My All-Star Picks

Let's face it. Just about every year, players get voted into the MLB All-Star Game that don't really deserve to be starters. They just get voted in because they're the big names that everybody knows, even though they either had a bad season or just not as good as some other players at their position. If you really follow the game in-depth, I'm sure you have complaints about the selections from year-to-year. But it is fan voting, so in the end it's as much of a popularity contest as American Idol.

Nevertheless, I like to look over the players each year and assemble what I feel is the truly deserving All Star Team. Any other baseball fans are welcome to add comments, weighing in on their own opinions, agreeing or disagreeing. This is just how I feel.

American League

First Base

Justin Morneau, Minnesota Twins

This guy's definitely a solid producer with a batting average over .300, an on-base percentage of over .400, and a nice 14 home runs so far (3rd among AL first basemen). I would normally go with the likes of Teixeira, but the two additional home runs don't make up for the batting average that's about 70 points lower. You also have to take into account the fact that Morneau's 47 RBIs is the most among AL first basemen. Run generation--whether it be scoring or batting in--is a very important thing to look at when measuring a player's value.





Second Base

Aaron Hill, Toronto Blue Jays

This is a pretty easy pick and it would be surprising if he doesn't actually win. No other AL second basemen really stand out at all. If you're looking for power, Hill has it with 12 home runs. If you're looking for batting, Hill has it with a batting average over .300. No one else really comes close to blending these two aspects together. Only Kinsler beats him in HRs, but his batting average is only around .270. There are some other players at the position who have put up good batting averages, but haven't been really knocking in runs all that well. The only other player I can think of is Pedroia, simply because he scores a lot of runs.



Shortstop

Jason Bartlett, Tampa Bay Rays

Obviously, Derek Jeter's going to win. Doesn't he always? But I've always felt Jeter to be an overrated shortstop. If you actually look at his performance, it's only mediocre most years. He does enough things well enough to qualify as a Major League starter on most teams, but I wouldn't rank him among the best.

Now Jeter's actually having a good first half, so let's not take that away from him. As of writing this, he's posted a .319 BA, .393 OBP, hit 7 home runs, and stole 10 bases. Not bad at all. He also scored 33 runs and knocked in 25. But despite these numbers being good, there is still someone with better numbers to consider. He may share his last name with a type of pear, but Jason Bartlett can pretty much match or exceed Jeter's numbers at every turn. The seven homers? Got that. The batting average? Try .373. On-base Percentage? .418. Stolen bases? 14. RBIs? 30. He may have one less run scored, but considering everything else that he's done, it's clear to me that he's out performed Jeter and every other shortstop in the league.



Third Base

Evan Longoria, Tampa Bay Rays

It's pretty clear to me that Longoria is the most solid third basemen in the American League. He bats over .300, has 13 HRs, and 55 RBIs. A couple years back, I was most impressed by the likes of Michael Young, but he hasn't really been performing well enough to match Longoria's numbers. I can't really say that anyone has. 3rd in average, 1st in home runs and RBIs among AL third basemen... I can't think of anyone better to start at the position for the AL team. I mean, not only does Longoria lead AL third basemen in RBIs, but he leads the entire league. That's not something that you can just overlook. And he doesn't really have much competition this year as far as I can see.



Catcher

Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins

This is one that just might go to someone like Jason Varitek, just because everyone knows Varitek. And despite a solid 10 home runs, Varitek's batting average is a miserable .248. I think Mauer is the better choice. He's batting over .400 so far and in half the at bats of someone like Victor Martinez, he's managed to get 3 more homers (12) and bat in almost as many runs (35, compared to Martinez's 38). This is definitely a guy to consider. He's up there on the catcher hitting categories and if his pace continues, he's going to have an excellent season. I'm holding out hope that his great first-half performance doesn't go unrewarded, because I feel he really deserves the starting spot.

Outfielders



Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles

Here's a guy who essentially came out of nowhere. He was pretty much a bench-warmer his first two years with Seattle. Last year, he got to actually experience full playing time with Baltimore. He it 9 home runs and batted .270. Those numbers will impress no one and only would make you a starter if the team has no one better. So why is he now an all-star candidate? Well, it's only June and he already exceed his career high for home runs in a single season with 11 (and prior to this season he only had 12 in his entire career). He's also posting a nice .347 batting average. A huge turn-around if you ask me. I can't find three outfielders in the AL that exceed what this guy has been doing so far, and consider the fact that his previous career makes him completely unknown, he won't likely be voted in. I think that's more than enough reason to mention Jones here. He's a good example of one of those truly deserving players that probably will be overlooked for those with long-running careers of superstar performance. If you mention the name "Adam Jones" around most sports fans, they'll probably assume you're talking about 'Pacman'.



Jason Bay, Boston Red Sox

Jason Bay's a name I've heard for a while now, but I always think of him as a Pirate. Probably because he's been on that team for a good number of seasons. However, now he is lending his terrific bat to the Red Sox, and doing wonders for them, as far as I can see. So far, he's posting a respectable .286 batting average with 16 home runs (that's 2nd in the AL). He also batted in 51 runs (also 2nd), so it's no wonder he makes my list for AL Outfielders. It's an obvious pick, and I would be surprised if he didn't actually make it to the real game.





Torii Hunter, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

There's not much to say about this one, other than pointing out the obvious that Hunter is another very good outfielder and deserves to make the list. So far, he's posted 12 HRs with a batting average that's just over .300. He's also knocked in 42 and scored 38. Add in his 10 stolen bases, and you have a solid offensive player who can make things happen for you.

And let's not forget that Hunter's a pretty good outfielder as far as the fielding aspect goes as well. I've seen him make some pretty nice catches at the wall here and there. His glove is not to be overlooked.


That pretty much sums up my American League All-Star picks and why I think they're good bets for the game. For my National League picks, see this post.