In a season that has been a disappointment to this date, are there any all stars on this Pittsburgh Pirates team?
With the Major League Baseball All Star Game less than two weeks away, fan voting for starters has officially closed. All Star rosters will be announced during the All Star Game Selection Show Tuesday on ESPN.
Knowing this, we at Pirates Breakdown decided to take a look at possible representation for the Pirates. It is unlikely that the Pirates will have any starters for the 87th All Star Game on July 12 at Petco Park in San Diego, but there may be a few players that could make the roster nonetheless.
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Starling Marte
When looking at a guy like Starling Marte, it’s easy to argue that he should have been warranting more All-Star votes from fans to be able to start in the midsummer classic. According to the last NL all star balloting update, Marte sat in eighth place amongst National League outfielders, while Dexter Fowler, Bryce Harper and Yoenis Cespedes sat amongst the top three.
Despite various injuries that he has endured this season, Marte has been able to overcome them and play well both offensively and defensively. At the plate this season, Marte has six home runs and 30 RBI’s in 73 games. Marte also ranks amongst the NL leaders in various categories. The 27-year old is third in the NL in batting average (.327), seventh in hits (92), tied for 13th in doubles (19), and second in stolen bases (21). He also leads all NL left fielders in batting average, hits, runs, triples and stolen bases.
The 2015 NL Gold Glove Award winner also remains a consistent force on defense, making highlight reel plays and showcasing his cannon for an arm on a daily basis for the Bucs.
Throughout the years of fan voting, there have been many issues, especially with rosters being loaded with players from one specific team. A year ago, it was the Kansas City Royals who were highly represented and this year, it is the Chicago Cubs. I see nothin wrong with these teams being represented. Most of the players including Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant deserve it, but I have a hard time accepting the fact that Dexter Fowler would have an opportunity to start over a guy like Marte.
[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”#000000″ class=”” size=””]Andrew McCutchen is by far one of the most popular players in all of baseball and rightfully so.[/perfectpullquote]This season, Fowler has had a tremendous season, hitting .290 with seven home runs and 28 RBI’s in 64 games. Now, I know that Fowler and Marte have two different playing styles, but Marte’s numbers are very similar to Fowler. In fact, Marte has been able to remain consistent throughout the course of the season, hitting .333 with two home runs and 11 RBI’s in his last 30 games.
Fowler may likely miss out on the opportunity to start the all star game due to a DL stint for a strained hamstring, but even then, teammate Jason Hayward may take his spot. According to the last balloting update, Hayward sat in fourth place amongst outfielders.
Even Heyward, a guy who is hitting .234 with four home runs and 26 RBI’s in 69 games, has received more fan votes to start the all star game than Marte.
Starting in the all star game may be an overrated opportunity since players only play a few innings during the game anyways, but it is an honor for these players to start on a stage shared by the best in the game of baseball. Though he is in a smaller market, Marte has established himself as one of the best young players in the game and he is still vastly improving.
Marte’s play throughout the first half of the season is worthy of a starting nod, but that won’t be a reality. However, he should, and likely will, be representing Pittsburgh and the National League in the midsummer classic.
Gregory Polanco
In my opinion, no Pirates player is more deserving of an all star game nod than Gregory Polanco. Like Marte, Polanco without a doubt deserved at least a little bit of consideration from fans to start the all star game. Despite that not being the case, there is a very good possibility that Polanco still could be chosen to represent the Pirates in San Diego.
This season, Polanco has been one of the Pirates best offensive weapons, hitting at a .294/.373/.507 clip with 10 home runs, 44 RBI’s, and 48 runs scored in 75 games. Polanco also remains tied for second in the NL with 24 doubles and ranks in the top five on the Pirates team in offensive categories such as batting average, home runs, RBI’s, hits, runs scored, doubles and OPS.
When it comes to NL right fielders, Polanco matches up well statistically, ranking in the top five in categories such as batting average (second), RBI’s (fifth), hits (fourth), runs scored (second), doubles (first), walks (second) and OPS (fourth).
After high expectations followed him to Pittsburgh when he made his debut in 2014, Polanco has finally reached those expectations. He continues to get better and has developed a stellar, more patient approach at the plate, seeing more pitches and drawing more walks. He has arguably been the Pirates most valuable asset in the first half of the season and is more than deserving of a trip to the west coast for the all star festivities.
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Andrew McCutchen
Andrew McCutchen is by far one of the most popular players in all of baseball and rightfully so. McCutchen has helped bring winning baseball back to the city of Pittsburgh and has put up MVP like numbers since entering the league in 2009. However, his play on the field this season isn’t indicative of what an all star should be playing like.
McCutchen, who has made All-Star teams in five consecutive seasons, is in the midst of the worst slump of his major league career. His season as a whole hasn’t looked pretty as the man known as “Cutch” is hitting .239 with 12 home runs and 32 RBI’s, while he also ranks seventh in the NL with 83 strikeouts. We have yet to reach the halfway point in the season and McCutchen is already on pace to surpass his career high for strikeouts in a season, which was set last year when he struck out 133 times.
Based on what McCutchen has done throughout his career, there are little doubts as to whether or not he can find a way to get out of his slump and help the Pirates improve. In fact, he has been better in his last seven games, hitting .250 with two home runs and four RBI’s. This may not seem like much, but it is an improvement.
It’s hard not to be optimistic when McCutchen has proven to be one of the most consistent superstars in the game of baseball throughout the last eight years. An All-Star game nod is something that is earned, and at this point, it doesn’t seem like McCutchen has earned the right to be there.
Despite his subpar numbers, there still may be a chance that McCutchen is still chosen to represent the National League due to his reputation as a former MVP, but I see it as an unlikely possibility. It would be strange not to see him representing the Pirates, especially since he’s been their best player since he debuted, but it might be a reality.
Francisco Cervelli
When Francisco Cervelli underwent surgery to repair a broken hamate bone in his left hand on June 11, his hopes of being named to the all star team went down with him. Prior to the injury, Cervelli was having a terrific year, hitting .257 with a .373 On-Base Percentage and 21 RBI’s in 49 games.
He had been slated to give NL catchers such as Yadier Molina and Buster Posey some serious competition to start the game, but it isn’t the case. It is highly unlikely that he will get a spot on the roster, but even if he did, he still wouldn’t be able to play. It was believed that Cervelli was snubbed last season, but this year the injury issues are what will inevitably keep him away from San Diego on July 12.
Jordy Mercer
Jordy Mercer has completely flown under the radar this season. The 29-year old has had a much better season offensively than most people expected, hitting .273 with five home runs and 29 RBI’s in 76 games.
Mercer has remained healthy throughout the course of the season and has been one of the Pirates most consistent bats, especially as of late. In his last 15 games, Mercer is hitting .327 with three home runs and seven RBI’s and at one point this month, he had an 11 game hitting streak.
[perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”#000000″ class=”” size=””]When Francisco Cervelli underwent surgery to repair a broken hamate bone in his left hand on June 11, his hopes of being named to the all star team went down with him.[/perfectpullquote]Mercer’s defensive abilities have always garnered him praise, but this year, his offensive game has surprised many. It can be argued that he has played well enough to receive some all star consideration, but a roster selection may not be in his future. There is a ton of depth at the shortstop position in the National League and there may not be room for Mercer. Guys like Trevor Story, Addison Russell and Corey Seager highlight the top shortstops in the NL and they will likely get roster spots.
There is no denying that Mercer has had an above average first half of the season. At times, he has helped lead the Pirates offense while others have endured lingering struggles. However, it is unlikely that he will be rewarded for his efforts in the form of an all star selection.
Jung Ho Kang
If you look at Jung Ho Kang’s numbers this season, they don’t look like they belong to a guy who missed the first month of the season. In 44 games this year, Kang is hitting .257 with 11 home runs and 28 RBI’s.
Despite putting up these solid numbers since returning from his injury, this time away from the game might be the difference between Kang going to the all star game and having a couple of days off. It would be easy to assume what his numbers would have looked like if he would have been healthy to start out the season, but his numbers at this point don’t warrant an all star selection.
Kang is a huge contributor within the Pirates offense and there may be a couple of all star nods in his future. However, with the NL depth at the third base position with guys such as Nolan Arenado, Kris Bryant and Matt Carpenter, an all star selection this season is highly unlikely.
Featured Photo Credit – Daniel Decker Photography
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