So I’ve put up my NL All Star ballot, and wanted to continue
with my AL Ballot. You can click here to read my NL ballot, which includes a rundown of my feelings on the All
Star game as well as a breakdown on the way I chose my players. The short story is that I look at WAR
(wins above replacement) and then use the stats after that to make a
decision. Interestingly, when I
look at the overall WAR rankings in all of baseball, NL players hold the top 5
spots and 6 of the top 10 spots.
I’m not sure why that is.
Maybe the teams in the AL are better overall (the interleague record
supports that) so each player’s individual importance to the team is
lessened. Or maybe I’m completely
wrong. But let’s get back to my
ballot. I’ll pick one player for
each position as well as 5 bench spots.
In addition, I’ll go with 3 starters (including the one I think should
start the game) and 2 relievers.
So let’s jump right into my picks for the junior circuit.
American
League
C: A.J.
Pierzynski CHW- So this one was tough. The top 3 WAR players in the catching position are all in
the NL. Pierzynski only has the
third best WAR among AL catchers, behind Joe Mauer and Matt Wieters. And it’s fairly average at 2.0. Mauer has a better batting AVG
(322). But Pierzynski’s is the
second best in the AL this season at 284.
In addition, he’s first in the AL with 12 HR, first with 41 RBI, and
second with 33 R. The current vote
leader is Mike Napoli, who is tied with Pierzynski for the AL catcher HR
lead. He’s also tied with Joe
Mauer, the average leader, with 34 R.
But Napoli has fewer RBI and is not nearly as good defensively as
Pierzynski. If Mauer and Napoli
combined to have Napoli’s power and Mauer’s average and defense then maybe they
would overtake Pierzynski in my opinion.
But as it is, he’s either first or second in every offensive
category. I’m picking him, over
Mauer, Napoli, and the other guy with a higher WAR, Matt Wieters. Pierzynski is having a great
season. Maybe he’s trying to make
people notice something about him other than being one of the least liked players in baseball. Either way, I
think he’s my starter.
1B: Paul
Konerko CHW- I promise I’m not a White Sox fan. But Pauly K (no one calls him that) is having a great season
this year. He continues to ignore
the summons of father time and is putting up great numbers at 36 years old. His 2.2 WAR is tied for the second best
WAR among all first basemen, first in the AL. (He’s tied with Edwin Encarnacion, who is mainly a DH). But he’s hitting 333 with 13 HR, 39 RBI
and 37 R. The AVG is the best
among AL first basemen. The HR,
RBI and R numbers are in the top 10 in the AL. And he is hitting cleanup in a surprisingly good White Sox
lineup that is currently in first in the AL Central. Konerko is currently second in the AL vote totals behind
Prince Fielder. And while Fielder
is playing well at 306, that’s 27 points behind Konerko. He also has one fewer HR and only one
more RBI and R. Fielder is known
for his power, and Konerko has more HR.
Konerko is also a superior defender. I like Fielder, but I think Konerko should start this game.
2B: Robinson
Cano NYY- This one was tough.
I was looking at three guys, Cano, Ian Kinsler and Jason Kipnis. A closer look showed that Kipnis was
slightly ahead of Kinsler with a higher AVG (273 to 270) as well as a few more
HR, RBI and steals. Those numbers
gave him the nod over Kinsler, despite his higher numbers in the Hit and R
categories. So that narrowed it
down to Cano and Kipnis. And in
the end it’s got to be Cano. His
3.6 WAR is the best out of all MLB second basemen. His 301 AVG is better and he leads AL second basemen with 17
HR. He has fewer RBI and SBs than
Kipnis, but the power is very impressive and he’s a better defender. There has been a lot made about his
struggles with runners in scoring position, but all the Yankees are struggling
there. For the purposes of
comparing AL second basemen, he’s got the most HR and R, a good number of RBI,
the best AVG and is very good with the leather. He leads Ian Kinsler in the voting, but it’s very
close. Both of them will likely
make the team, but I think Cano should certainly get the nod to start.
SS: Elvis
Andrus TEX- Andrus has to be the winner here. His 2.9 WAR is the best among all MLB shortstops. He’s got the third best AVG for AL
shortstops and leads them all in R and SBs. For me it was really between Andrus and Asdrubal Cabrera of
the Indians. Cabrera’s got the
second best WAR for AL shortstops.
He’s hitting 291 with 9 HR, 33 RBI and 36 R. They are very different types of hitters, as Andrus hits
near the top of the order and scores R, while Cabrera helps drive them in. But calling them equal at the plate,
which I’m not sure about, we look to the glove-work, where Andrus is
superior. Right now Derek Jeter is
running away with the voting, which is a prime example of why the fan vote shouldn’t
count for much. He’s hitting a few
points better than Andrus, but trails in every other category other than
HR. Both are leadoff hitters, but
Andrus has more R, SB and a better wRC (weighted Runs Created) score. In addition, defensive metrics rate
Jeter as one of the worst defenders at the shortstop position way behind
Andrus. I don’t buy into the
defensive metrics a lot, as they are flawed, but clearly he doesn’t nearly have
the range of Andrus. And since
both hit leadoff, we can see that Andrus’ numbers are superior to Jeter’s in
all the areas that leadoff men are supposed to excel in. Andrus has fallen to third in the
voting, but doesn’t play in nearly as big of a market or have the name
recognition of the great Jeter or the very good Cabrera. Perhaps all three belong in the game
(I’d pick other the other two before Jeter) but Andrus certainly deserves to
start. As it is, it’s starting to
look like he’ll be watching from home.
3B: Miguel
Cabrera DET- Another instance where WAR has failed us. According to Fangraphs’ WAR rankings,
Cabrera is 4th in the AL with a 2.1 WAR. He’s .4 behind Adrian Beltre in third and .6 behind Brett
Lawrie and Mike Moustakas, the leaders of the category in the AL. However it’s Cabrera who leads all MLB
third basemen in HR and RBI. He’s
in a tie for third in R in the AL.
The only thing not to like about Cabrera is his defense, where metrics
have him rated as the worst. But
once again defensive metrics are not great, and while he’s certainly not going
to be winning any Gold Gloves at the hot corner, he’s not as bad as people make
him out to be. Adrian Beltre
currently leads in the fan vote, and he’s a good choice. He’s got a higher AVG and WAR than
Cabrera and plays a much better defense.
But I just love watching Cabrera hit. He’s got the second most RBI in baseball, and he can still
play first and DH for a Detroit club that is struggling. Both will make the team. Beltre deserves to be there, and if you
think he deserves to start I’d understand. But I’m going with Cabrera.
OF: Josh
Hamilton TEX- This one was
also pretty easy. Josh Hamilton
has been the best player in baseball this season, hands down. His WAR is second among AL outfielders,
4th among all outfielders and 8th in all of
baseball. And that’s after a slight
slump. Hamilton is hitting 317
with 24 HR, 67 RBI, 48 R and 6 SB.
He’s on pace to hit 50 HR, 140 RBI, 100 R and 15 SB. Those are video game numbers. He’s also on pace to set the record of
fan votes in one season. The
former MVP is healthy and playing as well as we knew he could. His HR and RBI numbers lead all AL
outfielders and his AVG is very good.
He’s even able to steal bases, though they limit him because they are
afraid he’ll get hurt. But he can
play center and left, and is a monster at the plate this season. Hamilton will be a starter in the All
Star game. And no one could be
more deserving.
OF: Mike
Trout LAA- The only outfielder in the AL with a higher WAR than Hamilton is
the rookie Trout. In addition, he
leads all AL players in WAR and has only played in 52 games this season after
starting the year in the minors. But
he is being credited with turning the Angels season around after joining the
big league club. He leads all AL
outfielders with a 335 AVG. In
only 52 games, he already has a league leading 21 SB, one behind Dee Gordon for
the MLB lead. He’s got 7 HR, 29
RBI and 44 R. Once again, that’s
44 R in 52 games. He should
absolutely be in the All Star game this year. I’ve heard some people complaining that he hasn’t had a full
season yet. But that only makes
his numbers all the more impressive in my opinion. Unfortunately Trout is not on the ballot this year. The only chance he has to make the team
would be as the result of the players’ ballot. I hope he makes it, because after Josh Hamilton I can think
of no one who deserves to be in the Mid-Summer classic more than Mike
Trout.
OF: Adam
Jones BAL- For my third pick I once again just moved down the list of WAR
for AL outfielders. Adam Jones is
having a great season, hitting 298 with 19 HR, 40 RBI, 49 R and 10 SB. He’s playing solid defense for a team
in Baltimore that has stayed in the thick of the AL East race the entire first
half of the season. Jones has had
good seasons before, but has also been known to be fairly streaky. But this season he’s been consistently
good, hitting in the middle of that Oriole order. He can play center and right field, has good speed, good power
and is improving his contact.
There are other good outfielders out there to consider including the
number 2 and 3 vote getters Jose Bautista and Curtis Granderson (Josh Hamilton
is, of course, number 1) or even Mark Trumbo who has played all over the
diamond. But despite Bautista and
Granderson’s great power, I’m going with Jones who has a ton of homers himself,
in addition to a superior AVG and better speed.
DH: Adam
Dunn CHW- Dunn said he was eying the comeback player of the year
award. I think being an AL All
Star would be even better, and keep him right on track to get that first award
he covets. There are other DHs
with higher WARs than Dunn (David Ortiz, Edwin Encarnacion). Both also have higher AVGs. But Dunn leads all true DHs (some guys
like Joe Mauer and Alex Rodriguez are listed as DHs in addition to their actual
position) in HR and RBI. You
either like Dunn as a player, or you don’t. He’s a king of the three true outcomes (HR, BB, and
Ks). He’s on pace to set the
single season K record this season.
But he’s got a good 357 OBP and crushes the ball, driving in runs for
the White Sox who are in the thick of the AL Central race. I’m a big fan of what he does. And when you look at how bad he was
last season, that just makes his performance this year all the more
impressive. If you don’t like his
AVG and think he Ks too much I’d understand. If you think Encarnacion or Ortiz is more deserving, I
couldn’t argue with you. But I
think Dunn is a pure power hitter, and is having a great year.
Bench: So
here are my bench players for the AL squad.
1.
Jose
Bautista TOR- The Home Run King of the past few years certainly deserves to
make it to Kansas City this year.
He had a slow start, and is still only hitting 237, but has returned to
his perch atop the major league leader board in HR with 25. He’s also got strong RBI and R
numbers. He plays a solid right
field, and is another true slugger.
It looks like he’s going to make the team due to the fan vote, and I’m
okay with that.
2.
Mark
Trumbo LAA- Lost to all the excitement of Mike Trout is the great year
Trumbo is having. After being
asked to move to third to make room for Pujols and then asked to play third and
outfield, Trumbo has continued to hit.
They do all they can to keep his bat in the lineup, whether he’s at
third, in left or DHing. But at
313 with 18 HR, 50 RBI, 35 R and 4 SB, I don’t think there are many more
deserving than him.
3.
Jason
Kipnis CLE- This young man has played his heart out this season. If only he didn’t play the same
position as Cano, one of the best hitters in baseball who has the voting well
in hand even in a season where he struggles to hit with men in scoring
position. But I still think he
should be a part of the Mid Summer festivities, even if he doesn’t start. He’s hitting 276 with 11 HR, 43 RBI, 47
R and 18 SB. He gets on base and
scores for the Indians who are right behind the White Sox in the AL Central
race. He’s a good young player who
should be at his first all star game this year. Unfortuantely it looks like he’ll be the odd man out behind
Cano (deserving) and Kinsler (I like him…but I think Kipnis deserves to be
there more).
4.
Adrian
Beltre TEX- I like this pick a lot.
I was really close between Beltre and Cabrera for my third base starter,
so it only made sense to put him on my All Star bench. In fact, I originally chose Beltre, but
went back and adjusted it. But the
fact is, Beltre has a better AVG than Cabrera, has a superior WAR, plays Gold
Glove defense and has the same number of R. I feel good about getting both of them in on my ballot.
5.
Edwin
Encarnacion TOR- I looked at a lot of guys here. Austin Jackson, Josh Willingham, Josh Reddick, David Ortiz,
Curtis Granderson. But I went with
Encarnacion because he is really playing well. He’s hitting 286 with 22 HR, 54 RBI, 45 R and 6 SB. He’s mainly a DH for the Blue Jays, but
can also play first, third and left field. I love his power and think his AVG is setting him up for the
best year of his career. Ortiz has
great power and a better AVG, but Encarnacion is outslugging him. He’s hit for more power than
Granderson, Reddick and Willingham.
And Jackson is hitting over 300 and scoring runs. But he’s only got a handful of steals
and still strikes out too much. The
AL is loaded with good hitters, like the NL is loaded with pitching. A lot of these guys will get to join
the team. But these are my five
that I have to add to the starting group.
SP: Justin
Verlander DET- The season after winning both the MVP and Cy Young,
Verlander is having another strong year for a struggling Tigers team. He’s got the best ERA of all AL
pitchers and is also leading in IP.
His 8-4 record isn’t as good as his 2.52 ERA. He’s the best pitcher in baseball, and he’s still striking
out a ton of guys while throwing gas and keeping his ERA down. He deserves the start, if for no other
reason than the great starts he puts out should be turned into wins by some
team, even if it’s a team of All Stars.
SP: Jered
Weaver LAA- Once again he’s the best pitcher in the AL not named
Verlander. If it weren’t for that
master in Detroit, we’d be talking about Weaver looking at another Cy
Young. He’s got great stuff,
strikes out a ton of guys and has a miniscule ERA. Only one pitcher does it better. But this season, Weaver looks like the stronger of the two,
going 8-1 with a 2.31 ERA. Even
when the Angels were struggling, he was not. And now that they are winning, he’s at the forefront. Weaver is a fantastic pitcher, often
overlooked due to the talent around him.
But he’s a star and if Verlander doesn’t start, Weaver should.
SP: David
Price TB- The best of the trio of pitchers with 10 Wins. The number is the top in the AL. He shares it with Matt Harrison and Yu
Darvish. But Price has the best
ERA (2.95) of all of them and great K numbers. He also has more IP.
This lefty is going to win some Cy Young’s soon, especially if Verlander
gets traded to an NL team (unlikely).
Price can strike you out and keep you from touching the ball. He’s got great stuff and great command
and plays in the tough AL East. I
like the two Rangers guys, but they have similar numbers and arguably less
competition. All should be on this
team, and I bet they will be. So
will C.J. Wilson and Jake Peavy.
But if I only get three starters, this lefty is my third guy.
RP: Jim
Johnson BAL- When it comes to great players we didn’t know about last
season, this guy has to be near the top.
I didn’t know who he was a few months ago. But with 22 Saves for an upstart Oriole team, Jim Johnson
sits in second in the AL Saves department. He’s got a stunning 1.10 ERA. There’s nothing not to like about him. He may not be a big name, but he’s
earned a spot on this team with his great control and miniscule BAA. He’s my number one reliever.
RP: Fernando
Rodney TB- Another Ray who should make this team. Fernando Rodney is third in the AL with 21 Saves. He and Johnson trail Chris Perez who is
the league leader with 23 Saves.
But Rodney’s ERA is even better than Johnson’s 1.07. He strikes out more guys and walks
fewer. But hitters are hitting
better against him. That’s the
difference to me. I bet Chris
Perez and possibly Joe Nathan will make the team too, but I think Rodney has to
be my second reliever if I only get two.
We should see him at the game this season.
Okay so that’s my AL Ballot. I’d love to hear your thoughts. Or your picks.
And I can’t wait to see the game and see which of my picks will be a
part of it. After the voting gets
announced, I’ll put together my team of All Star snubs.
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