In just under a month, some of the games top players will make their way to Cincinnati for the Midsummer Classic. This year's All-Star Game has already generated to some buzz because of the new online voting for the fans. Much of that buzz has been directed towards the AL, where 7 players from the Kansas City Royals currently lead in voting. I give the Royals fans a ton of credit, but this can't happen. It's made MLB take another look at how the All-Star Game should be played. But that's a discussion for another day. Here's a look at my ballot for the 2015 MLB All-Star Game.
American League
Catcher: Stephen Vogt (Oakland Athletics)
Stephen Vogt is probably one of the more underrated players in the game today. Ever since hitting a walk-off RBI single against the Detroit Tigers in the 2013 ALDS, Vogt has continued to improve every season. Although he has cooled off some since May, Vogt leads almost every offensive category among catchers. His ..301 AVG, 393 OBP, 13 HR, 53 RBI and 3.0 WAR leads all catchers in the AL. Vogt also leads all catchers in walks with 38.
However, the one thing that may knock Vogt from getting into the All-Star Game is how badly the Oakland A's are playing this season. After having one the best records in baseball a year ago, the Athletics now have the 3rd worst record in the AL this season. Playing for a losing ball club will certainly hurt his chances of starting in Cincinnati, but he will more than likely make the team as a reserve. But let's put baseball aside for a moment, this is just hilarious.
First Baseman: Miguel Cabrera (Detroit Tigers)
Finally, Miguel Cabrera is the leader in votes at first base after falling behind early to Kansas City's Eric Hosmer. To no one's surprise, Miggy is having another great (possibly MVP) season, batting .351/.455/.590 for the Tigers. He also leads all first baseman in the AL with 52 RBI's, 1.045 OPS and 3.8 WAR. As of June 22nd, Cabrera is well over a million votes ahead of Hosmer for the starting nod. The fact that Cabrera was challenged for the starting spot is ridiculous.
Second Baseman: Jason Kipnis (Cleveland Indians)
After a disappointing 2014 season, Jason Kipnis has gotten off to a great start in 2015. The Indians second baseman has quietly been hitting .354 this season which is good for 1st in the AL. He leads all second baseman in OBP (.431), SLG (.521), OPS (.952) and WAR (4.6). Talk about a major improvement from last year in which he batted .240 with 6 HR and 41 RBI (Already has 5 HR and 31 RBI this season).
Kansas City's Omar Infante is currently leading all second baseman in votes, sitting about 400,000 ahead of Houston's Jose Altuve. Out of all of the Royals currently starting in the All-Star game, Infante has to be the most puzzling. Infante, statistically, is the worst second baseman in the AL. What's even more puzzling is that Kipnis is 4th in the vote tally behind Ian Kinsler. Unless something miraculous happens, Kipnis won't make it to Cincinnati which is a real shame.
Short Stop: Jose Iglesias (Detroit Tigers)
This might the most difficult position to vote for this season, because there isn't one player that really stands out from the rest. Kansas City's Alcides Escobar currently leads the AL in votes, with a 500,000 vote lead over Jose Iglesias. Iglesias gets the nod from me because of his great defense and improving batting numbers. Now, Iglesias may not be as deserving because he missed some time due to injury. But in 202 PA he is batting .323 with an OBP of .412. But its what he does with the glove that is so impressive with Iglesias. One could argue that he and Andrelton Simmons are the most exciting SS's in the game today. The sample size with Iglesias isn't as big as what voters would like, but a talent this good shouldn't go unrecognized.
Third Baseman: Josh Donaldson (Toronto Blue Jays)
Can someone explain to me why Josh Donaldson has fewer votes than Mike Moustakas? Don't get me wrong, Moustakas is having an All-Star caliber season, but not the season that Donaldson is having thus far. Donaldson is one of the hottest hitters in baseball right now, and he's making a legitimate MVP case. Donaldson is batting .298 with 17 HR and 46 RBI. Along with that, his .536 SLG and 3.6 WAR are the highest among third baseman in the AL. His presence has certainly made the Blue Jays a contender in the AL East, not only with his bat, but with his glove as well.
Outfield: Mike Trout (Los Angeles Angels), Lorenzo Cain (Kansas City Royals), Jose Bautista (Toronto Blue Jays)
Mike Trout, Lorenzo Cain and Alex Gordon are the current vote leaders for the AL outfield. There isn't much change from the fan vote to my ballot, with Jose Bautista taking the place of Alex Gordon. I like Bautista slightly over Gordon because his offensive numbers are better. Bautista is batting .251/.392/.524 compared to Gordon's .264/.381/.434. The big difference is Bautista's 50 RBI's and .917 OPS compared to Gordon's 31 RBI's and .815 OPS. Gordon is a little over 1.5 million votes ahead of Bautista, and will more than likely get the starting nod along with his teammate Lorenzo Cain and Mike Trout. Bautista still sits behind Yoenis Cespedes and Alex Rios, but with a couple of weeks left for fans to vote, maybe Bautista can find a spot on the roster. Cain and Trout are two of the best 5-tool outfielders in the game, and should be the starters for the AL.
DH: Nelson Cruz (Seattle Mariners)
Kendrys Morales is currently the vote leader for the DH spot. Although Morales is having a great comeback year in KC, Nelson Cruz gets the vote for me. Cruz absolutely torched opposing pitchers in April and May, but has cooled off some in the last couple of weeks due to injuries. On the year, Cruz is batting .308/.375/.559 with 19 HR's and 44 RBI's. Compare that to Kendrys Morales' line of .289/.348/.458 with 8 HR's and 45 RBI's. Cruz's WAR is 2.4 compared to Morales' 0.9. Still, Morales sits about 300,000 votes ahead of Cruz. Certainly both have made a big impact for their teams, but one could argue that Cruz is more important to Seattle than Morales to the Royals.
National League:
Catcher: Buster Posey (San Francisco Giants)
Buster Posey is off to another good start for the Giants. What else would you expect from the 28-year old backstop? Posey is batting .286/.365/.448 with 10 HR's and 41 RBI's on the season. His 3.1 WAR leads all catchers as well. Posey has a 1.5 million vote lead on St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina. Posey should be a lock as a starter in Cincinnati.
First Baseman: Paul Goldschmidt (Arizona Diamondbacks)
It's been an incredible start to the 2015 season for Paul Goldschmidt. The Diamondbacks first baseman is putting up godly numbers, batting .354/.473/.654. His 1.127 OPS leads first basemen in the majors along with his 5.3 WAR and 60 RBI's. And he's getting the respect that he deserves too. Goldschmidt is currently leading by almost 2 million votes over the Dodgers' Adrian Gonzalez. If Goldy continues to play at this level, he'll be a candidate for NL MVP.
Second Baseman: Dee Gordon (Miami Marlins)
Although it's been a rough year for the Marlins, they got one of the biggest steals during the offseason in trading for Dee Gordon. Gordon has revitalized his career in South Beach, and has been very productive to start the season. His .351 AVG leads all second baseman in the NL, and his 107 hits leads the majors. He also leads all second baseman in the majors with 25 stolen bases. In the latest ballot update, Gordon leads the Cardinals' Kolten Wong by 1.2 million votes. At a deep position in the NL, Gordon has proven to be the best player thus far.
Short Stop: Jhonny Peralta (St. Louis Cardinals)
What a rebound year it has been for Jhonny Peralta. After struggling in 2014, Peralta has been huge for the first-place Cardinals this season. Peralta is batting .305/.361/.492 with 11 HR's and 40 RBI's, leading the way at short stop in the majors. I give him the nod because of the impact he has had for the injury-riddled Cardinals. And as it stands, it looks like Peralta will be the starting short stop in Cincinnati as he's leading by over 2 million votes over San Francisco's Brandon Crawford.
Third Baseman: Nolan Arenado (Colorado Rockies)
This is really a tough vote because there are so many good third baseman in the NL. Currently, the Cardinals' Matt Carpenter leads all third basemen in votes. This is where I disagree with the fans, and go with one of the rising stars that no one talks about, and that's Nolan Arenado. There isn't anything this guy can't do. He's one of the top defensive third baseman in the game, and offensively he's been very productive. Now I know playing at Coors Field gives him an advantage, but he's also been hitting well on the road as well. Arenado is the real deal. On the year, Arenado is batting .287.319/.593 with 20 HR's and 60 RBI's. Unfortunately for Arenado however, he's currently fourth in voting behind Cincinnati's Todd Frazier and Cubs rookie sensation Kris Bryant.
Outfield: Bryce Harper (Washington Nationals), Giancarlo Stanton (Miami Marlins), Andrew McCutchen (Pittsburgh Pirates)
There is a ridiculous amount of young talent in the NL outfield. Bryce Harper has gotten off to an historic start to the 2015 season. Harper is batting .340/.466/.719 with 24 HR's and 58 RBI's on the season, with no other outfielders coming close to those numbers. Harper is starting to really become the star that everyone envisioned. Giancarlo Stanton has been spectacular this season as well. Stanton has smashed a league-leading 27 HR's and 67 RBI's. Just watch this home run, and you'll be convinced that he's an All-Star.
It's tough to move on from that, but my final vote goes to Andrew McCutchen. McCutchen is still one of the best center fielders in the game, and deserves to start in Cincinnati despite the slow start to this season. But he's been turning it on lately, batting .289/.377/.480 with 9 HR's and 44 RBI's. McCutchen is currently behind the Giants' Nori Aoki whose been a great story this season, and the Cardinals' Matt Holliday in voting.
American League
Catcher: Stephen Vogt (Oakland Athletics)
Stephen Vogt is probably one of the more underrated players in the game today. Ever since hitting a walk-off RBI single against the Detroit Tigers in the 2013 ALDS, Vogt has continued to improve every season. Although he has cooled off some since May, Vogt leads almost every offensive category among catchers. His ..301 AVG, 393 OBP, 13 HR, 53 RBI and 3.0 WAR leads all catchers in the AL. Vogt also leads all catchers in walks with 38.
However, the one thing that may knock Vogt from getting into the All-Star Game is how badly the Oakland A's are playing this season. After having one the best records in baseball a year ago, the Athletics now have the 3rd worst record in the AL this season. Playing for a losing ball club will certainly hurt his chances of starting in Cincinnati, but he will more than likely make the team as a reserve. But let's put baseball aside for a moment, this is just hilarious.
First Baseman: Miguel Cabrera (Detroit Tigers)
Finally, Miguel Cabrera is the leader in votes at first base after falling behind early to Kansas City's Eric Hosmer. To no one's surprise, Miggy is having another great (possibly MVP) season, batting .351/.455/.590 for the Tigers. He also leads all first baseman in the AL with 52 RBI's, 1.045 OPS and 3.8 WAR. As of June 22nd, Cabrera is well over a million votes ahead of Hosmer for the starting nod. The fact that Cabrera was challenged for the starting spot is ridiculous.
Second Baseman: Jason Kipnis (Cleveland Indians)
After a disappointing 2014 season, Jason Kipnis has gotten off to a great start in 2015. The Indians second baseman has quietly been hitting .354 this season which is good for 1st in the AL. He leads all second baseman in OBP (.431), SLG (.521), OPS (.952) and WAR (4.6). Talk about a major improvement from last year in which he batted .240 with 6 HR and 41 RBI (Already has 5 HR and 31 RBI this season).
Kansas City's Omar Infante is currently leading all second baseman in votes, sitting about 400,000 ahead of Houston's Jose Altuve. Out of all of the Royals currently starting in the All-Star game, Infante has to be the most puzzling. Infante, statistically, is the worst second baseman in the AL. What's even more puzzling is that Kipnis is 4th in the vote tally behind Ian Kinsler. Unless something miraculous happens, Kipnis won't make it to Cincinnati which is a real shame.
Short Stop: Jose Iglesias (Detroit Tigers)
This might the most difficult position to vote for this season, because there isn't one player that really stands out from the rest. Kansas City's Alcides Escobar currently leads the AL in votes, with a 500,000 vote lead over Jose Iglesias. Iglesias gets the nod from me because of his great defense and improving batting numbers. Now, Iglesias may not be as deserving because he missed some time due to injury. But in 202 PA he is batting .323 with an OBP of .412. But its what he does with the glove that is so impressive with Iglesias. One could argue that he and Andrelton Simmons are the most exciting SS's in the game today. The sample size with Iglesias isn't as big as what voters would like, but a talent this good shouldn't go unrecognized.
Third Baseman: Josh Donaldson (Toronto Blue Jays)
Can someone explain to me why Josh Donaldson has fewer votes than Mike Moustakas? Don't get me wrong, Moustakas is having an All-Star caliber season, but not the season that Donaldson is having thus far. Donaldson is one of the hottest hitters in baseball right now, and he's making a legitimate MVP case. Donaldson is batting .298 with 17 HR and 46 RBI. Along with that, his .536 SLG and 3.6 WAR are the highest among third baseman in the AL. His presence has certainly made the Blue Jays a contender in the AL East, not only with his bat, but with his glove as well.
Outfield: Mike Trout (Los Angeles Angels), Lorenzo Cain (Kansas City Royals), Jose Bautista (Toronto Blue Jays)
Mike Trout, Lorenzo Cain and Alex Gordon are the current vote leaders for the AL outfield. There isn't much change from the fan vote to my ballot, with Jose Bautista taking the place of Alex Gordon. I like Bautista slightly over Gordon because his offensive numbers are better. Bautista is batting .251/.392/.524 compared to Gordon's .264/.381/.434. The big difference is Bautista's 50 RBI's and .917 OPS compared to Gordon's 31 RBI's and .815 OPS. Gordon is a little over 1.5 million votes ahead of Bautista, and will more than likely get the starting nod along with his teammate Lorenzo Cain and Mike Trout. Bautista still sits behind Yoenis Cespedes and Alex Rios, but with a couple of weeks left for fans to vote, maybe Bautista can find a spot on the roster. Cain and Trout are two of the best 5-tool outfielders in the game, and should be the starters for the AL.
DH: Nelson Cruz (Seattle Mariners)
Kendrys Morales is currently the vote leader for the DH spot. Although Morales is having a great comeback year in KC, Nelson Cruz gets the vote for me. Cruz absolutely torched opposing pitchers in April and May, but has cooled off some in the last couple of weeks due to injuries. On the year, Cruz is batting .308/.375/.559 with 19 HR's and 44 RBI's. Compare that to Kendrys Morales' line of .289/.348/.458 with 8 HR's and 45 RBI's. Cruz's WAR is 2.4 compared to Morales' 0.9. Still, Morales sits about 300,000 votes ahead of Cruz. Certainly both have made a big impact for their teams, but one could argue that Cruz is more important to Seattle than Morales to the Royals.
National League:
Catcher: Buster Posey (San Francisco Giants)
Buster Posey is off to another good start for the Giants. What else would you expect from the 28-year old backstop? Posey is batting .286/.365/.448 with 10 HR's and 41 RBI's on the season. His 3.1 WAR leads all catchers as well. Posey has a 1.5 million vote lead on St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina. Posey should be a lock as a starter in Cincinnati.
First Baseman: Paul Goldschmidt (Arizona Diamondbacks)
It's been an incredible start to the 2015 season for Paul Goldschmidt. The Diamondbacks first baseman is putting up godly numbers, batting .354/.473/.654. His 1.127 OPS leads first basemen in the majors along with his 5.3 WAR and 60 RBI's. And he's getting the respect that he deserves too. Goldschmidt is currently leading by almost 2 million votes over the Dodgers' Adrian Gonzalez. If Goldy continues to play at this level, he'll be a candidate for NL MVP.
Second Baseman: Dee Gordon (Miami Marlins)
Although it's been a rough year for the Marlins, they got one of the biggest steals during the offseason in trading for Dee Gordon. Gordon has revitalized his career in South Beach, and has been very productive to start the season. His .351 AVG leads all second baseman in the NL, and his 107 hits leads the majors. He also leads all second baseman in the majors with 25 stolen bases. In the latest ballot update, Gordon leads the Cardinals' Kolten Wong by 1.2 million votes. At a deep position in the NL, Gordon has proven to be the best player thus far.
Short Stop: Jhonny Peralta (St. Louis Cardinals)
What a rebound year it has been for Jhonny Peralta. After struggling in 2014, Peralta has been huge for the first-place Cardinals this season. Peralta is batting .305/.361/.492 with 11 HR's and 40 RBI's, leading the way at short stop in the majors. I give him the nod because of the impact he has had for the injury-riddled Cardinals. And as it stands, it looks like Peralta will be the starting short stop in Cincinnati as he's leading by over 2 million votes over San Francisco's Brandon Crawford.
Third Baseman: Nolan Arenado (Colorado Rockies)
This is really a tough vote because there are so many good third baseman in the NL. Currently, the Cardinals' Matt Carpenter leads all third basemen in votes. This is where I disagree with the fans, and go with one of the rising stars that no one talks about, and that's Nolan Arenado. There isn't anything this guy can't do. He's one of the top defensive third baseman in the game, and offensively he's been very productive. Now I know playing at Coors Field gives him an advantage, but he's also been hitting well on the road as well. Arenado is the real deal. On the year, Arenado is batting .287.319/.593 with 20 HR's and 60 RBI's. Unfortunately for Arenado however, he's currently fourth in voting behind Cincinnati's Todd Frazier and Cubs rookie sensation Kris Bryant.
Outfield: Bryce Harper (Washington Nationals), Giancarlo Stanton (Miami Marlins), Andrew McCutchen (Pittsburgh Pirates)
There is a ridiculous amount of young talent in the NL outfield. Bryce Harper has gotten off to an historic start to the 2015 season. Harper is batting .340/.466/.719 with 24 HR's and 58 RBI's on the season, with no other outfielders coming close to those numbers. Harper is starting to really become the star that everyone envisioned. Giancarlo Stanton has been spectacular this season as well. Stanton has smashed a league-leading 27 HR's and 67 RBI's. Just watch this home run, and you'll be convinced that he's an All-Star.
It's tough to move on from that, but my final vote goes to Andrew McCutchen. McCutchen is still one of the best center fielders in the game, and deserves to start in Cincinnati despite the slow start to this season. But he's been turning it on lately, batting .289/.377/.480 with 9 HR's and 44 RBI's. McCutchen is currently behind the Giants' Nori Aoki whose been a great story this season, and the Cardinals' Matt Holliday in voting.
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