The Chicago Cubs are the best team in baseball.
That’s true on the stat sheet, where they lead the solar system with a plus-129 run differential. And it’s true in the standings, where Chicago paces the National League Central, and every other team in every other division, with a 36-15 record.
So it stands to reason the Cubs would be well-represented in the 2016 MLB All-Star Game.
And they are, at least in the first round of voting results released Wednesday.
Boy, are they.
A whopping five Chicago players lead at their respective positions: first baseman Anthony Rizzo, second baseman Ben Zobrist, shortstop Addison Russell, third baseman Kris Bryant and center fielder Dexter Fowler, per MLB Communications.
That means if balloting ended today, more than half of the NL’s Midsummer Classic starting nine would come from the North Side.
Here’s the thing, though, even if enthusiastic Cubs fans don’t want to hear it: You can make a case that none of those players deserve an All-Star start based on current stats and performance.
We’ll pause while the North Side faithful spit out their Chicago dogs in disgust.
Really, though, it’s true. Let’s run through each player, from least to most egregious.
We’ll begin with Fowler, who is enjoying a fine season after inking an affordable one-year, $8 million deal.
Fowler leads qualified NL center fielders with a .962 OPS to go along with six home runs, 24 RBI and a .313 average. Talk about a bargain.
But the Miami Marlins‘ Marcell Ozuna, who didn’t even crack the top 15 outfielders on the ballot, has more homers (10), RBI (27) and a better batting average (.328).
If you’re going on track record and star wattage, what about the Pittsburgh Pirates‘ Andrew McCutchen? He isn’t hitting like his former MVP self but does have nine home runs.
At second base, Ben Zobrist has been raking, as his .339/.439/.520 slash line, seven homers and 35 RBI attest.
But how can you ignore the Washington Nationals‘ Daniel Murphy, who is hitting a cool .394 with a 1.064 OPS in his first season in the nation’s capital?
Anthony Rizzo, who led all Senior Circuit vote-getters, has 11 homers and 37 RBI. In April yours truly highlighted him as an MVP candidate in the making.
But Rizzo is hitting just .238 and could justifiably be supplanted in the All-Star starting lineup by the Arizona Diamondbacks‘ Paul Goldschmidt, who is hitting .267 with a .897 OPS and 10 home runs after a slow start.
Bryant, the reigning NL Rookie of the Year, is one of the game’s most exciting young stars. And he’s shrugging off the notion of a sophomore slump with a .280/.366/.510 slash line, 12 homers and 39 RBI.
But until further notice, the hot corner belongs to the Colorado Rockies‘ Nolan Arenado. Arenado outpaces Bryant with a .939 OPS and 16 homers, and he’s also the best defensive third baseman in baseball.
That brings us to the only indefensible Cubs vote-leader: Russell.
Yes, Russell is a promising player with the tools to be special for years to come. But his .704 OPS ranks eighth among qualified NL shortstops, while his .241 average ranks 11th.
If you prefer wins above replacement (WAR), he checks in behind five Senior Circuit shortstops, including the San Francisco Giants‘ Brandon Crawford and the Cincinnati Reds‘ Zack Cozart, each of whom finished in the top five in All-Star voting.
And don’t forget the St. Louis Cardinals‘ Aledmys Diaz, who leads qualified shortstops with a .900 OPS and .328 average.
OK, here’s the part where we note that numbers aren’t everything. The All-Star Game is supposed to be subjective, and it often disproportionately awards teams with robust win totals.
Bryant acknowledged as much after the first round of results was announced.
“I think it’s a result of our team record,” he said, per ESPN’s Jesse Rogers. “We’re playing a lot better than we were at this point last year. If the team is playing good, then the players are playing good.”
It’s also worth noting the Kansas City Royals stuffed the ballot box in similar fashion last season and wound up with four starters voted in. This year’s first round of AL results features three Royals in the starting lineup, which sparked the following tongue-in-cheek rejoinder from Pinstripe Alley:
Cubs fans aren’t doing anything nefarious or unprecedented. They love their squad, and they’re showing it.
But it pays to remember that this game is more than a meaningless exhibition. The winning league gets home-field advantage in the World Series, which should cause curse-busting Cubs boosters to think long and hard about the players they want on the field in San Diego.
One, two or even three Cubs in the starting mix wouldn’t feel like an injustice. But five? That’s pushing it.
Fortunately, the game won’t be played until July 12, and voting remains wide-open. So go ahead and vote.
And keep in mind: The Cubs may be the best team in baseball, but the best players in baseball hail from all over.
All statistics current as of June 1 and courtesy of MLB.com and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com