The 84th edition of the Mid-Summer classic will take place on July 16th and fan voting to decide the starters of the game ends this Thursday at 11:59PM ET. Now that the game “means something,” it’s important that the fans get the starters correct and don’t just practice homer-ism (Doh.). That Commissioner Bud Selig thought to make the game “mean something” marks one of the dimmer moments in his Commissioner-ship. Regardless, baseball operates under this paradigm and seems to be profiting quite well. So how should you fill out your NL All-Star Ballot? Let me tell you.
First Base-Paul Goldschmidt, ARI
Right now the race at first base is not all that close, with Cincinnati Red Joey Votto leading Paul Goldschmidt by about 400,000 votes. The relieving thing here is that these two guys are absolutely the most deserving candidates. Both have posted 3.3 WARs to this point, and while Votto’s .436 OBP leads the National League and his 14 home runs are nothing to scoff at, Goldschmidt is putting together an equally good first half. He leads the NL with 67 RBI’s and has 19 homers to go with 8 steals and a .309/.387/.560 slash line. What’s more, Goldschmidt leads Votto in my SPP statistic, and that’s enough to seal my vote for him. Fun fact here: You can vote for Corey Hart, who hasn’t played a game this year.
Second Base-Chase Utley, PHI
Second Base has not been this weak for some time in the National League. Brandon Phillips currently leads the balloting, but I can’t justify giving my vote to the guy who ranks 9th in OBP among NL second basemen. Matt Carpenter leads by a considerable margin in WAR, but really…Matt Carpenter? The guy is Chase Utley. While Utley doesn’t have enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title, he’s second in WAR, second in home runs, sports a .287 average and is a proven commodity.
Shortstop- Troy Tulowitski, COL
Tulo is absolutely incredible; he’s the best shortstop in the National League and it’s not close. That said, he’s injured and a more interesting discussion goes to who is the heir apparent to the shortstop throne. ESPN’s Keith Law went with Andrelton Simmons based on his defensive acumen, but I have a hard time ignoring his .276 OBP in an All-Star lineup. Jean Segura and Everth Cabrera are both leadoff types, but I’m giving the edge to Segura thanks to his pop (11 homers already). That’s quite the jump for the guy who was traded last year for 13 Zack Greinke starts.
Third Base- David Wright, NYM
This pick is more than giving Wright the nod because the game will be held at Citi Field. He’s got a .303 average, is second among third basemen in homers and has 9 more steals than any of his compadres. Pablo Sandoval is close in the voting for the sole reason that he has a great nickname.
Catcher- Yadier Molina, STL
I didn’t even look up the stats. The best defensive catcher in baseball is also leading the NL in average. I know Buster Posey is the reigning MVP, but Yadier Molina was the best player in the NL in the first half of the season.
OutField- I absolutely hate how baseball just lumps the outfield positions together and says go. It’s how we had Ichiro in Center Field for all those All-Star games. It’s dumb. I’m voting for a Left, a Right, and a Center Fielder.
Left Field- Carlos Gonzalez, COL
Car-Go leads the NL in home runs, runs, and total bases. He’s hitting .296 and has stolen 15 bags. I wrote about him here. He might be the most talented guy on the NL roster.
Center Field- Carlos Gomez, MIL
As surprising as it is to not write Andrew McCutchen, it’s equally surprising to write the name of a guy who had never posted a season with an average above .260 before this one. Carlos Gomez leads all outfielders in WAR, and while that stat is relied on a bit too heavily, he compares favorably with McCutchen in homers, slugging, and average, while posting identical OBPs and with McCutchen stealing an extra bag. Both are deserving candidates.
Right Field-Hunter Pence, SF
Right Field is an absolute disaster right now thanks to the underperforming Jason Heyward and the disinterested Giancarlo Stanton. Chris DeNorfia is currently fourth in WAR among RFers, right behind Marcell Ozuna. Pence leads in the category, while also hitting 12 homers and stealing 13 bags. He’s also hitting .283 in what might be his finest season to date. Michael Cuddyer presents a strong case thanks to his .346 average and 14 homers, but he’s still Michael Cuddyer. Really, Giancarlo Stanton should start, but I hate to reward him with an All-Star start with the way he’s competing in Miami.
DH- Joey Votto, CIN
They don’t let you vote for a DH in the NL, but I’m still a bit mad at myself for giving Paul Goldschmidt the edge.
For fun, here’s how I would construct the lineup:
- Jean Segura, SS
- Carlos Gomez, CF
- Joey Votto, DH
- Carlos Gonzalez, LF
- David Wright, 3B
- Chase Utley, 2B
- Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
- Yadier Molina, C
- Hunter Pence, RF
-Sean Morash
Stat of the Day: Why can you vote 25 times? So that the dumb people with nothing else to do will stuff the boxes with dumb ballots. Smart people who read OTBB, please go vote.
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