“The fans did a good job” isn’t a phrase most would expect to hear in regard to the Midsummer Classic, but a glance at the MLB All-Star rosters makes it hard to disagree.
There will always be snubs, but for the most part, the best of the best will make the trip to San Diego this week for the epic event. It promises to entertain not only because of the names involved and the action on the field, but because of the chess-like moves and decisions that managers must make.
The managers have loaded but complex rosters to figure out. Deciphering pitching staffs, hitters and the always-interesting designated hitter offers puzzles to the brightest minds in baseball.
2016 MLB All-Star Game
When: Tuesday
Where: Petco Park, San Diego
Start Time: 8 p.m. ET
TV: Fox (Coverage starts at 7:30 p.m. ET)
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The Big Voters
Tuesday’s game might as well be a contest between the Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox.
Kidding aside, it’s hard to blame the fans for voting in droves. The Cubs are off to one of their best starts in a long time, sitting on 52 wins. A 1-9 mark over the last 10 hurts, but a 6.5-game lead on the Pittsburgh Pirates in the National League Central division sure doesn’t.
Where to start? Ben Zobrist has hit .284 on the year with 13 home runs and 47 RBI. Kris Bryant is at .280 with 25 homers and 64 RBI. Addison Russell doesn’t shock in the average department (.234), but his 11 homers and 49 RBI do the job.
Don’t forget Dexter Fowler, (.290 average, 28 RBI), though he was just pulled off his rehab assignment and won’t play Tuesday, according to Gordon Wittenmyer of the Chicago Sun-Times.
It’s only fair to mention Jon Lester on the mound too, thanks to his 3.01 ERA and 108 fanned batters over 110.2 innings.
When it comes to the Red Sox, it’s not a shocker to see Jackie Bradley Jr. and Mookie Betts get nods, but don’t discredit David Ortiz as a name-only selection.
Ortiz has been the definition of a power monster this year, boasting a .332 average with 21 homers and 70 RBI, all team highs. ESPN Stats & Info placed him in some historic company:
It’s odd to see a team such as the Kansas City Royals take a back seat when it comes to the popular vote right now, but the Red Sox and Cubs deserve the credit.
The biggest names will prove it Tuesday too.
The DH Situation
The NL needs to field a designated hitter, NL stadium or not, which means those in charge of such decisions have a chance to perhaps make up for where the fans experienced a slight hiccup.
In other words, the campaign for Wil Myers has started in earnest.
Said manager in charge is New York Mets manager Terry Collins, who can give the nod to Myers or go bold with Los Angeles Dodgers youngster Corey Seager.
Most of the hype, though, surrounds Myers, the hometown hero of the San Diego Padres who is batting .290 with 19 homers and 60 RBI this year. He’s well aware of the predicament, as A.J. Cassavell of MLB.com noted:
Cassavell provided some interesting reinforcement to the idea once MLB concluded the final vote:
It seems like an easy enough decision, but that’s the beauty of the Midsummer Classic—not everything is so cut and dried.
How Collins plays his cards will be a highlight of the event.
Deciding on a Pitcher
Collins doesn’t have it easy when it comes to picking a starter, either.
With Clayton Kershaw out of the picture, the choice is between Madison Bumgarner (2.09 ERA, 132 strikeouts) and Jake Arrieta (2.68 ERA, 121 strikeouts).
Kansas City skipper Ned Yost has a much more difficult, if not interesting, decision. He has molded his roster similar to how he built the Royals, which means just five starters and an excess of formidable relief talent.
That’s interesting from a chess-like strategy standpoint as the game wears on, but it doesn’t make the starting decision any easier.
Is it Danny Salazar? The Cleveland Indians star has a 2.75 ERA with a strong 10-3 record, not to mention 118 fanned batters. Or maybe it goes to Chris Sale of the Chicago White Sox, who comes in with a lesser 3.38 ERA but a superb 14-3 record. Don’t forget another Bostonian, Steven Wright, who—like Ortiz—isn’t just there because of popular vote, not with a 2.68 ERA and 10-5 record. Even Cole Hamels boasts nine wins.
There’s no wrong answer, but with a mind like Yost at the controls, the Cubs and the National League won’t find it easy to produce at the plate.
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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