MLB.com released the All-Star ballot yesterday for the Mid-Summer Classic taking place at Cincinnati’s Great American Ballpark. As fans can vote up to 35 times, it is going to be a crazy process as always. There will be surely be plenty of changes in voting patterns between now and July 14th.
We tried to predict an altogether way-too-early ballot for both the AL and NL squads. It’ll be interesting to see how many of these names actually take the field during the All-Star festivities.
*Take notice that since the game is in a National League park, there is no voting for designated hitter in the American League.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
First Base: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers. The two-time MVP is having himself a hell of a start to 2015. He’s hitting .370 (3rd best in AL) with 5 home runs and 17 RBI. He’s the bedrock in a lineup that is currently the best in the American League. He’ll get plenty of fan support, plus the neutral votes with his gaudy numbers.
Other options: Eric Hosmer, Kansas City; Prince Fielder, Texas
Second Base: Devon Travis, Toronto Blue Jays. Travis has been one of the more pleasant surprises of the early months of the Major League season. Many thought he had a chance to make Toronto’s Opening Day roster following his trade from Detroit. Few though believed he would be the Jays’ top offensive force at the top of the order. He leads all AL second basemen with 6 home runs, 19 RBI, and a 1.063 OPS. He is second in the league with 17 runs scored. Nobody is taking those at-bats away from Travis. Canadians always stuff the ballot boxes for their Jays so he has a legitimate shot at a start in Cincy.
Other options: Jose Altuve, Houston; Dustin Pedroia, Boston
Shortstop: Jose Iglesias, Detroit Tigers. Iglesias has continued to show that his ability to hit for average at the Major League level was no fluke. He is still an elite fielder and an exemplary base runner. He will score runs with the plethora of bats behind him. His only real competition at the position, Houston’s Jed Lowrie, just got hurt so this could be a landslide.
Other options: Jed Lowrie, Houston; Xander Bogaerts, Boston
Third Base: Josh Donaldson, Toronto Blue Jays. The Bringer of Rain has shown no signs of trouble in his transition from Oakland to Toronto. Donaldson is tied for the position lead in home runs with 5 and leads in RBI with 16. Several of those have come in big spots including his walk off homer against Atlanta earlier in the month. Toronto’s stacked lineup will only allow for him to continue on this current pace.
Other options: Mike Moustakas, Kansas City; Alex Rodriguez, New York (he’s going to get a lot of votes!)
Catcher: Stephen Vogt, Oakland Athletics. Vogt was an afterthought coming into the season even with the departures of previous incumbents Derek Norris and John Jaso. However, Vogt has leaped to the forefront of American League backstops with a tremendous April. He’s hit .348 with 4 home runs and 15 RBI. His 1.027 OPS is fifth among all American League hitters. He probably won’t get the votes due to a lack of name recognition but he deserves to be an All-Star thus far.
Other options: Salvador Perez, Kansas City; Brian McCann, New York
Outfielders: Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles; Nelson Cruz, Seattle Mariners; Hanley Ramirez, Boston Red Sox. This is a trio of outfielders that have dominated the first month in the American League. Cruz and Ramirez have both already reached double digits in home runs (10) while Jones leads the circuit in batting average at .400. All three have All-Star pedigrees so it will probably take a catastrophic injury to any of the three to fall off their current course. If that doesn’t happen, the American League will have themselves quite the heart of the order.
Other options: Yoenis Cespedes, Detroit; Lorenzo Cain, Kansas City; Mike Trout, Los Angeles
NATIONAL LEAGUE
First Base: Adrian Gonzalez, Los Angeles Dodgers. There has been enough praise heaped on the shoulders of El Titan thus far and he just continues to rake. He is carrying the walking wounded Dodgers with a .383 batting average, an NL-high 8 home runs, and 19 RBI. He’s also playing Gold Glove caliber defense at first base, if that matters to you.
Other options: Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona; Joey Votto, Cincinnati
Second Base: Dee Gordon, Miami Marlins. The NL’s leading hitter is acclimating quite well to his new digs in South Beach. He’s batting .409 with a .902 OPS and 8 stolen bases. He’s providing a much needed spark at the top of the Marlins’ order. With the usual suspects for the second base spot in the NL having down years so far, Gordon could garner some much warranted recognition.
Other options: D.J. LeMahieu, Colorado; Howard Kendrick, Los Angeles
Shortstop: Adeiny Hechavarria, Miami Marlins. Gordon’s counterpart up the middle in Miami is off to a flying start as well. The young Cuban has scored as many runs as he’s knocked in (16) and is second among NL shortstops in batting average at .321. He’s done this while making an early case for his first ever Gold Glove. There are way too many more familiar faces ahead of him in the NL shortstop pecking order. Nevertheless, he should be given his just due if he continues to produce.
Other options: Starlin Castro, Chicago; Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado
Third Base: Matt Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals. Carpenter has slowly become the heart and soul of this Cardinals team. Fully entrenched now at third base, Carpenter’s bat has life again. He’s hit an NL-best 12 doubles to go with a .361 average and 1.056 OPS. Third base is a shallow position in the National League this year so Carpenter has a chance to be one of the top vote getters, even if he does play for a rival of the All-Star Game hosts.
Other options: Nolan Arenado, Colorado; Todd Frazier, Cincinnati
Catcher: Derek Norris, San Diego Padres. Norris is proving so far that he was not a one hit wonder last season in Oakland. While Petco Park has predictably sapped a bit of his home run stroke, he has more than double his next closest catching compatriot with 9 doubles. His 25 hits also pace the position. He hasn’t just been a bopper though. Norris has been a steadying hand for a Padres’ pitching staff hitting some early season speed bumps.
Other options: Buster Posey, San Francisco; A.J. Pierzynski, Atlanta
Outfielders: Matt Holliday, St. Louis Cardinals; Joc Pederson, Los Angeles Dodgers; Wil Myers, San Diego Padres. This triumvirate of talent has been magnificent through twenty odd games. Holliday is tops among NL outfielders with a .371 average and has more walks than strikeouts. Pederson is staking an early claim for NL Rookie of the Year with a 1.057 OPS (3rd best in NL) and spectacular defense in center field. It was quite the conundrum picking between the three new Padres outfielder but Myers has stuck out most. He’s scored an NL best 21 runs and 11 of his 28 hits have gone for extra bases.
Other options: Giancarlo Stanton, Miami; Corey Dickerson, Colorado; Bryce Harper, Washington