The Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox have been two of the best teams in baseball this season. It’s only fair that both franchises dominated the rosters for the upcoming 2016 MLB All-Star Game next week. The roster was announced a few days, and these are the players slated to participate in the event.
AL Starters
C Salvador Perez, Royals (leading vote-getter among all players)
1B Eric Hosmer, Royals
2B Jose Altuve, Astros
SS Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox
3B Manny Machado, Orioles
OF Mike Trout, Angels
OF Jackie Bradley Jr., Red Sox
OF Mookie Betts, Red Sox
DH David Ortiz, Red Sox
No big surprises here, although the fact that Perez led all players was a bit odd. This is the first time in history the entire All-Star starting infield and catcher are age 26 and younger. Furthermore, Boston contributes with two outfielders, the starting shortstop and the DH. All four players could easily be in the AL MVP conversation at the end of the season. The other starters – Perez, Hosmer, Altuve, Machado and Trout – deserve their berth completely.
AL Reserves
C Stephen Vogt, Athletics
C Matt Wieters, Orioles
1B Miguel Cabrera, Tigers
2B Robinson Cano, Mariners
SS Francisco Lindor, Indians
3B Josh Donaldson, Blue Jays
IF Eduardo Nunez, Twins
OF Carlos Beltran, Yankees
OF Ian Desmond, Rangers
OF Mark Trumbo, Orioles
DH Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays
That’s a pretty stacked bench, isn’t it? Cabrera, Encarnacion and Trumbo are three of the best sluggers in the game, while Lindor and Cano can form an intriguing double-play combo. Josh Donaldson could’ve easily been a starter, too, giving he’s the reigning AL MVP.
AL Pitchers
RHP Marco Estrada, Blue Jays
LHP Cole Hamels, Rangers
RHP Danny Salazar, Indians
LHP Chris Sale, White Sox
RHP Steven Wright, Red Sox
RHP Dellin Betances, Yankees
RHP Brad Brach, Orioles
RHP Zach Britton, Orioles
RHP Alex Colome, Rays
RHP Wade Davis, Royals (injured, will be replaced)
RHP Will Harris, Astros
RHP Kelvin Herrera, Royals
RHP Craig Kimbrel, Red Sox
LHP Andrew Miller, Yankees
Quality starters and a flamethrowing bullpen will represent the AL. Hamels, Salazar and Sale have been stellar this year, although the White Sox lefty is expected to be the starter. The bullpen includes the likes of Betances, Miller, Kimbreal and Britton, so it’s safe to say the NL will have a tough time coming back if they fall into an early deficit.
NL Starters
C Buster Posey, Giants
1B Anthony Rizzo, Cubs
2B Ben Zobrist, Cubs
SS Addison Russell, Cubs
3B Kris Bryant, Cubs
OF Bryce Harper, Nationals
OF Yoenis Cespedes, Mets
OF Dexter Fowler, Cubs
The Cubs will have all four infielders in the starting lineup, making it the first time since 1963 this sort of thing happens. It clearly speaks to the level of dominance the Cubs have shown in the National League. The other starters will be Fowler who also plays for Chicago, Posey, Harper and Cespedes. Washington’s outfielder starts solely because he’s the NL MVP; otherwise he’d been left out of the team, since his season hasn’t been very good of late.
NL Reserves
C Jonathan Lucroy, Brewers
C Wilson Ramos, Nationals
1B Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks
1B Wil Myers, Padres
2B Daniel Murphy, Nationals
SS Corey Seager, Dodgers
3B Nolan Arenado, Rockies
IF Matt Carpenter, Cardinals
OF Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies
OF Odubel Herrera, Phillies
OF Marcell Ozuna, Marlins
OF Adam Duvall, Reds
The NL bench can match power with the best of them. Duvall, Gonzalez, Arenado and Goldschmidt have power to boot, but they’re also some quality defenders. Goldschmidt, Gonzalez and Arenado all have won a few Gold Gloves in his career.
NL Pitchers
RHP Jake Arrieta, Cubs
LHP Madison Bumgarner, Giants
RHP Johnny Cueto, Giants
RHP Jose Fernandez, Marlins
LHP Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers (injured, will be replaced)
LHP Jon Lester, Cubs
RHP Stephen Strasburg, Nationals
RHP Noah Syndergaard, Mets
RHP Julio Teheran, Braves
RHP Jeurys Familia, Mets
RHP Kenley Jansen, Dodgers
RHP Mark Melancon, Pirates
RHP A.J. Ramos, Marlins
RHP Fernando Rodney, Padres/Marlins
Clayton Kershaw won’t be the NL starter due to injury, but they don’t have to worry too much about it, since there are plenty of options to take his place. Arrieta, Bumgarner, Cueto and Fernandez are all capable of getting the nod to replace the lefty, but the Cuban righty could be the one set to start. The relievers are pretty good, too, with established stars like Familia, Melancon and Jansen mixing with a veteran like Rodney, the biggest candidate to win the NL Comeback Player of the Year this season.
The best of the best will face each other in PETCO Park next week. Will the NL break the AL’s three-game wining streak, or with the AL continue their torrid form of late? Only time will tell.