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: Post Season and Awards
Baseball season is upon us! In a few hours, first pitch for many teams 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 the start of baseball season is upon us, I want to write down my post-season predictions and awards for the 2016 season. Looking back on these is always a blast once the season is over, but here they are never-the-less!
AL seeding: 1) Astros 2) Blue Jays 3) Royals 4) Indians 5) Rays (beating the Mariners in a one game playoff to get to the one game playoff)
Indians over Rays: Tampa will be tired from having to play the first one-game playoff and will have already used the ace of the team, making it difficult to match-up against the Indians.
Astros vs. Indians: Indians in five – Cleveland’s pitching overwhelms the strikeout heavy offense of the Astros.
Blue Jays vs. Royals: Blue Jays in four – a reverse of last years ALCS with Toronto coming out on top with deeper pitching and a stronger, better clicking offense.
Blue Jays vs. Indians: Blue Jays in six – Toronto has a stronger, more balanced offense and is able to keep pace with the Indians pitching with a little help from home field advantage.
NL seeding: 1) Cubs 2) Mets 3) Dodgers 4) Pirates 5) Cardinals
Pirates over Cardinals: A one-game playoff has been the bane of the Pirates lately but hey, third time is a charm and this time, Gerrit Cole has a little playoff experience under his belt. The Cardinals are not as overwhelming as they have been in years past and are unable to handle the Pirates in PNC Park.
Cubs vs. Pirates: Pirates in five – the pitching depth still is not quite there for the Cubs (barring a trade deadline move) and the Pirates bullpen can keep a lead once it is acquired. It will be one of the best series in the playoffs, however.
Mets vs. Dodgers: Mets in four – It will not be a sweep, but the Mets pitching overwhelms the lackluster Dodgers this season in a pretty easy fashion.
Mets vs. Pirates: Pirates in seven – No repeat for the Mets this year as the Pirates have a better defense and bullpen than the Mets and those were the exact things that brought NY down against the Royals in the World Series. It will be a long series, however, as the Mets pitching is not going to falter that easily.
World Series: Blue Jays vs. Pirates… Toronto in six – It hurts to write that, but Toronto has an excellently balanced lineup, especially with the DH factored in, and the pitching staff is better than people are giving it credit for.
AL MVP: Carlos Correa – This youngster has loads of talent on offense and defense and he shows it all in his first full season.
NL MVP: Giancarlo Stanton – with a full season under his belt and lineup protection, Stanton might be able to mash 50 homeruns and hit around .300.
AL CY Young: Chris Archer – His power pitching and ability to rack up the Ks helps to push the Rays into the playoffs as well as helping Rays fans forget about David Price… a little bit.
NL CY Young: Zack Greinke – His dominance continues down in Arizona and he wins the award that he was very close to winning in LA last season, making good on the huge contract that he signed as well as giving D-Back fans a reason to hope for next season.
Note: I do not predict Rookie of the Year because there is no way to know what players will be up come mid-season. Ask me again around the All-Star Break.
MLB 16 Preview: AL East
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, starting with the AL East. 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!
Baltimore Orioles: The O’s spent a lot this off-season, dropping a total of 243.06 million down on free agents in hopes of adding on to last year’s slightly disappointing end with an even 81-81 record. The only question about the O’s is if they did enough to make the team any better. Yovani Gallardo came in to the pitching staff, but Wei Yin Chen is gone. The team added a lot of power bats, but now have a log jam at 1st and DH; it is so deep that the team is sacrificing defensive abilities in the corner outfield to accommodate these players.
Boston Red Sox: The Red Sox went very top-heavy this off-season by signing David Price and trading for Carson Smith and Craig Kimbrel to try to make a lock-down bullpen from innings 6 to 9. Which was not a bad idea, given that the pitching behind Price is either injury prone (Clay Buchholz) or was underwhelming last year (Rick Porcello and Joe Kelly), so shortening the game in that instant is not a bad idea. Smith, however, is injured and there is no timetable on his return. Also, an offense that only had three players with over 400 ABs bat above a .275 clip was not addressed too much, albeit a healthy season from Dustin Pedroia and full seasons from Jackie Bradly Jr., Rusney Castillo, and Travis Shaw could really help that issue.
New York Yankees: The Yankees were very un-Yankee like in that they did not sign any big time free agents. Instead, NY went for some big bullpen help in adding Aroldis Chapman, while adding some team depth by acquiring Aaron Hicks and Starlin Castro, all via the trade. The questionable Yankees move was trading LHP Justin Wilson to the Tigers for two pitching prospects. It is good to have minor league depth, but Wilson had a 66-20 K/BB ratio with his second lowest career WHIP at 1.13. Keeping Wilson to go with the Chapman and the closer from last season, Andrew Miller, and other top relief option Dellin Betances would have given the Yankees the best bullpen, on paper, in the AL East, if not the entire AL or even the MLB. And the pitching rotation for the Yankees does not instill much confidence; of the five pitchers who had over 100 IP last season, only two were below a 4.00 and only one was below a 3.50 ERA.
Tampa Bay Rays: Always an interesting team to watch this off-season, the Rays wanted to add offense to what was a very weak aspect of the team last season (.252 team AVG last season). So the Rays dealt from their usual pitching surplus to add Logan Morrison, Brad Miller, and Corey Dickerson while also signing Steve Pearce. Just like the O’s, however, there is now a log-jam at 1B/DH and even the corner outfield slots. It does, however, give a lot of depth to the Rays roster that could lead to an early spring trade if the Rays do not get out to the start they would like. The bullpen, however, took a blow by trading Jake McGee and then watch Brad Boxberger get hit with an injury.
Toronto Blue Jays: The offense is very similar to what it was when the team climbed to the ALCS, but watch for the Jays to try to make a trade to help the OF slots as having Michael Saunders start a majority of games is not a favorable outlook as he has failed to play over 100 games since 2013, and has never played more than 139 games in a season. Even when he stays healthy, it just does not seem to be there; 2012 is his best full season when he hit .247 with 19 HRs. The rotation is going to miss David Price, but the Jays have added to it with having J. A. Happ come in via free agency and putting Aaron Sanchez in the fifth slot.
Predictions:
Blue Jays: 93-69
Rays: 89-73
Red Sox: 86-76
Yankees: 80-82
Orioles: 70-92
The Blue Jays offense is going to have a lot of points and will benefit from having a full season of Troy Tulowitzki, something the defense will benefit from as well. And we saw the Jays make deadline moves to push and that what this team will do this year, push hard to try to win with the amount of big name players entering the last year of their contracts. The Rays starting rotation is still strong, but the bullpen is risky and the offense is questionable. The Rays could win 99 games, could lose 99 games, but I think they will make a push for a return to the post season.
The Red Sox and Yankees both did not do too much to really add to the team. Both teams have huge questions with the starting rotation, the Yankees offense is aging and injury prone and the depth might not be there, while the Red Sox are hoping for a lot of health and rebounds, which can be disastrous. The Orioles are last to me as the team has very little pitching, very little depth, and a line-up that is very heavy on “Strikeout-or-HR” and that approach rarely works (yes, yes I know the Astros made the playoffs like that last year, but they also had a CY Young winner last year, which is something the O’s are missing).
Pirates Payroll: A look at Andrew McCutchen
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
Cole had his moment in my last article (here) so McCutchen gets a chance to be looked at. The big topic about McCutchen is that his contract expires after the 2018 season and that he is being paid well under the market rate for MVP caliber center fielders. Many people would like Cutch to stick in Pittsburgh for the rest of his career. McCutchen wants it, Pirates GM Neil Huntington wants it, even I want it, but only if the price is right.
I am going to say it now to get it out of the way early: the Pirates do NOT need to change McCutchen’s contract right now. Cutch signed his deal knowing he might play over what the Pirates offered him. It is the same thing as Antonio Brown and the Steelers and they have not done anything to change his incredibly team-friendly deal (Link) but that is a football example. So look at the deal that Salvador Perez signed.
Perez signed a deal with the Kansas City Royals in 2011 after playing in 39 games. His deal was worth seven million dollars over five years and holds three team options that run it through 2019 and puts the value at 26.5 million. He later said that he regrets signing that deal and he wants to talk to the Royals about a new contract. That was June of last year. While there has been talk about Perez getting a new deal, the Royals are not in any hurry to extend it or to add to it and when the time comes, the team holds the leverage. They will pay him a little over 17 million over the next four years to play in KC and that is a huge bargain when looking at the price of other catchers. Buster Posey and Brian McCann will be making 20 and 17 million dollars this year alone. KC does not want to add kind of financial addition. In fact, the largest catcher cost for a small market team is Kurt Suzuki of the Minnesota Twins. KC has no motivation to enter that kind of financial position for the catching position right now. KC allocates those other funds to other positions and look, it won a World Series last year.
For the Pirates, it is a very similar place. The door is open to keep McCutchen around but the Pirates are not in a hurry about it right now. The funds that Cutch could be commanding are being used to add other players and extend other pieces of the team long term. McCutchen is being paid about 13 million this season and, if the payroll is about 95 million dollars, he equals about seven percent of the Pirates payroll. McCutchen also is not being out earned by many players on the team; the only Pirate making more is Francisco Liriano at 13.6 million dollars.
Extending players well into their 30’s has not worked out too well lately for MLB players, either. David Wright, Joe Mauer, Ryan Howard, Ryan Zimmerman, Ryan Braun, Alex Rodriguez, and Matt Kemp have all become contracts that have been an albatross for the signing team, Ken Griffey Jr’s extension with the Cincinnati Reds was not overly favorable for CIN, and Miguel Cabrera, Joey Votto, Troy Tulowitzki, and Evan Longoria all have a chance of doing the same. Votto has not been much a huge game changer lately with CIN (admittedly, the team around him has not been very good lately), Tulo is not with the Rockies anymore, and Longoria did sign his new deal with the Tampa Bay Rays when TB had low-cost control of him still and, akin to Votto, he is becoming less of a star player and more of a very-good type player.
Why would the Pirates risk having such an event happen to them? No one is against keeping McCutchen around, but it becomes very hard to do when the player wants to be paid based on what he did and the front office wants to pay for what he is going to do. McCutchen will be 31 when his contract expires, assuming the Pirates pick up his 2018 option (which is a very good assumption) and at that point, a small market team cannot afford to sign a player to a 100 million dollar contract that might strap the team’s payroll very long term. It would be like the Steelers sinking 20 percent of the salary cap space into one player over the age of 30. It makes it very hard to build a team around that one player and harms the future even more if the player gets injured or just fails to perform to the level that is expected when the contract is signed.
Something I think would be fair is this: After McCutchen has had his 2018 option picked up by the Pirates (14.5M); the Pirates should extend a 4 year, 62 million dollar extension (AAV of 15.5M) with incentives that take it up to 67 million and a team option for a fifth season at 16M or a buyout of 3 million. Essentially, it is a four year, 65-70 million dollar deal that can become five years, 80 million with an option and an extra year of incentives (AVV of 16M). That may seem a little low, but going off of today’s numbers, McCutchen would be the fifth highest AVV for all center fielders and 18th for all outfielders and that list does include some very bad contracts (Josh Hamilton, Hanley Ramirez, Braun, Carl Crawford, Kemp) and some contracts on the fringe of being bad (Justin Upton (personal opinion), Shin-Soo Choo, Jason Werth, Hunter Pence, and Andre Either). And notice how none of those names are on a small market team and the five players (Ramirez, Crawford, Upton, Choo, and Pence) that left a small market team to sign with a large market one. And that is just contract data from outfielders.
Long and short of it, it is too risky for a team like Pittsburgh to sign a player on the wrong side of 30 to a very large contract. If another team wants to do pay McCutchen for what he did, then that is their choice. If McCutchen wants to stay with Pittsburgh, he will take the “hometown discount” because he understands the sacrifices some top players have to make to win in a small market town like Pittsburgh. Or at least he should from his tenure in Pittsburgh, watching players come and go. And remember, McCutchen did his chance to play in PIT because the Pirates traded away a bigger contract to open up a slot at center when Nate McLouth was traded to Atlanta.
Playing Armchair GM: Looking at Relief Pitchers who fit with the Pirates
It now appears that Pirates first baseman Pedro Alvarez has been taken off of the trade block and the Pirates momentary search for a new first baseman has ended, it’s time to look at the trade deadline from a different angle. The Pirates offense, when all is said and done, is fine. Gregory Polanco is getting hot as… well late July usually does here in southwest PA. Aramis Ramirez holds down the hot-corner until Josh Harrison and Jordy Mercer return to bolster the line-up which will, in turn, bolster the bench. Getting two regular players back at full health, and fully rested, in the middle of August is the same, if not better, than making a deadline for a new offensive bat. Not saying that first base, and the infield as a whole, isn’t something the Pirates shouldn’t address in the future, as in the off-season, but it isn’t something that needs to be addressed right here, right now. No, the Pirates needs lie in pitching.
Relief pitching should be the Pirates number one target right now. The bullpen is flexible in that there is an ability to move players. First, injured Rob Scahill (26 IP, 27 hits, 12 walks, 22 Ks, 12 runs allowed, six earned and two home runs) can be optioned to AAA upon return from his rehab and rookie Deolis Guerra (14.1 IP, 15 hits, two walks, 13 Ks, five earned runs allowed, three home runs) can also be optioned back if needed. Two other members of the bullpen, Vance Worley (69 IP (eight starts) 75 hits, 19 walks, 47 Ks, 33 runs allowed, 29 earned and six home runs) and Arquimedes Caminero (44.1 IP, 41 hits, 17 walks, 47 Ks, 23 runs allowed, 22 earned and six home runs) don’t have any options left but still have three and five years of team control left, respectively. Neither is pitching particularly amazingly and could have a high chance of passing through waivers if DFA’d. Also, the team control factors could make them minor throw-in pieces to a trade. Finally, Antonia Bastardo (30 IP, 28 hits, 13 walks, 28 Ks, 13 earned runs and four home runs) was a poor replacement of LHP Justin Wilson (sent to the Yankees for Francisco Cervelli) and is a free agent after this season. So if he were to be removed from the active roster, it wouldn’t be the worst of choices.
So, with that flexibility, the Pirates can go and obtain another reliever without really losing anything, especially if Pittsburgh capitalizes on the two players with options remaining. The Pirates don’t need just any reliever, though, they need an arm that is reliable in a high leverage situation to help take some pressure off of Jared Hughes, Tony Watson, and Mark Melancon (combined 142 appearances and 134.2 innings pitched but only 27 earned runs for a group ERA of 1.87) as the Pirates go down the stretch. Ideally, the Pirates would also like to get someone with control to avoid what the Orioles went through last trade deadline; acquiring a big name reliever in Andrew Miller, give up a top prospect, not be able to go far with him in the postseason, and watch him leave via free agency. With all that said, I’ve narrowed it to four names for the Pirates, in descending order of ideal want: Will Smith of the Brewers, Jake McGee of the Rays, Joaquin Benoit of the Padres, and Joakim Soria of the Tigers.
Will Smith: Came over to the Brewers from the Royals in the 2013-14 off-season as a trade and is a lefty. He’s making 512.5 thousand dollars this season and has three years of arbitration yet to come. He fits the Pirates need and mold perfectly and Pittsburgh has already traded with the Brewers so they have an idea of who Milwaukee likes. It cost Milwaukee Nori Aoki to acquire him at the time so that’s a base-level estimate of what it may cost to get Smith. Along with his youth, cost control and excellent numbers this season (36 IP, 26 hits, 14 walks, 50 Ks, 10 runs, seven earned, and one home run) it might cost the Pirates a top-20 prospect.
If so, deal from a position of strength, the outfield. The major league outfield is set till at least 2019 (McCutchen will be a free agent com 2019) and the Pirates have plenty of players who can play the outfield in the system. In AAA the Pirates have Keon Broxton and Willy Garcia to dangle, Stetson Allie, Barrett Barnes, Josh Bell and Mel Rojas Jr. in AA, and Austin Medows and Harold Ramirez in high-A ball. Of that list, five of them are on the Pirates pre-season top-20 prospect list. Someone such as Ramirez might be enough to get the deal done by himself or a package of Garcia and a lower-tier pitcher.
Jake McGee: He’s also a lefty but only has one more year of team control left as he enters his third, and final, year in arbitration after this season. His numbers are just as good as Smith’s (23.2 IP 14 hits, three walks, 32 Ks, four runs, three earned, one home run) but he missed a little time due to injury this season as he started the season on the DL due to elbow surgery. However, he’s come back and is striking out almost double the amount of base runners he allows. Tampa Bay is 7.5 games back of the Yankees, 4 for the Wild Card, and may not decide to sell but if they do, they don’t mind taking on high level or lower level prospects. Again, a one-for-one of Ramirez might get the job done in this case or Tampa might take a package of lower-tier but high-ceiling prospects.
Joaquin Benoit: He’s a right hander and making a little more money than the other two options, but he comes with an extra aspect of control: an 8 million dollar option for next season with a 1.5M buyout. He’s making 8M this season, about half of that left at this point in the season, so he’s not a terribly expensive addition but he also isn’t as young as the other two pitchers as he just turned 38 yesterday. He’s spent most of his career as a set-up man so he’s not stranger to the 7th or 8th inning role. Any deal with the Padres would more than likely include a little bit of cash coming from San Diego (say, 1.5M this season and 1.5 next to either cover the buyout or the early part of his contract) and might be a little cheaper than the other two even with his stats (43.2 IP, 21 hits, 16 walks, 39 Ks, 11 earned runs, five home runs) due to his age and extra money. Combination of Allie and Barnes would be an interesting deal to make here.
Joakim Soria: He’s last on the list because he’s a free agent after this season, he’s been a closer this season and in the past, Detroit still doesn’t know if they’re sellers or buyers, and his numbers aren’t as good as the others (40 IP, 32 hits, 11 walks, 34 Ks, 13 earned runs, 8 home runs). He might be the cheapest option in terms of prospects here, but it’s hard to trade for a current closer and ask him to not fill that role. Sure, he’s been a set-up man in the past with Texas and Detroit but he’s been a closer for seven of his nine seasons. I wouldn’t trade any top prospects for him, but dangle a few others at Detroit like Broxton or Rojas Jr.
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
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 
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