Have you seen the American League lineup for this year’s MLB All-Star Game?
To say it’s stacked is an understatement of epic proportions, and as good as the National League’s pitching is, the AL side is going to bash its way to victory tonight.
For one, the team has Curtis Granderson batting ninth in the batting order. That’s right, Granderson—who has 23 home runs and 48 home runs—is hitting ninth!
Five of the squad’s starters—Granderson, Josh Hamilton, Jose Bautista, David Ortiz and Robinson Cano—have hit over 20 home runs this season. The National League has two players with 20 or more home runs this year (Carlos Beltran and Ryan Braun).
The American League side has three of the top five leaders in RBI this season—Hamilton (75), Bautista (65) and Prince Fielder (63) in the starting lineup. The National League has one (Carlos Beltran, 65 RBI).
The American League has baseball’s first-half MVP—with apologies to Mike Trout and Andrew McCutchen, that is—in Josh Hamilton, who is hitting .308 with 27 home runs and 75 RBI this season.
And hey, we haven’t even mentioned sluggers Adrian Beltre and Mike Napoli yet, or that Derek Jeter guy batting in the leadoff spot. Oh, and alongside Trout, the team also has Miguel Cabrera, Ian Kinsler, Adam Jones, Paul Konerko and Mark Trumbo coming off the bench, among others.
The word you are looking for is “stacked.”
There are things I can’t wait to see tonight. Will the big bats in the starting lineup get a chance to face R.A. Dickey’s knuckleball? Will Fielder, Bautista and Trumbo continue their home-run hitting ways from Monday night’s Home Run Derby?
Will Cano recover from his paltry Monday showing and earn even more boos from the Kansas City crowd? Will Trout outshine fellow youngster—and future superstar—Bryce Harper on the National League side?
Or will Hamilton simply steal the show with that silky swing of his?
One way or the other, I feel confident of one thing—this game will be won by the murderer’s row of bats the AL side can funnel through the lineup at this year’s All-Star game.
Sorry, R.A. Dickey, Matt Cain, Stephen Strasburg, Cole Hamels, Clayton Kershaw and the rest of the NL pitchers, but you won’t be able to quiet the big bats from the AL side on Tuesday night.
Bombs away!
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