winning the games I thought the Mariners would, and the Twins/Royals are winning the games that I thought the White Sox would. Realizing that three of my playoff teams, and one of my World Series teams, are more than likely out of the running, I’ve come forward with some changes to my pre-season picks.
Preseason playoff teams:
NL East: Nationals AL East: Orioles
NL Central: Pirates AL Central: White Sox
NL West: Dodgers AL West: Mariners
Wildcard: Marlins and Cardinals Wildcard: Blue Jays and Tigers
Mid season playoff teams:
NL East: Nationals AL East: Rays
NL Central: Pirates AL Central: Royals
NL West: Dodgers AL West: Angels
Wildcard: Cardinals and Cubs Wildcard: Blue Jays and Twins
My NL stays primarily the same. I still believe the Pirates will over-take the Cardinals for the division lead and might end up with the best record in the NL, if not the majors. Just replacing the Cubs for the Marlins as Miami has been a major disappointment and Chicago is good enough to push for the Wild Card slot. Especially since their competition is the surprising, and offensively anemic, Mets and the injury prone, hot-and-cold Giants.
AL, however, is different. It seems that when I put my faith in the Rays, they disappoint me. When I take it away, they manage to surprise me. However, they have the best pitching in the AL East and pitching wins games. I didn’t have faith in the Royals; I thought their pitching was rough and Morales has been a huge surprise. They also have the depth to deal with the loss of Alex Gordon. I don’t think the Astros can continue their torrid pace; currently on an eight game losing streak and this team is basically “home run or bust” from top to bottom. The Wild Card gets exciting but the Blue Jays have the offense, they just need the pitching. And I’m sure they’ll go after a top target (Cueto, Kazmir, etc…) and the Twins have a large enough lead and have been consistent enough to instill enough confidence that they’ll hold on to the slot.
DS: Pirates over Cubs, Nationals over Dodgers
Royals over Blue Jays, Rays over Angels
CS: Pirates over Nationals
Royals over Rays
WS: Pirates over Royals in six.
I’m still driving the Pirates World Series champion’s bandwagon. It’ll be tough to get past the Nationals, but if the Pirates over-take the Cardinals, they’ll be able to over-take anyone. The Royals have a little easier road to the World Series as, in my opinion, the AL isn’t as strong as it was last year or as strong as the NL.
Pre-Season Award winners:
NL MVP: Adrew McCutchen NL CY Young: Johnny Cueto
AL MVP: Josh Donaldson AL CY Young: Chris Sale
NL and AL ROY not selected.
Mid-Season Award winners:
NL MVP: Bryce Harper NL CY Young: Gerrit Cole
AL MVP: Josh Donaldson AL CY Young: Chris Sale
My NL predictions weren’t bad, just a few player have risen up. Harper is the mid-season favorite to me and I’ll ride that hot card. Pitching wise, there are a lot of good choices for both the AL and the NL. But Cole, should he continue what he’s doing now, will set some career highs, possible franchise records, and is succeeding past what even I thought he would this preseason.
My AL predictions are staying the same. Sale is a huge bright spot on a struggling White Sox team. And while they won’t be playoff bound, his numbers are bright enough to take the attention. As for Donaldson, he’s currently in the top five of the following AL categories: WAR, hits, runs, HRs, RBIs, XBH, D-WAR, and is top 10 in doubles. Oh, and he’s been healthy all season long.
Rookie of the Year: I told you to ask me mid-season and here are my picks:
AL: Billy Burns, Athletics NL: Kris Bryant, Cubs
Burns has been a catalyst for the Athletics. He hits well for extra bases (10 doubles, five triples, two HRs) and has great speed (17 stolen bases, caught only three times) has 38 runs, and has 82 hits. He leads all AL rookies in those categories sans XBH, where he’s third.
Bryant had some drama to start his ML career, but with the numbers he’s putting up, why wouldn’t any team want to ensure an extra season of control? He leads NL rookies in runs and RBIs and is second in XBH, HRs, WAR, and third in doubles and total hits. Only problem is that he strikes out A LOT (101 Ks in 286 ABs).
Pre-Season overall divisions: * denotes best record in conference, ** best record in baseball, # worst in the conference, ## worst in baseball
NL: East: Central: West:
Nationals Pirates Dodgers (**)
Marlins Cardinals Padres
Mets Cubs Giants
Braves Reds Rockies
Phillies (##) Brewers Diamondbacks
AL East: Central: West:
Orioles White Sox Mariners (*)
Blue Jays Tigers Angels
Yankees Indians Athletics
Red Sox Royals Astros
Rays Twins (#) Rangers
Mid-Season overall divisions: * denotes best record in conference, ** best record in baseball, # worst in the conference, ## worst in baseball
NL: East: Central: West:
Nationals Pirates (**) Dodgers
Mets Cardinals Giants
Braves Cubs Diamondbacks
Marlins Reds Rockies
Phillies (##) Brewers Padres
AL East: Central: West:
Rays Royals (*) Angels
Blue Jays Twins Astros
Yankees Indians Rangers
Orioles Tigers Athletics
Red Sox White Sox (#) Mariners
The 2015 One-Star Roster
Photo Credit: MLB.com
As the All-Star Game comes closer and the teams are on the beginning of the All-Star Break, it is a perfect time to do what is my favorite post that I do every year: the One-Star Roster.
It isn’t what you think it is. Every year, right before the All-Star Game, I make my own All-Star roster, but I use different rules. Each roster has 15 players and each team has one representative. So not only am I looking for the best player from each team, but also for the best player from each position. There is the regular starting eight, three SP, two RP, and two bench players, except in the AL where they have one bench player and one DH. Then, I make the rosters and simulate the games on MLB The Show in a best-of-three series.
Qualifications: 200 ABs and 450 innings played at the position or 100/30 IP (SP/RP). Must not be on the DL at the time of which I write this, not traded before I wrote this, and not suspended for a drug-related incident in the past season.
Starting with the AL:
C: Stephen Vogt, Athletics: Tricky position because not many qualify based off of my stipulations, but Vogt makes the cut. Offensively, he leads all qualified AL catchers in AVG, RBI, OBP, SLG %, BB and WAR. One of the more intriguing players on the A’s roster and, if he’s traded, could command quite the king’s ransom.
1B: Jose Abreu, White Sox: Miguel Cabrera, right? Wrong. He’s on the DL (which makes it a little easier to fill in this whole roster, actually. You’ll understand why.) This year, the starting spot goes back to White Sox first basemen Jose Abreu. The team leader in most offensive categories and still a huge power threat over at first.
2B: Jason Kipnis, Indians: Not as easy of a selection as you’d think, keeping in mind the need for a player from each team, but I can’t say no to the Indians’ Jason Kipnis. Valuable on defense (.6 DWAR) and offense (AL second basemen leader in AVG, doubles, hits, triples, walks, and a very impressive 4.7 WAR) it would be a crime to not have him on this list.
3B: Josh Donaldson, Blue Jays: It won’t be the incumbent Adrian Beltre this year on the roster but a new-comer, and a runner up from last year, Josh Donaldson of the Blue Jays. Leads AL third basemen in Runs, Hits, Doubles (tied), HRs, RBIs, and is in the top three in walks and AVG. A bright light on what is a bit of a dim Blue Jays team.
SS: Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox: Leads AL shortstops in hits, doubles, RBIs, and WAR, he’s been the brightest part of a dreary Red Sox 2015 team.
LF: Brett Gardner, Yankees: He the AL LF leader in AVG, SB, and OBP and is becoming a perfect table setter for the Yankees. Not much home run power, but plenty of extra base hits (22 doubles, 3 triples, 10 HRs).
CF: Mike Trout, Angels: The only player to make it onto the roster four years in a row (and four times out of the eight that I have done this is also a record) and he’s still deserving of this slot. He leads AL CF in hits, runs, HRs, RBIs, BB, and WAR. He is third in doubles and one SB away from double digits. What a great player, year in and year out.
RF: J. D. Martinez, Tigers: Nelson Cruz doesn’t qualify but Martinez fills in quite well in this slot. 25 HRs, 59 RBIs, 16 doubles, 3.2 WAR. What a find and chance the Tigers took on the ex-Astro’s player (DFA’d and signed to a minor league deal).
DH: Prince Fielder, Rangers: A huge comeback season after the loss of a season with his neck injury last year. While he isn’t mashing quite as much as some envisioned upon his move to Arlington, 114 hits is a lot. In fact, it’s the most in the AL.
SP: Dallas Keuchel, Astros: A star who has really erupted this season to an AL lead in innings pitched, WAR, a tie in wins, is second in ERA and third in WHIP. You can’t ask for much more from a pitcher who is leading a staff of a division leader.
SP: Chris Archer, Rays: A pitcher who wasn’t supposed to lead a staff has exploded to the top due to a decimated pitching staff on the Rays. Third in the AL in strikeouts, fourth in WHIP, and tied for the most starts this season.
SP: Felix Hernandez, Mariners: A three-peat for this pitcher on my roster, he’s still performing at a high clip to the tune of a 2.84 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 11 wins, and 112 strikeouts.
RP: Wade Davis, Royals: He has allowed two runs, earned, in 39 IP. Has allowed 34 base runners (22 hits, 12 walks) but has struck out 44 players. 12 holds, nine saves, and huge success this season from the bullpen in any role.
RP: Glen Perkins, Twins: The AL leader in saves (28) is one major reason for why the Twins are having the success that they are this season. Five earned runs allowed in 37.1 IP, 31 base runners allowed and 36 strikeouts. He and Davis are what teams want out of every relief pitcher.
Bench: Manny Machado, Orioles: A solid hitter and a solid defender. He adds some defensive flexibility to the infield and some big pop off the bench. He’s a player who is deserving of this team, (101 hits, 19 home runs, 4.8 WAR) and the Orioles representative member.
Now for the NL:
C: Nick Hundley, Rockies: What about Buster Posey? Hundley is playing a level close to that of Posey and the Giants have production coming from other positions as well (and an injury kind of forced some changes. Keep reading, you’ll see). Second best AVG among NL catchers (.309) and a 31.8 caught stealing % is a strong place to start for this position.
1B: Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks: Easy selection. Leads all NL first basemen in AVG, HRs, RBIs, stolen bases, runs, hits, walks, OBP, and has a whopping 5.6 WAR. A total of 5.9 Wins Above Replacement when you factor in his .3 D-WAR for his work on defense. Man, imagine what this guy could do for a team like the Pirates, Cardinals, or any team that is playoff caliber.
2B: Joe Panik, Giants: Man, I had Dee Gordon of Miami in this slot all ready to go, but then he got himself injured. That’s why I waited till Monday to release this. Panik is just as good, though. 2.9 WAR is tied with Gordon and Panik has the most runs scored compared to all other NL second basemen. And he’s no slouch on defense; two errors in 384 chances, 716 innings played and a 99.5 fielding %.
3B: Todd Frazier, Reds: This slot has many qualified candidates, but Frazier is the all-around best when it comes to third basemen in the NL. Leads NL third basemen in HRs, doubles, runs, tied for first in hits, and has the second best WAR. He also hits for average as well as power (.284 with a .337 OBP).
SS: Jhonny Peralta, Cardinals: I wanted to save St. Louis’s slot for Wacha, but after Peralta and Tulo, there is a huge drop off when it comes to NL shortstops. Peralta is a stalwart at the position this season as he is second to all NL shortstops in at-bats and innings played. He brings power (13 HRs, 20 doubles) and average (100 hits leads all NL shortstops) as well as defense (only three errors committed so far) to a position that has a dearth in premium talent right now.
LF: Starling Marte, Pirates: This position was tricky, trying to fulfill the innings requirement. But Marte fits the bill and brings the best overall game to this position. His speed (16 stolen bases), power (13 home runs), and ability to hit the ball for average and in the clutch (87 hits, .279 AVG, and 49 RBIs) go along with his defense that has a perfect fielding percentage gives him the slot.
CF: Cameron Maybin, Braves: Almost an after-thought in the Kimbrel deal, Maybin has thrived in Atlanta. A .289 AVG to go along with an overall ability to get on base and hit for some power might have the Padres wishing they had kept him instead of going with their “let’s-throw-a-lot-of-new-guys-against-the-wall-and-hope-it-works” approach to the outfield this year. His defense is rough, a -1.4 DWAR, but his 2.64 range factor is third highest to all NL center fielders.
RF: Bryce Harper, Nationals: A mid-season favorite for NL MVP, he’s tearing the cover off the ball. 26 HRs, 61 RBIs, 63 walks, 21 doubles, 59 runs, and a 6.2 WAR all lead NL right fielders and his AVG, doubles, runs, and WAR all lead the majors.
SP: Zack Greinke, Dodgers: Choosing Greinke over Kershaw because Greinke has the better WHIP, less runs allowed by more than half, and has a WAR more than double than what Kershaw has. Not saying that Kershaw is ad, just that Greinke is better this season.
SP: Jacob DeGrom, Mets: He’s taken the league by storm since coming into the majors. A 0.92 WHIP, 112/21 (5.3 Ks per walk) K/BB ratio, and if you add his hits allowed plus earned runs (84 and 27) it is still less than his strikeout total (111 to 112). He’s taken command of this young Mets pitching staff.
SP: Jake Arrieta, Cubs: Maybe he should be making the Jon Lester money on this team and not Jon Lester. Arrieta has a .99 WHIP, 123 Ks, and a 2.66 ERA, all better numbers than Lester.
RP: A.J. Ramos, Marlins: A bright spot on an underwhelming Miami pitching staff, he’s thrown 40.2 innings allowing 29 base runners and only five runs compared to 50 Ks. His ability to close (14 saves) and set-up (4 holds) could lead him to being a very attractive trade target this season.
RP: Francisco Rodriguez, Brewers: Has managed to grab 19 saves on a poor Milwaukee team but also has allowed only 28 base runners in 32 innings. The “K” of his old nickname “K-Rod” isn’t quite there this season, 37 strikeouts (middle of the pack when it comes to NL relief pitchers) but he’s having a successful season none the less.
OF Bench: Ben Revere: He doesn’t have enough innings to qualify at one position, but has enough innings to make the roster as he’s played all three outfield slots for the Phillies. He’s a great defensive replacement, a great guy to put on the base-paths if you need speed, or a great rally starter as a pinch hitter. He has a .297 AVG this season with 21 stolen bases and a .337 OBP.
INF Bench: Yangervis Solarte, Padres: I admit it; I’m reaching here on this selection but the Padres need a rep and there really isn’t much to be happy about for that San Diego squad. But Solarte brings defensive versatility and has turned a positive WAR on offense both this season and last. But yeah, it’s a stretch.
Lineups:
AL: NL:
Brett Gardner Joe Panik
Jason Kipnis Starling Marte
Mike Trout Paul Goldschmidt
Josh Donaldson Bryce Harper
Xander Bogaerts Todd Frazier
J. D. Martinez Nick Hundley
Stephen Vogt Jhonny Peralta
Jose Abreu Cameron Maybin
Pitchers slot. The ASG is in Cincinnati this year so the game gets played by NL rules and NL has home field.
Note: Only five players on my roster are repeats, three of them are on it for their third time, and Trout is my only 4-timer. I think that much turnover is great for the game of baseball as a whole.
Results as simulated on MLB The Show 15 in a best of 3 series with rosters updated:
Game One NL 5-1. Greinke threw a complete game (run was unearned, error on Maybin) and the offensive MVP was Goldschmidt with a 2-3 game, 3 RBIs, HR, and a walk. Harper also hit a HR. Overall, the NL hit Keuchel often with 11 total hits in his 7 IP.
Game Two: AL 4-1. Archer allowed one run (Frazier HR) and three hits in 7 IP and Perkins got the save. DeGrom only allowed two earned runs in 7 IP but an error by Peralta added two more in the 7th. Vogt had a two run HR and the two runs scored after a 2-out ball was hit to Peralta who booted it, allowing Donaldson and Trout to be safe and Bogaerts had a two-run double.
Game Three: NL 3-2 in 10. Both pitchers threw 8 innings of two run ball, but Perkins got hit in the 10th. With one out, Revere came up to bat and singled, stole second, and, with two outs, was hit in by Marte after Panik struck out. Two runs in the first came from a two run HR by Goldschmidt for the NL and the AL had two solo shots (Trout and Martinez) in the second and seventh respectively.
Series MVP: Goldschmidt (6-10, three walks, 2 home runs, 5 RBIs)
Series LVP: Abreu (0-11)
Player who never got to do anything: Solarte
Baseball Predictions
Again, I apologize to my readers for not doing my annual MLB preview series. However, I couldn’t go without letting my predictions go down on paper for this upcoming MLB season. Starting with my playoff teams:
NL East: Nationals
NL Central: Pirates
NL West: Dodgers
Wildcard: Marlins and Cardinals
AL East: Orioles
AL Central: White Sox
AL West: Mariners
Wildcard: Blue Jays and Tigers
DS: Pirates over Nationals, Marlins over Dodgers
White Sox over Orioles, Blue Jays over Mariners
CS: Pirates over Marlins
White Sox over Blue Jays
WS: Pirates over White Sox
There is a lot of hype on the Pirates this year and I understand why, as a Pittsburgh native. Small market teams don’t have a large window of opportunity and the Pirates have been pushing the window open for years. The White Sox have turned around their franchise with some shrewd moves this offseason and have a solid roster. Both teams have the ability to be very active at the deadline should issues arise during the season and the fan base to support the team through a long run.
NL MVP: McCutchen – Yes, it’s a bit of a homer pick, but his stats haven’t declined over the past two seasons, the roster overall is better for him, and he’s well known throughout baseball.
NL CY Young: Johnny Cueto – Every year he seems to be close to getting it but either an injury or Kershaw step in the way. Cueto will still be the shining star on what could be a very poor Reds season, might even be moved to a contender come the deadline.
AL MVP: Josh Donaldson – He was a candidate last season with the A’s and now calls Toronto his home. A leader on the team that pushes the Blue Jays to playoff relevance could be exactly what he needs to win the award. Akin to McCutchen when he won his.
AL CY Young: Chris Sale – He’s an ace for Chicago and is going to have a bit of a late start to the season. However, as Kershaw showed last season, a dominate season can still win the award, even if you miss the first month. The leader of this team will lead them to a World Series appearance.
ROY: I don’ bother doing this pre-season because of mid-season call ups and expectations that don’t last. Ask me again come the All-Star break.
Overall Divisions: * denotes best record in conference, ** best record in baseball, # worst in the conference, ## worst in baseball
NL: East: Central: West:
Nationals Pirates Dodgers (**)
Marlins Cardinals Padres
Mets Cubs Giants
Braves Reds Rockies
Phillies (##) Brewers Diamondbacks
AL East: Central: West:
Orioles White Sox Mariners (*)
Blue Jays Tigers Angels
Yankees Indians Athletics
Red Sox Royals Astros
Rays Twins (#) Rangers
Deal or No Deal? Pirates Trade Deadline
Plenty of trades have happened in the MLB before the deadline, most of them involving pitchers. Some of the most notable are: the Athletics blockbuster, Street and Thatcher to the Angels, McCarthy and Capuano to the Yankees, the Tigers getting Soria and, today, Peavy to the Giants.
Some of those have involved less of a return than others. The Tigers, Padres, Athletics, and Giants all gave up some top players to get their players while the Yankees and Royals didn’t give up a lot of talent, but also didn’t get back a top-tier player.
Which leads me to the Pirates. They were recently mentioned by Jim Callis of MLB.com as the best team among contenders to make a large deal, saying the the Pirates can’t be matched in both quantity and quality. (http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article/mlb/five-mlb-contenders-with-young-talent-to-trade?ymd=20140725&content_id=86079200)
However, just because the Pirates CAN make a deal, should they? If so, what kind of deal will be made?
No one expects the Pirates to make a large blockbuster like the As did, and Huntington has all but said not to expect something large, so that trade won’t be looked at from the Pirates perceptive.
But the price for starters and relievers seems to be getting higher instead of lower as the deadline gets closer and teams are better defined as buyers-or-sellers.
The Angels gave up two team top-5 prospects, one more who was in the top-20, and a fourth player who was having an alright season, to get closer Huston Street who has a year of control after this season. Street is pitching with a 1 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, 26 saves and 1 blown save, 4.75 K/BB ratio, and three HRs, four ERs, and 20 hits in 36 IP. While the Angels system is weaker than the Pirates, it still seems like a steep price to pay.
Translated into Pirates terms, it probably would’ve cost Hanson, Kingham or Glasnow, and one or two other fringe prospects like McPherson or Holmes. Still seems like a large cost for the Pirates.
Then the Giants traded for Jake Peavy who is pitching to the tune of a 4.72 ERA, a 1-9 record, 1.43 WHIP, 2.1 K/BB ratio, and 20 HRs, 65 ERs, and 131 hits in 124 IP. And, in order to acquire him, the Giants gave up two pitching prospects, one of them being their second ranked prospect in their system.
Again, into Pirates terms, the deal may have looked more like a move of Kingham and Oliver in order to acquire Peavy. Also, on paper, would look like an over-pay.
If the Pirates stay put, hold to their prospects, and make a bigger deal during the off-season, it might be a better route for this small market team. Also, the current team, when healthy, looks to have enough to win a wild card slot, if not the NL Central.
Overall, I don’t think that the price has dropped for any pitcher of name. After seeing the return for some of the pitchers, the Rockies, if they trade De La Rosa, the Padres, if they trade Kennedy, and the Indians, if they trade Masterson, will likely be looking for more than the pitcher is worth and, as the deadline gets closer, more and more teams will get desperate. However, cooler heads may prevail and the Pirates might be able to snag an “under-the-radar” player. If not, watch out for that off-season move I mentioned earlier.
All-Star Week: One-Star Roster
As the All-Star Game comes tomorrow and the HR Derby tonight, I though this was a perfect time to do what is my favorite post that I do every year: the One-Star Roster.
It isn’t what you think it is. Every year, right before the All-Star Game, I make my own All-Star roster, but I use different rules. Each roster has 15 players and each team has one representative. So not only am I looking for the best player from each team, but also for the best player from each position. There is the regular starting eight, three SP, two RP, and two bench players, except in the AL where they have one bench player and one DH. Then, I make the rosters and simulate the games on MLB The Show in a best-of-three series.
Qualifications: 200 ABs and 500 innings played at the position or 75/30 IP (SP/RP) and must not be on the DL at the time of which I write this (Sorry Tanaka) and not traded before I wrote this (Sorry Samardzija), and not suspended for a drug-related incident in the past season (Sorry Cruz).
Let’s start with the NL:
C: Jonathan Lucroy, Brewers: Molina is on the DL and Lucroy is hitting .215 with nine HRs and 44 RBIs. On defense, he’s at 1 WAR, 26 CS%, and only three passed balls.
1B: Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks: D-Backs need a rep and no one on that team, or on most teams, have a better first baseman. He leads the league in doubles, has 16 HRs, and has been able to scratch out 61 RBIs on a poor D-Backs team.
2B: Daniel Murphy, Mets: The Mets are hot right now and that’s lead by Murphy, the team leader in AVG (.294), SB (11), and hits (113). One of the better second basemen in the league and he gets the chance to play here.
3B: Anthony Rendon, Nationals: He’s been a catalyst for the Nationals, leading the team with a .287 AVG, stepping into the 3rd base slot when Zimmerman became ineffective and then injured, and is in a three-way tie for the most RBIs (53) by a third basemen in the national league.
SS: Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies: Not only is he the best player on the Rockies, but he’s one of the best player in the NL. He’s having a healthy season and is turning that into a powerhouse season with 21 HRs, .345 AVG, and 52 RBIs.
LF: Seth Smith: Padres need a rep but Smith is turning into one of the better players in LF. His .283 AVG is the best among NL LF, his 10 HRs leads the team, and he’s walked 42 times, only Matt Holiday has more among NL LF.
CF: Andrew McCutchen, Pirates: He’s one of the best players in the game, one of the best players at his position, and the cornerstone of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The reigning MVP is turning in another MVP-caliber season.
RF: Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins: He has 21 HRs and 63 RBIs on a Marlins team that wins mainly by pitching and key hits by Stanton and McGehee. He’d be the number three or four hitter on every single team in the league.
SP: Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers: 1.78 ERA, 126 Ks, and the best pitcher in the NL right now. Starts this series for the NL as he deserves.
SP: Johnny Cueto, Reds: 2.13 ERA, 146 Ks, and an 0.89 WHIP. He’s healthy and on pace to throw the most innings in his career, he can survive a handful more.
SP: Adam Wainright, Cardinals: 1.83 ERA, 115 Ks, and hasn’t allowed more the two earned runs since the 30th of May. He’s the number three starter. Scary thought…
RP: Creag Kimbrel, Braves: Has four blown saves and hasn’t allowed a run in eight games, a hit in five games, and a walk in six games. Lights out closer and is still the best one in the NL.
RP: Jonathan Papelbon, Phillies: Having a resurgent season and making his appearances count. 22 saves on a Phillies team that has won 42 games.
Bench: Hunter Pence, Giants: Pence is having a strong season and is leading the team in AVG and 2nd in HRs. In a year where Posey is having a down season, he’s stepping up and keeping the Giants in a playoff hunt. (Starting DH)
Bench: Starlin Castro, Cubs: Having a solid bounce-back season for the Cubs after two seasons where he was doing nothing but rolling down hill. Team leader in AVG, RBIs, and hits.
Now for the AL:
C: Kurt Suzuki, Twins: A great offensive season for the catcher, having a .309 AVG with 18 doubles, both leading all AL catchers.
1B: Jose Abreu, White Sox: His 29 HRs are the most among first basemen in the league and he’s going toe-to-toe with the best first basemen in the league in Cabrera, Pujols, and Encarnacion.
2B: Jose Altuve, Astros: Continuing to hit for a high average at .335, more at-bats, hits, and doubles than Cano does, and is getting better players around him in Houston.
3B: Adrian Beltre, Rangers: The Rangers might be going downhill but Beltre isn’t. 13 HR, .337 AVG, 51 RBIs, and 104 hits on the season as his career in Arlington continues to be hot.
SS: Alcides Escobar, Royals: Quietly having a strong season in KC as the Royals are hot and cold throughout the season. .283 AVG and solid defense gives him a start.
LF: Michael Brantley, Indians: He’s a very balanced hitter, batting a .332 AVG with 13 HRs and he’s got a great eye as he’s struck out only 32 times in 351 At-Bats.
CF: Mike Trout, Angels: .310 AVG, 22 HRs, 10 SB without being caught, still one of the best players in the league.
RF: Jose Bautista, Blue Jays: Having another strong season and still a power threat, he’s keeping the Blue Jays in the position for the AL East crown.
DH: Brandon Moss, Athletics: .268 AVG, 21 HRs, and 66 RBIs is a better stat line the David Ortiz and only has a worse AVG than Victor Martinez of all DHs in the league.
SP: Felix Hernandez, Mariners: Ace of the AL as he pitches to the tune of a 2.12 ERA with 154 Ks. 0.90 WHIP and he hasn’t allowd more than two earned runs since the 12th of May.
SP: David Price, Rays: The struggling Rays aren’t the fault of Price who has thrown more than 6 and a third innings since the eighth of May and has thrown seven or more innings since the 18th of May.
SP: Max Scherzer, Tigers: Ever since his rough start against KC on June 17th, he’s allowed only five earned runs in four starts, and has pitched less than six full innings only twice this entire season.
RP: Dellin Betances, Yankees: Allowed only nine earned runs in 55.1 IP this season. Oh and only 23 hits this season, 16 walks, for a total of 39 baserunners.
RP: Koji Uehara, Red Sox: Just as dominate this season as he was last, 33 baserunners (6 walks, 27 hits), eight earned runs, and 57 Ks. His 18 saves on the season due to a struggling Red Sox team.
Bench: Adam Jones, Orioles: Worthy of being a starter with a .301 AVG and 16 HRs along with superb defense in the outfield slides into the bench role.
Lineups:
NL: AL:
1) Murphy Trout
2) McCutchen Altuve
3) Tulowitzki Beltre
4) Stanton Abreu
5) Goldschmidt Moss
6) Lucroy Bautista
7) Pence Suzuki
8) Rendon Brantley
9) Smith Escobar
Results:
Game 1: 1-0 Win NL: Stanton with a solo HR off of Betances in the 9th, Kershaw with a CG, Hernandez 8 IP
Game 2: 3-1 win NL: Abreu HR off of Cueto in the 4th, McCutchen 2 run double in the 6th off Price, Tulowitzki solo HR in the 8th off of Price. Price: CG Cueto 8 IP, Kimbrel save
Game 3: Not played
Cats In The Bleachers 
Recent Comments