Kuzul

The Bronx Bombers are in first place in the AL East with the best record in baseball heading into the second half of the season, which starts tonight versus the second place Tampa Bay Rays.

But there are several Yankees who aren’t in the New York Groove quite yet and need to pick up the slack as the season moves into the second half.

By no means do the Yankees absolutely “need” these players to improve in order to win the division, obviously they are already in first place, but if the Bombers want to see their 28th title come this year, then these players do need to step it up a notch.

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It is a notion that dates back as far as Don Newcombe’s 1956 season with the Brooklyn Dodgers: if a pitcher is the Most Valuable Player in his league, then he must be the best pitcher as well.

Logically, this is a very straightforward proposition: pitcher is subset of player; a pitcher who is the most valuable player must also be the most valuable pitcher.

And over the course of baseball history, or at least since Newcombe won the first Cy Young Award and the National League MVP in 1956, any pitcher who has won his league’s Most Valuable Player Award has also won his league’s Cy Young Award.  From Newcombe to Koufax to Gibson and McLain to Blue to Fingers to Willie Hernandez to Clemens to Eckersley, winning one has meant winning both.

But must it?

Our conceptions of the Cy Young Award and the Most Valuable Player Award, and the differences between those conceptions, might tell us otherwise.

The Cy Young Award, which was established in 1956 by Major League Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick to honor Cy Young, who had died the year before, is given annually to the best pitcher in each league.  There is really no subjective element to the Cy Young Award–no team success requirement, no “what did he mean to his team” element–and hence good pitchers on bad teams win the award regularly.

Indeed, it has been five years since the NL Cy Young went to a pitcher from a playoff team, and last year the AL Cy Young went to Zack Grienke, who played for the 65-win Kansas City Royals.  Essentially, in order to win the Cy Young Award, a pitcher has to be the best pitcher in his league, and nothing else is asked of him.  

Such is not the case with the Most Valuable Player Award.

The first ever MVP awards in baseball were given out in 1911 by the Chalmers Automobile company and voted upon by a committee of baseball writers.  That award lasted until 1914.  In the 1920’s the AL and NL each had their own version of an MVP award which had silly and inconsistent rules; for example, player-managers and former winners were ineligible for the AL award.

The MVP awards as we know them came into existence in 1931, when the Baseball Writers Association of America established the awards and the rules for voting— one writer in each city (later three and now two) votes for the top ten players, and the award goes to the winner according to a calculation based on first place votes, second place votes, etc.

The definition of the Most Valuable Player award has never really been fleshed out in a satisfactory way (at least to my knowledge), but one thing is clear: the Most Valuable Player Award is not  given out to the best player in the league.  Otherwise, Stan Musial would have won every year in the 1940’s, Mickey Mantle would have more than three, Willie Mays would have more than two, and in 1941 Ted Williams would have won instead of Joe DiMaggio.

Whatever the proper conception of the MVP award is, there is doubtlessly a “winning team” requirement that usually dictates the winner.  From DiMaggio in 1941 to Ichiro Suzuki in 2001, the MVP voters generally want their guy to have contributed to his team’s successful season.

At the same time, it is equally clear that the award will not simply go to the best player on the best team.  Otherwise, Derek Jeter would have at least one MVP by now, and Albert Belle would have won the 1995 AL MVP over Mo Vaughn (but do not get me started).

MVP voters generally seem to want their guy to be a player without whom his team would have been screwed.  Hence, Vlad Guerrero, who joined the 77-win Angels in 2004 and made them a competitive team, and then went on fire for the last month of the season and led them to the AL West crown by one game over the Oakland A’s.

Of course, every now and then you get a guy like Andre Dawson, 1987.  Dawson couldn’t find a team to sign him in the off-season before 1987, but he really wanted to play in Chicago, so he signed a blank contract and let the team fill in the numbers.

All he did that year was hit 49 home runs, drive in 137 RBI, win a Gold Glove, and become a folk legend in Wrigley Field.  Dawson had a great feel-good story and the voters gave him the award even though he played for the last place Cubs.

Needless to say, a lot goes into the Most Valuable Player award.

Which brings us back to Ubaldo.

Has Ubaldo been the best pitcher in the National League in 2010?  Though he was clearly the best NL pitcher over the first month or two, it is beginning to look like the best pitcher in the NL this season is Josh Joshnon.  Take a look at their stats side-by-side:

With the exception of win-loss record, for the most part Johnson is clearly having the better overall pitching season, and if the 2010 season were to end today, I think Johnson would get my vote for the 2010 NL Cy Young Award.

At the same time, though, which player has been more valuable to their team?

In games in which Josh Johnson starts for the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are 11-7.  Compare that with their overall record of 42-46, and the fish have an eight game turnaround with Johnson on the mound.

The Marlins are in fourth place in the NL East, 10.5 games back of the Braves and five games back of the third place Philadelphia Phillies.  After Johnson, Florida has a rotation in shambles, a very good bullpen, and three very good hitters to go with an average lineup and a bad defense.

If not for Johnson, the Marlins would have no shot at the playoffs, but even with him they aren’t in it.

Meanwhile, Ubaldo Jimenez is 15-1 for the Colorado Rockies.  In games that he starts, the Rockies are 16-2, compared with their 49-39 record overall.  That means, without Ubaldo this is a 33-37 team.

And don’t forget that these are the Rockies we’re talking about; Ubaldo has a 2.20 ERA while no one else in the rotation is under 4.00 and two of their starters are over 5.00.

On the other side of the ball, somehow the Rockies have produced a league-average offense in 2010, with only Carlos Gonzalez, Troy Tulowitski (when healthy) and Miguel Olivo really getting it done at the plate.

And yet, there they sit in second place in the NL West, two games out of first place in a tightly packed four-team race that looks, right now, as though it is going to come down to the the final week of the season.  More importantly, if the season ended today, the Rockies would be the NL Wild Card.

Without Ubaldo, the Rockies would be screwed and their season would probably be over.  With him, they’re a playoff team.

At the end of this season, when the hot summer air has given way to cool autumn breezes and the leaves have turned brown and fallen from their trees, we may look up and find that Josh Johnson has been the best pitcher in the National League during the 2010 season.

But if the Colorado Rockies, as currently constructed, end up making the playoffs and are still playing come October, there may well be no escaping the conclusion Ubaldo Jimenez has been the National League’s Most Valuable Player in 2010.

Don Newcombe would be so proud.

Asher B. Chancey lives in Philadelphia and is a co-founder of BasebalEvolution.com .

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After dealing Justin Smoak and his right-handed bat for Cliff Lee, the Texas Rangers may have increased interest in reviving an offseason trade for Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell, according to WEEI Sportsradio Network’s Rob Bradford.

Both Smoak’s departure and corner-infielder Chris Davis’ offensive struggles may force the American League West leaders to acquire a player of Lowell’s caliber to at least platoon with the likes of Davis.

While Lowell is currently on the disabled list rehabilitating a strained hip, the Rangers are “monitoring” his progress closely in the event they cannot acquire a better replacement for Smoak.

Interestingly, moving Lowell could be an important factor for the Red Sox in freeing up roster space for another catcher or outfielder.

Anyone the Red Sox pick up before the trade deadline certainly cannot be sent down once Jacoby Ellsbury, Jason Varitek, Dustin Pedroia, Victor Martinez, and Jeremy Hermida return from the disabled list.

Lowell has put up a .213/.350/.308 batting line in just 91 plate appearances this season.

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The Oakland A’s have had an up-and-down season so far.

They were in first place in the American League West at the beginning of June.

At the All-Star Break the A’s are now 43-46 and seven-and-a-half games out of first place and three games out of second.

Now is time to take a look at the grades for each player the A’s have had at the break. I’ll start with the infield, then outfielders, relievers, and then the starters for the A’s.

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Flash back to July 31st 2009. The trading deadline. Jake Peavy agrees to come to the White Sox.

The pretty girl at the dance who had already snubbed the White Sox, has now changed her mind and has agreed to leave sunny San Diego and come north to the south side of Chicago.

White Sox fans, myself included, have never been happier to trade for an injured pitcher. Sure he won’t be able to pitch in a meaningful game this season, but when he’s added to the rotation next season—watch out.

Flash forward to July 6th, 2010. Jake Peavy goes down for the year.

When Peavy took a hop, skip, and a jump off the mound and immediately walked toward the dugout we all knew he was done. I am able to place a band-aid directly over a cut so that the adhesive part doesn’t hurt when I take the band-aid off. That is the extent of my medical expertise. But even I knew immediately that Peavy was going to be out for some time.

That brings us to where we are right now. No Peavy, eight games over .500, and only a half game out of first place in the AL Central.

So where do the Sox go from here?

Easy. They turn to Daniel Hudson.

Going into the season, I wrote that we’d see Hudson sooner rather than later, likely because of a Freddy Garcia injury or release.

Hudson had a 3.38 ERA in 18 innings for the big club last season, and it’s reasonable to expect more of the same from his this year.

Taking a look at his minor league numbers, two things jump out—his great command and unfortunately number of home runs allowed.

It’s never a good thing to have a potential ace go down. Especially one that had been pitching so well recently. But while this injury closes the door on Jake Peavy this season it opens the window for Daniel Hudson to establish himself in the White Sox rotation.

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The Angels had the second best record in all of baseball for the month of June.

The problem is, the Texas Rangers were the only team better, and they are the team the Angels are trying to catch.

July has not started out with as much promise.

The Angels now find themselves 5.5 games back in the AL West after being swept by the Chicago White Sox during a four-game series in Chicago for the first time in 27 years.

Many are ready to push the panic button and start the fire sale. However, all is not lost with the Angels. One major move, accompanied by some minor tweaks, could manage to save their season.

Here are five things the Angels need to do going forward.

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If there is anything we’ve learned from recent baseball history, it is that the good teams make the obvious moves when the time comes to make them, but the great teams make the right moves when no one else sees them.

To my mind, the best recent example of the difference between obvious moves and good moves comes from the Ken Williams Era in Chicago.  After the 2004 season, Williams traded Carlos Lee to the Milwaukee Brewers for Scott Podsednik and allowed Magglio Ordonez to sign with the Detroit Tigers as a free agent.

With two moves, Williams had gotten rid of two of his team’s best power hitters.  He also made his team leaner, faster, and better defensively, and the White Sox ended up winning the World Series with pitching and defense instead of home runs and strikeouts.

Then, just as quickly as he had assembled his team, Williams dismantled it, trading away Aaron Rowand, the best defensive center fielder in the American League, for big lumbering power hitter Jim Thome.  He also traded away Orlando Hernandez and Chris Young to the Arizona Diamondbacks for flashy but home run prone Javier Vazquez.

The White Sox haven’t been to the ALCS since.

At this point in the 2010 season, and in the current Philadelphia Phillies dynasty, the Phillies and General Manager Ruben Amaro, Jr. are in the Jim Thome-Javier Vazquez phase of the operation.  

After having made excellent moves to get to the World Series twice—including cutting ties with Thome as well as Bobby Abreu; bringing in guys like Jayson Werth and Shane Victorino on the cheap; sending Michael Bourn to the Astros for Brad Lidge; signing defense-specialist Pedro Feliz—the Phillies have started making the obvious moves, and haven’t necessarily benefitted from them.

Acquiring Cliff Lee at the trade deadline last season was necessary, and it was a good deal, but the Phillies gave up prospects to do it.  To turn around and give up even more prospects in order to acquire Roy Halladay but toss Lee to the Mariners was a questionable decision.  

Giving Raul Ibanez a three-year deal at 37 to come play in the DH-less National League was a stretch.  Giving Ryan Howard a $25 million-per-year extension 18 months before his current contract expires was both questionable in terms of both timing and amount.

And now it appears as though the Philadelphia Phillies have come to a crossroads with another one of their players, and Amaro has a chance to once again make either the obvious move or the right move.

We’re talking, of course, about Jayson Werth.

Make no mistake about it: Werth has been one of the guys that have gotten the Phillies to the World Series twice, and he’s been a good contributor at the plate and in the field. The Phillies initially envisioned Werth as a platoon outfielder with Geoff Jenkins of all people, but he proved himself worthy of an everyday spot in the order.

Since taking over right field on an everyday basis in 2008, Werth has hit 60 home runs, driven in 166 RBI, and scored 171 runs in two seasons.  In 2010, Werth already has 26 doubles—tying a career high in just 80 games—along with 51 runs, 48 RBI, and 13 home runs.

Werth is, of course, a free agent after this season.  Regarding Werth’s presence on the open market, his agent had this to say:

“It’s apparent that Jayson is going to be the No. 1, premier position player available. He’ll be the only true five-tool player, and I expect if he does not sign back with the Phillies there would be many suitors for him. In a true free market, there should be many suitors. And he’s also the same age as Ryan Howard.”

Look, I like Jayson Werth, but let’s not get carried away.  Werth is a good player, but he has also benefited greatly from playing for the Phillies.

For one thing, Werth has been a bit of a hometown hero during his stay at Citizens Bank Park.  In 2009, 21 of his 36 home runs came at home, as did 54 of his 98 runs and 53 of his 99 RBI.  His OPS at home was .902 while his OPS on the road was .857.

Those numbers are even more startling in 2010.  Werth has collected 10 of 13 home runs, 31 of his 48 RBI, and 29 of his 51 runs at home.  He is hitting .296 at home but just .262 on the road, and his .984 OPS at Citizens’ Bank is almost 200 points higher than his road .788 OPS.

Not only does Werth do his best work at home; he also does his best work with no one on base.  In 2009, Werth had 300 plate appearances with men on base, and 376 plate appearances with the bases empty.  With men on base, Werth hit .265 with 15 home runs and 10 doubles.  With the bases empty, he hit .270 with 21 home runs and 16 doubles.

Among Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Werth, and Shane Victorino, Werth is the only one who did not perform better with men on base than he did with the bases empty in 2009.

In 2010, it has been more of the same: Werth is hitting .306 with a .912 OPS with the bases empty, and he is hitting .242 with an .843 OPS with men on.  With runners in scoring position, he is hitting .173 with a .676 OPS!

Consider also that the Philadelphia Phillies are a left-handing hitting team and they see lots of matchups against left-handed pitchers to counter that.  This plays right into Werth’s wheelhouse, and in 2009 14 of his 36 home runs came against left-handed pitchers in just 188 plate appearances.

Fact is, Werth is replaceable.  For one thing, the Phillies have Werth’s replacement in Triple-A right now in the form of Domonic Brown.  After hitting very well in Double-A, Brown is simply shredding Triple-A to the tune of a .392 batting average and a 1.104 OPS with four home runs, 12 RBI, and nine runs scored in 14 games.

Brown, of course, is a left-handed hitter, and much has been made of Werth’s value as a right-handed hitter.  But when did right-handed hitting become scarce?  General Managers foam at the mouth at the idea of left-handed hitter; right-handed hitters are a dime-a-dozen.

At the end of the day, the Phillies cannot seriously be entertaining the idea of giving Werth a big-time contract to prevent him from hitting free agency.  With the amount of money being dedicated to the Phillies’ top players, and with the Phillies needs in the starting rotation and bullpen, giving big money to a right fielder would just be reckless.

But trading him wouldn’t be.

Obviously trade deadline deals are usually undertaken between contending teams and rebuilding teams, but trades between contending teams are not unheard of.

Maybe the pitching heavy Tampa Bay Rays might need another bat to make their run in the AL East.  Or perhaps the Minnesota Twins would be willing to part with some bullpen help in exchange for Michael Cuddyer’s replacement.

And then, of course, there are the non-contending teams.  I think Werth would be a great next step in Kansas City in exchange for Joakim Soria, or in Chicago in exchange for Carlos Marmol, or in Arizona in exchange for Edwin Jackson.

Or, perhaps, in Seattle, in exchange for Cliff Lee.

I don’t know where the best fit for Jayson Werth will be come trade deadline time, but I know this: The Phillies can’t afford to re-sign him, and really shouldn’t let him go without getting anything in return.

It isn’t the obvious move to make, but it is the smart one.

And the right one.

Asher B. Chancey lives in Philadelphia and is a co-founder of BaseballEvolution.com .

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The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim stand at a very precarious spot in the season.

At 46-41, just slightly past the halfway point and 5 1/2 games behind the AL West-leading Texas Rangers, they must make a decision: give up and tough it out with the players they have, or make a move and wrest back control of a division they’ve owned for the better part of a decade.

The Angels are in a bad spot right now, particularly where their offense is concerned. In the last seven games, they’ve gone 2-5 and have scored more than two runs only once, thanks to a seven-RBI day from the team’s only consistent player, Torii Hunter.

That was also the last game in which any Angel hit a home run.

How did they ever win two?

After securing a key series victory over the Rangers, it looked as though the Angels were back on track and headed in the right direction.

The starting pitching slowly came around, the patchwork infield was starting to mesh, and even the bullpen hadn’t blown any leads in awhile.

Since then, however, it’s been a steady downhill slide. Errors, poor pitching—especially from the relievers—and a stagnant offense like we haven’t seen from this team in years, have all joined forces to put the 2010 season in serious jeopardy.

Because, well, where do you go from here? The Angels are certainly not out of contention by any means. After all, it’s only July. Even the Baltimore Orioles have a shot to make the postseason.

Technically.

But the ways in which the Angels can turn the season around right now are few and far between. It is more likely they will make their big moves in the offseason, when guys like Cliff Lee and Carl Crawford hit the free-agent market.

Still, the Angels can’t be content to trudge along with what they have in the meantime. Paul McAnulty, Cory Aldridge, Robb Quinlan, Brandon Wood, Reggie Willits—these are not intimidating names in any lineup.

Couple that with the dismal slumps of supposed run-producers like Hideki Matsui, Juan Rivera, and Bobby Abreu and the Angels aren’t going anywhere this season. Not without a little outside help.

Over the last month, the rumor mill has been buzzing around the Big A pretty loudly. Paul Konerko was surely going to be the next Angel. Then it was Adam LaRoche and Hank Blalock. Last week, Adam Dunn was all but a lock in Anaheim.

This week, the rumors have faded and the buzzing silenced. The only sound around the Big A now is the soft echo of brooms sweeping up in preparation for the coming All-Star festivities.

This can only mean one thing: Tony Reagins is making calls instead of just taking them.

L.A. has always been a tight-lipped organization, jealously guarding its hand like Doyle Brunson at a no-limit hold ’em table. Sure, sometimes a card or two gets spotted by some enterprising reporter or MLB insider.

But when the chips are down and the season hangs in the balance, the Angels clam up.

If that’s the case here, then the Angels have to be addressing at least one of the holes on their team and the most glaring one of all is the offense. The bullpen certainly needs help, but fewer options are available there than at the plate.

The Baltimore Orioles have already hung the “For Sale” sign on the 2010 season and are making available pretty much everyone not named Adam Jones. Ty Wigginton or Miguel Tejada would make fine additions in Anaheim.

The Houston Astros, Florida Marlins, Arizona Diamondbacks, Kansas City Royals, and Milwaukee Brewers are all on the verge of doing the same thing. Each has at least one player the Angels could reasonably deal for.

Even the Boston Red Sox could be willing to deal Victor Martinez if the price is right. The once-mighty BoSox have been bitten by the injury bug this season and are in desperate need of fresh bodies in the field.

If the Angels do make a move, it likely won’t come until after the All-Star break, which should give them just enough time to consider their options as they stand at the precipice of a season that could be very good, or very bad.

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37-48.

11.5 games out of first place.

Those are the numbers Brewer fans were forced to endure this morning when opening their papers or looking online to see the current position of their favorite team.

After a 15-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants, it’s clear that the Brewers won’t be sniffing the playoffs in 2010.

The problems for the Brewers start with their payroll. Of the team’s $90-plus million in player contracts for 2010, over $23 million of that is owed to players no longer with the team. It’s virtually impossible for a mid-market team to compete for the playoffs when a quarter of their payroll is dead money.

Brewers’ management called in all their major scouts to Milwaukee in order to determine if the team would be buyers or sellers in this year’s trade market. As optimistic as GM Doug Melvin and owner Mark Attanasio may like to be, there’s no doubt the Brewers need to come up with a new plan for success.

That means they must begin trading off some of their valued trading chips.

In fact, any player not named Braun, Gallardo, Escobar or Lucroy should be available via trade if the price is right. 

Ryan Braun’s name has been mentioned by some Giants’ beat writers as a trade target, but he has a full no-trade clause until after the 2011 season. Besides, the Giants wouldn’t liking be willing to give up Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain, which is what the Brewers would desire to part with Braun.

Gallardo is the only consistent pitcher on the pitching staff this year. Even with his current stint on the disabled list, he is still slated as the team’s ace for the next several years.

Alcides Escobar and Jonathan Lucroy may be going through some rough times, but that is normal for rookies. Having a good shortstop and catcher for the next six years are key components for any team looking for sustained success.

Obviously Prince Fielder and Corey Hart are the top candidates that could bring a lot of talent back to Milwaukee. While Fielder could bring the largest haul, he isn’t likely to be sent packing until this winter.

Hart has received interest recently from almost every team currently in the playoff hunt. The Giants and Braves have shown the most interest, and both have the young pitching that the Brewers are sorely missing on their roster at the moment.

The Brewers have some good, young talent, both on their 25-man roster and in the minors. Getting a look at these players should be the Brewers’ top priority for the remainder of the 2010 season.

Lorenzo Cain, a speedy outfielder, was just promoted to Triple A. With Carlos Gomez and Ryan Braun, Cain would be a third of one of the fastest outfields in baseball. Cain’s defensive prowess will also help improve the struggling pitching staff.

Brett Lawrie, the team’s top draft pick in the 2008, is having a banner season in Double A. Lawrie won’t turn 21 until January, and could play any position needed on the Brewers. His bat is already Major League-ready, he just needs the opportunity to get the call to Milwaukee. 

In addition to Hart and Fielder, Trevor Hoffman, Jim Edmonds, Craig Counselland Dave Bush are all legitimate possibilities to be traded before the July 31 deadline.

Each could help a contender down the stretch. Although they wouldn’t bring back the talent of a Fielder or Hart, they could still strengthen the team’s minor league system for 2011 and beyond. 

The Brewers have enough talent that other teams are looking at. They will need to get rid of some of it in order to rebuild a team that made the playoffs just two seasons ago.

A philosophical change must be made by the management if it is going to do that. The Brewers need to shift away from a power team and incorporate more “small ball” in order to achieve greater success.

The Brewers had their run of success over the past few seasons, but now is the moment for Melvin and Attanasio to realize that time has passed for the current batch of Brewers.

If that means trading away Fielder, Hart, Rickie Weeks, and more, then it needs to be done in order for the Brewers to compete in the coming years. 

To read more by Jesse Motiff, click here . 

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We are officially less than a week away from the 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

The 81st annual midseason exhibition will definitely be one to watch, as there are several dynamics to look forward to: a cluster of new faces, a bunch of superstars coming back, and the question of whether or not the National League can beat the American League for the first time in since 1996.

With that being said, there is one experienced veteran who is probably not going to see his name on the roster. He has made six consecutive All-Star appearances, and would love to see his streak continue with a seventh this year.

He is none other than the Texas Rangers’ Michael Young.

To this date, the 33-year old California native is on the verge of making it to the 200-hit plateau for the sixth time of his career.

Not only is he presently fourth in hits in the American League (106), but he is also ranked sixth in total bases (170), 10th in extra-base hits (38), and ninth in runs scored (56). He’s also hitting .306 with 12 home runs and 53 RBI.

“I love going to the All-Star Game,” Young said. “I have a great time every time I go. But we have five guys. Whether I go or not, it never changes, my goal. It’s always to have a big year and help our team win as many games as I can.”

Young finished in third place among third basemen in this year’s voting, behind Evan Longoria and Alex Rodriguez, respectively.

Four years ago, Young was the hero for the American League winners, hitting a game-winning two-run triple in the top of the ninth inning. That earned him the prestigious Ted Williams MLB All-Star MVP that year.

Young has quietly made a name for himself as one of the best contact hitters in the game today. His stellar offensive season so far for the Rangers has helped keep the franchise in first place in the American League West—not to mention lead them to the best 75-game start in franchise history.

And here is a fun fact: Michael Young’s six appearances in a row are third-most among active players, only behind Ichiro (10) and Albert Pujols (8).

However, when it comes to the 2010 All-Star Game, there is almost no chance of him making it off the Final Vote ballot.

Although he is a hitting machine, Young is surprisingly not needed to represent the American League. As consistent and productive as Young has been, there are three third basemen who deserve to be in the All-Star Game more than Young.

But what is coincidental is that all three All-Star third basemen play for the top three teams in the American League East. Let’s take a look at the third basemen who have already team.

First in line is Evan Longoria of the Tampa Bay Rays, who is leading his team in a push for a possible playoff berth with 13 homers and 61 RBI.

His WAR (wins above replacement) is also fifth in the American League. His power, speed, and defense continue to make this young star one of the best in the game. There is no way Michael Young is making the All-Star game if E-Longlorious doesn’t.

Another man at the hot corner playing in the All-Star game is a man who puts up big numbers year after year: Alex Rodriguez.

He is making his 13th appearance at the midsummer classic, and rightfully so. Third in the American League with 67 RBI, A-Rod just keeps piling up numbers which epitomizes why he is one of the best to ever play the game.

Unless he had missed a significant part of the first half, it would have been shocking if A-Rod didn’t put up a decent season and find himself in the All-Star game.

Rounding out the list is Adrian Beltre, who is contributing quite well to the Boston Red Sox’s run for the playoffs.

His first All-Star appearance is well deserved, as he has maintained a .334 batting average (good for fifth in the American League) and has hit 12 homers and brought in 54 runs.

Not only is he in the top five in batting average so far, but he is currently in the top five in hits (105), doubles (25), and range factor (both per game and per nine innings); he’s also in the top ten in total bases (168) and extra-base hits (38). Statistically, he is arguably the most successful Red Sox player offensively.

Does Michael Young deserve to be on the All-Star roster instead of Beltre? No.

But teammate Ian Kinsler doesn’t agree.

“Numbers-wise, he’s probably better than two of the guys who are going. I don’t know what Longoria’s numbers are or Alex’s but I can’t believe they’re better than Mike’s. He’s the leader of our team. He’s basically the glue that keeps our team together. All of us want him to go.”

Letting go of the aspect that the American League is already loaded with decent third basemen, there are still several reasons why Michael Young doesn’t stand a chance in winning the Final Vote. Take a look at the other four players in competition with him: Kevin Youkilis, Nick Swisher, Paul Konerko, and Delmon Young.

Youkilis and Swisher are currently neck and neck, and Paul Konerko recently passed Michael Young for third place on the ballot. My guess is that Young is going to be fourth on the list once the final results come out. With the huge Red Sox and Yankees fanbases, and the years that both Swisher and Youkilis have put up so far, I’d be shocked if one of them didn’t win it.

Personally, I believe that Kevin Youkilis deserve the nod out of all five of them. We’ll just see what happens.

He’s had a marvelous year, leading the league in runs scored (66) and cracking the top five in a myriad of statistics, including: wins above replacement (3.3), on-base percentage (.409), slugging percentage (.574), on-base plus slugging percentage (.983), walks (51), adjusted OPS (156), runs created (71), adjusted batting wins (2.3), offensive winning percentage (.764), and win probability added (2.6)…not to mention that he is a spectacular defensive first baseman.

If that’s not enough for you, I don’t know what is.

The Rangers are doing everything they can to get Michael Young as much support as possible. The Rangers and Nationals just announced a voting alliance—the “Third Base Ticket”—that they hope will benefit Young and Washington’s Ryan Zimmerman. This was after finding out that Nick Swisher is using his Twitter account to do the same thing.

“If I was making a commercial, I wouldn’t be in it. I’d hire someone to do it,” Young said. “That’s really not my style. I’ve been really fortunate that all the fans here in Texas have been so supportive of me. So we’ll see how it all shakes out. I’d love to go, but I’m not going to do any campaigning or anything like that.”

He went on saying that he’d be honored to go, and that the All-Star Game is always a lot of fun.

Will Young be the third consecutive third baseman to win the AL Final Vote, following Brandon Inge last year and Evan Longoria the year before? There are several reasons why one would vote for him, but are they good enough to beat the other four on the list?

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