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For all of the intrigue and annual entertainment that the Home Run Derby brings to MLB‘s All-Star weekend, the format needed some refreshing, and the 2015 edition has delivered by shaking up the contest significantly.

The complete eradication of the 10-outs-per-batter rule is only the beginning of the changes announced by MLB. Contenders now will have a five-minute running clock against them, in which time they must jack as many homers as possible to win their head-to-head matchups. 

Of course, it’s not that straightforward. Batters can get extra time added to their rounds by hitting extra distances, like 30 seconds for a 475-foot bomb or one minute for two that exceed 420 feet. For matchups tied at the end of the round, a 90-second swing-off will be in order.

Power has always been the central focus of the Home Run Derby, but now precision and execution will become similarly crucial to contenders’ chances for victory.

Here’s a look at the full bracket and the top names in action.

2015 Home Run Derby

Bracket

ESPN Stats & Info provided the complete Home Run Derby bracket below:

Top Contenders

Albert Pujols

It’s no secret who the old head is among this year’s Derby field.

While surprising names like Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo flood the eight-player field with not-so-household names, Pujols will be making his fourth career appearance in the vaunted event. It’s been 12 years since he first appeared as a youngster for the St. Louis Cardinals, but he’s still competing for the league lead in major batting statistics.

He recently commented on how he approaches the event, via MLB:

His 26 home runs on the season have him just a few away from moving into 15th on the all-time list, and he’s having arguably his best year in an Angels uniform. His massive contract with the Angels indicated that he would eventually be grossly overpaid for his production, but that day seems to be later than perhaps many anticipated.

Pujols faces the Chicago Cubs’ young Bryant in the first round and may have a thing or two to teach him about the long ball.

Joc Pederson

If I told you a young, immensely powerful Los Angeles Dodgers slugger made his way into the Home Run Derby this summer, you might think I was talking about last summer and Yasiel Puig. Alas, lightning has struck twice with 23-year-old Joc Pederson.

The left-handed batter is only hitting .228 on the season but has smacked a whopping 20 home runs along with 39 RBI at the halfway point. While Puig has undergone injury troubles and the Dodgers’ run support has been lacking at times, Pederson is doing more than enough on his own.

What’s more, he is pummeling them further than anyone else in the field, as ESPN Stats & Info noted:

There’s no doubting that Pederson has a fair share of growth and development to make at the plate, as illustrated by the Dodgers’ decision to take him out of the lineup in certain pitching matchups. But his power and home run ability undeniably make him one of the most intriguing individuals in the field.

Todd Frazier

There’s almost always a hometown favorite in the mix at any Home Run Derby, and Todd Frazier gets that nod as he represents Cincinnati and the Reds on Monday night.

Of course, the third baseman has already done his club proud on the Home Run Derby stage recently. He finished runner-up to Yoenis Cespedes at last year’s event in Minnesota and will have his brother Charlie pitching to him, just like then.

In terms of recent home runs, he trails only one Derby participant, as High Heat Stats noted:

The host team’s most impressive batter can often get a shoo-in spot in the field for the sake of tradition, but Frazier didn’t backpedal his way into this event. He proved his worth last year by getting to the final step and could be aided by the format change and a move to his home ballpark.

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Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher A.J. Burnett will sport custom-made Batman cleats from 3N2 on the mound at Great American Ball Park in Tuesday’s All-Star Game.

“Self expression is important to me,” Burnett said in a 3N2 press release. “When I’m on the mound I want there to be no mistaking who I am and what I’m out there to do. 3N2 has given me the freedom to fuse my personality with my game.”

The 17-year major league veteran is a first-time All-Star, named to the National League team by manager Bruce Bochy.

[Twitter]

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Announcing the MLB All-Star roster now comes in three waves.  We’ve already passed the first two, with the fan-selected starters and manager-selected reserves.  But with the slew of injury replacements who find their way onto the roster, both the American League and National League dugouts begin to resemble college football rosters by the time the actual game rolls around.  

So the current snapshot below represents a more accurate representation of who has most deservedly earned the All-Star moniker.  And even excluding the next wave of players, there’s still a fair degree of uncertainty as to how Bruce Bochy and Ned Yost will actually manage these rosters, which creates some intriguing questions that won’t be answered until the game.

Check out the current AL and NL rosters below while also looking ahead to which players could find themselves most prominently featured in the Cincinnati spotlight.

2015 MLB All-Star Game Lineups

Storylines to Watch

Who Starts on the Mound?

The final vote might be the most immediate roster concern in the spotlight, but the most glamorous decision will come with the starting pitcher announcements.  Whereas one league has a fairly clear front-runner, the other squad will have a much wider net to cast to field its range of possible candidates.

In the senior circuit, Max Scherzer has been the clear class of the National League.  The Washington Nationals’ ace has been spectacular apart from a brief early June blip and, according to FanGraphs’ WAR, has accumulated nearly a full win more than any other pitcher in the league.

Scherzer has always harbored swing-and-miss stuff, but his control hasn’t always been great, something that held him back early in his career.  His newfound elite control has elevated his pitching again, though, as his 1.02 walks-per-nine-innings rate (BB/9) currently ranks third among qualified starters.  Assuming he does get the starting nod, Scherzer will join some historically elite company:

Yost won’t have nearly as simple a choice for the AL.  Reigning Cy Young winner Corey Kluber is somehow not on the roster despite leading the league in WAR, though he might sneak his way onto the roster later.  One possible alternative could be Dallas Keuchel, the ace of the Cinderella first-place Houston Astros.  

The Astros don’t really have a signature player serving as the mainstream face of the franchise, and a starting All-Star nod for Keuchel could vault him into that role.  The 27-year-old has maintained a sparkling 2.14 ERA and 11-3 record despite some poor fly-ball luck, and he’s certainly earned the respect of his peers:

The Chicago White Sox’s Chris Sale might get the nod based on pedigree, as he’s now a four-time All-Star who’s been on the precipice of starting previous games without actually earning the distinction.  Sale’s absurd 11.78 strikeouts per nine innings (K/9) rate leads all qualified starters as he continues to carry the mantle for an otherwise nondescript White Sox squad.

Chris Archer, Sonny Gray and David Price are among the others who could at least make an argument for the starter’s role.  Whoever gets the assignment will likely face off against Scherzer, but the guess here is that it boils down to Keuchel vs. Sale.

Who Replaces Injured Starters?

The starting pitcher’s slot isn’t the only starting job that will be up for grabs.  As you can see in the lineups above, there are at least three fan-voted starters who will be unable to participate because of major injuries: Miguel Cabrera, Alex Gordon and Giancarlo Stanton.  

St. Louis’ Matt Holliday has also been on the disabled list for the past month with a torn quad, but the Cardinals vet is pushing for a return and plans to play in the All-Star Game, per the St. Louis Post-Dispatch‘s Derrick Goold.

For now we’ll operate under the assumption that Holliday does play, leaving three spots open for current reserves.  It’s important to note that the managers don’t simply need to take the next-highest vote-getters to replace their injured starters, as Yost and Bochy will both be able to pick their own starters.

On the AL side, the pickings are slim to replace Cabrera.  Eight of the top 10 leaders in WAR among first baseman are from the NL, and Cabrera is one of the two AL reps.  Albert Pujols is the other one, and given his MVP pedigree and power resurgence (which will see him featured in the Home Run Derby), the Machine seems like the most logical candidate to replace the Detroit Tigers first baseman.

Yost doesn’t have to stick with a natural left fielder to replace Gordon, but if he does, he might have to go off the roster for the best candidate.  

Yoenis Cespedes is currently on the Final Vote ballot and has accumulated the second most WAR among left fielders behind Gordon.  Cespedes won’t get a chance to win a third Home Run Derby title, but giving him the starting nod would provide a platform to feature his power for the Cincinnati crowd nonetheless:

Figuring out Stanton’s replacement is a little trickier.  Former MVP Andrew McCutchen has the biggest name and most popularity, but he has a bit of an offensive dip this season.  The honor should probably go to one of three young breakout stars: Joc Pederson, Starling Marte or A.J. Pollock.  Pederson’s power and status as a big-market star make him the most marketable, but would Bochy pick a Los Angeles Dodger to start?

None of this will have an impact on the game’s outcome, of course, but it’s a good way to evaluate the reputations and resumes of baseball’s biggest stars.  And though home-field advantage throughout the World Series controversially remains on the line, those status evaluations are the most interesting part of the All-Star selection process.

Advanced stats courtesy of FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.

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The full All-Star Game rosters were released on Monday night, and players like Prince Fielder, Jason Kipnis and Nolan Arenado—whom many felt should have started at their respective positions—made it as reserves.

Zack Greinke, Madison Bumgarner, Gerrit Cole and Max Scherzer headline the starting pitchers on the National League team, while American League manager Ned Yost will have to choose between Felix Hernandez, Chris Archer, Dallas Keuchel, Chris Sale, David Price and Sonny Gray to start the game.

Here are the full rosters for both the AL and NL teams:

This year, more than in past seasons, there seem to be a lot of worthy candidates who were left off the roster because of competition at certain positions.

With the fans voting in Nelson Cruz as the starting designated hitter and Fielder’s being recognized by his peers for his efforts at DH halfway through the season, Alex Rodriguez was left off the AL team and the final fan vote.

Considering Rodriguez’s contributions to the success of the first-place New York Yankees to this point—16 home runs, 47 RBI and a .903 OPS—Jayson Stark of ESPN told Mike and Mike that A-Rod got snubbed:

There were snubs on the NL side as well.

An argument can be made that a guy like Justin Turner, who is having a breakout year, hitting .315 with 11 home runs and a .948 OPS, deserved the nod over D.J. LeMahieu of the Colorado Rockies. 

Apparently Turner hasn’t impressed his fellow players throughout the league as much he has D.J. Short of NBC Sports:

But Monday night wasn’t all hard feelings.

Jacob deGrom and Keuchel, two of the more promising young pitchers in the game, were among those who learned they’ll be playing in their first All-Star Game:

The kids weren’t the only ones receiving the news for the first time in their careers, however.

A.J. Burnett is in the midst of perhaps his best season this year with the Pittsburgh Pirates, pitching to a 1.99 ERA and a 7-3 record.

Burnett has accomplished a lot over his 17-year big league career. He’s led both leagues in shutouts, won a World Series and tossed a no-no while walking nine batters. 

But he had never made an All-Star team until Monday night. Pirates and NL teammate Andrew McCutchen is delighted for Burnett, according to Bill Brink of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Yost and NL manager Bruce Bochy have the unenviable task of choosing the starting pitchers, with a myriad of justifiable options at their disposal.

Scherzer may have been the best pitcher in the sport over his past four starts, Greinke has the lowest ERA in MLB and Cole has an MLB-leading 12 wins. You would have to figure Bochy will hand the ball to one of those three to start the game, passing over his own guy, Bumgarner.

Stark noted that Scherzer could join elite company next Tuesday in Cincinnati, but according to Chris Johnson of MASN, Scherzer’s in line to start on Sunday for the Washington Nationals, which would take him out of the discussion:

Yost, meanwhile, has to decide between former Cy Young winner Price, the three pitchers with the lowest ERA’s in the AL—Gray, Keuchel and Archer—and Sale, the AL leader in strikeouts with 147.

John Buccigross of ESPN believes Keuchel deserves the distinction, and Keuchel’s peers seem to agree, according to Evan Drellich of the Houston Chronicle.

We’ll see if Yost shares the same sentiment.

For now, fans have to decide which AL and NL players merit the final roster spots on each team.

Johnny Cueto, Clayton Kershaw, Jeurys Familia, Carlos Martinez and Troy Tulowitzki are the candidates for the NL, while Xander Bogaerts, Yoenis Cespedes, Brian Dozier, Brett Gardner and Mike Moustakas earned the last chance to make the AL squad.

Twitter campaigning is in full effect:

Cueto and Kershaw haven’t been as dominant as people have grown accustomed to, but they still have had very good seasons, with a 0.92 and 1.04 WHIP, respectively.

Familia, meanwhile, has a 1.13 ERA and 0.88 WHIP and converted 23 of 25 save opportunities.

There are enough great starting pitchers in this game, but Familia—someone probably unfamiliar to many fans—deserves to put his talents on display on the big stage.

The AL candidates are all pretty even, but Bogaerts is a guy a lot of people were starting to write off but is really proving some doubters wrong with a nice first half.

So with that, it’s up to the fans to round out the two rosters and play the role of general manager, something they love to do in the comments sections.

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The All-Star Game seems to be in the hands of the players who were elected as starters.

The fans have spoken, and they have made several sharp choices this year, particularly in the National League.

However, reserves have made a huge impact on the All-Star Game since its inception in 1933, and it is quite likely that the talented group that will start the game on the bench will produce one or two heroes, and perhaps more.

Players like Bobby Bonds (1973 MVP), Julio Franco (1990 MVP), Sandy Alomar (1997 game-winning homer and MVP) and Michael Young (2006 game-winning hit and MVP) have come off the bench and made huge plays to lead their league to victory. 

In this piece, we highlight four reserves on each team.

San Francisco Giants manager Bruce Bochy can breathe easy when he looks at his bench and sees Yadier Molina ready to jump in at the catching position.

While Bochy will undoubtedly give starter Buster Posey of his Giants plenty of run, he knows when he turns to Molina, he will be putting in the best defensive catcher in the game, and one of the best in the sport’s history.

In addition to his powerful arm, his ability to keep tough pitches from getting past him and his ability to call a strong game puts Molina in a class by himself. He has become an excellent offensive force in the St. Louis Cardinals lineup. Molina has a .292/.333/.706 slash line, and while he has just two homers and 27 RBI, he is more than capable of getting the big hit.

Yadier Molina has a CANNON😮 https://t.co/oaDfPprYVQ

— MLB Vines™ (@MLBTop10) July 6, 2015

Andrew McCutchen of the Pittsburgh Pirates is technically a bench player. He was not voted into the National League starting outfield, but Miami Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton will not play in the game because of a broken bone in his hand, and McCutchen will start in his place.

After an ordinary start, McCutchen has got it going once again. He has a .297/.391/.884 slash line with 10 home runs and 51 RBI. After his indifferent early play, McCutchen has the Pirates playing sharp baseball once again.

Kris Bryant of the Chicago Cubs has made his first All-Star team as a rookie. It appears to be a fairly safe bet that he will make many more during the run of his career, assuming he can stay healthy.

The 23-year-old Bryant has already launched 12 home runs and 49 RBI since getting called up from Iowa early in the season, and he has a .279/.383/.867 slash line. He could cause a lot of damage coming off the bench for the National League against American League pitchers who don’t know him.

All star. @KrisBryant_23 @Cubs @WBBMNewsradio pic.twitter.com/Vgho23F2iO

— Mark Grote (@markgrotesports) July 6, 2015

Bryant figures to have more of an impact than Dodgers rookie outfielder Joc Pederson, who has cooled down after a hot start. Pederson has a .170/.333/.309 slash line over his last 30 games.

Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies has a chance to give the NL All-Stars some late lightning off the bench. Arenado has been raking all season in the Mile High City, and he has blasted 24 homers and knocked in 68 runs. He is also one of the best fielding third basemen in the game, and he is capable of stopping any rally with the leather.

The American League appears to have reversed the National League’s brief rally that saw the Senior Circuit win three games in a row from 2010 through 2012. The American League has won the last two games, and Kansas City manager Ned Yost appears to have a plethora of stars he can choose off the bench.

Jason Kipnis is one of the top reserves on the American League squad after a brilliant first half of the year with the Cleveland Indians. Many believe that Kipnis would have been a more deserving starter than Jose Altuve (.303 batting average, 94 hits, 24 stolen bases) of the Houston Astros.

It’s actually a great debate, since both players have been so productive. The case for Kipnis is a strong one. He has an eye-catching .340/.416/.919 slash line, and he also has 36 RBI and 10 stolen bases. Kipnis has been getting the barrel of his bat on the ball when he gets a strike, and he is one of the best fastball hitters in the American League.

Jason Kipnis extends home-hitting streak to 29 games with single in fifth. Longest in Progressive Field history.

— paul hoynes (@hoynsie) July 7, 2015

Jose Iglesias of the Detroit Tigers may be the best fielding American League shortstop since Omar Vizquel was in his prime with the Cleveland Indians. Fans will get a treat if Yost turns to him in the middle or late innings and he gets a chance to show off his range, quick release and athleticism. 

Iglesias is not an all-field, no-hit shortstop. He has 75 hits and has a .323 batting average. He is not a power hitter, but he makes contact and can be a tough out.

Manny Machado of the Baltimore Orioles is playing for the right team. When older fans think of the best third baseman they ever saw field the position, they think of Orioles Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson. Machado belongs in the conversation with the great Robinson when it comes to spectacular third base play.

Manny Machado celebrated his birthday with an All-Star Game selection and a home run http://t.co/ypuhY5EKKi pic.twitter.com/6qQjhrztP5

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) July 7, 2015

Machado has belted 18 home runs and has 47 RBI this season, and his slash line of .301/.360/.891 makes him one of the most intimidating players in the American League. Machado could be dangerous if Yost sends him up to the plate in a late-inning, clutch situation.

While Sal Perez is clearly an outstanding defensive catcher and one of the Royals’ leaders, many thought Stephen Vogt of the Oakland A’s should have been the AL starter at catcher. Vogt has been hitting the ball consistently all season, and his numbers are impressive. Vogt has a .290/.380/.882 slash line, and he has hammered 13 homers and knocked in 53 RBI.

Yost may lean on Perez throughout the majority of the game, but Vogt should get a chance to show off his offensive skills late in the game and possibly give the AL a chance to win it’s third All-Star Game in a row and build on its 14-3-1 record in the last 18 All-Star Games.

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Although Omar Infante and the Kansas City Royals fans gave it their best shot, there won’t be any undeserving 2015 MLB All-Stars. 

But that doesn’t mean there haven’t been some horrific selections over the past decade. We’ll rank the 10 least-deserving MLB All-Stars of the last 10 years in the following slides. 

This list doesn’t discriminate, as stars like Derek Jeter and Josh Hamilton are mixed in with journeymen like Cesar Izturis and Mark Loretta. The only consistent aspects throughout the list are poor production and notable snubs that were robbed of All-Star nods. 

Make sure to let your voice be heard in the comment section below. Do you agree with the players that we chose? Did any others slip through the cracks? 

Let’s get started with our honorable mentions!

Begin Slideshow

1. Those Who Were Hosed, and Those Who Should Be Rewarded

Outrageous. Scandalous. Freaking criminal!

All of those descriptions were hurled in recent weeks, and that was just at poor Omar Infante.

As for the rest of the All-Star voting, while Kansas City fans voted early, often and, God bless ’em, with their Royal blue hearts, you’ve gotta admit, it mostly went fairly well. Today’s fans, armed with far more information than I ever dreamed of as a young fan in the 1970s in Michigan listening to Ernie Harwell and gazing out in wonder at the Great Lakes (usually Erie), are smarter than ever.

Yes, there are a couple of egregious omissions in the starting lineups. Just like always. And yes, baseball needs to tweak the system. Just like always.

So let’s do the omissions first. Will the following players please phone the front office so we can award you with a box of Big League Chew and give you your rightful place in the starting lineup of next Tuesday’s All-Star Game:

Jason Kipnis, Indians: No offense, American League starting second baseman Jose Altuve; we’re big fans. Bigger fans of you than of Omar Infante (whoops, sorry Omar, didn’t mean to pile on). But there is absolutely zero debate that Kipnis should be starting. He leads all major league second basemen with a .340 batting average and .416 on-base percentage, and he ranks second to the Twins’ Brian Dozier with a .503 slugging percentage.

Jose Bautista, Blue Jays: How in the world can a guy with 57 RBI and the man who ranks third among all AL right fielders with a .904 OPS sit idly by while Kansas City’s Alex Gordon starts? Gordon is a terrific defender and worthy All-Star rep, without question. It’s not like we’re talking Omar Infante here (darn, did it again, sorry Big O). But Joey Bats belongs on the field when the game starts.

J.D. Martinez, Tigers: See “Bats, Joey.” Only Albert Pujols’ 25 homers outpace Martinez’s 24 in the AL, and the Tigers right fielder ranks second in the league with 176 total bases. The top guy? Toronto’s Josh Donaldson (181). You were thinking Omar Infante (D’oh! Shut my mouth!).

Prince Fielder, Rangers: OK, hard to argue with the fan vote that had Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera in the starting lineup. But as AL manager Ned Yost scans the horizon for a replacement now that Detroit’s big Tiger is out six weeks with a calf strain, Fielder comes immediately to mind to replace him. Sure, Yost‘s choice to replace Cabrera—Pujols—is back to his St. Louis ways, having slammed 25 homers, but Fielder has him in OPS (.943-.894), on-base percentage (.413-.337) and batting average (.347-.265).

Notice, now, the difference in reviewing the fan voting: Those voting in the NL got it far more right than the AL. Good job, NL denizens! Only two complaints:

Brandon Crawford, Giants: Small quibble, to be sure. St. Louis’ Jhonny Peralta is having a terrific summer. But toss in Crawford’s defense, and he’s my pick. The best overall shortstop in the NL resides in San Francisco, right, Omar Infante (hey, just trying to be inclusive!)?

Joc Pederson, Dodgers: Clearly, they’ve shown us they sure know how to vote in the Show Me State of Missouri. Four Royals starting in Cincinnati and two Cardinals. Promise, I’m a fan of St. Louis (Chuck Berry, The Hill Italian District, the Arch, are you kidding me?)…but I do think there are better choices than the two Cardinals who are starting.

With Matt Holliday’s quad problem, Pederson, the hot rookie from Los Angeles, should be installed into the starting lineup. This kid has been sensational, both at the plate and with the glove in center field.

So that’s it. Not too many gripes. And if you think I’m leaving somebody out, you have a point. I’d love to see Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado in the lineup, and he probably deserves it. But Todd Frazier is having such a great year offensively and the game is in Cincinnati, so, why not him?

Which brings me straight to my second All-Star point…

2. The All-Star Game Needs Tweaking—Again

The problem is, baseball can’t decide once and for all what it wants this game to be.

Is it a hugely meaningful game? Absolutely, because World Series home-field advantage is attached.

Is it a midsummer carnival? Yes, because the best players still don’t play as long as they should, and if you’re going to pull them out of the game early and bring them straight to the television cameras to be interviewed, then you’re totally going against the grain of trying to make it meaningful.

Do the players treat it with the gravity with which something attached to the World Series deserves? No way.   

Remember Justin Verlander getting hammered in the first inning in Kansas City a few years ago, then brushing it off upon exiting the game by saying that his entire goal was simply to light up the radar gun because fans wanted to see how hard he could throw? It helped cost the Tigers home-field advantage in the 2012 World Series.

Remember Adam Wainwright last year in Minnesota admitting he grooved a pitch to Derek Jeter so the Yankees captain could have a triumphant moment in his final All-Star Game?

Remember how eight Royals were in position to start a couple of weeks ago, including Omar Infante (doggone, there we go again!)?

What, exactly, is this game supposed to be?

I love the All-Star Game. I’ve watched it my entire life. Which is why, as I sat there in Miller Park in 2002 and watched the game sink to its lowest ebb, the humiliating tie, I was completely on board with then-Commissioner Bud Selig attaching home-field advantage in the World Series.

There is no reason the game should sink to the level of a Little League game in today’s overly politically correct world, where everybody gets orange slices, popsicles and a trophy just for participating (“Congratulations, Tommy, you win the award for being Most On Time! Congratulations, Johnny, this trophy is for you because you never once showed up to the field with your jersey on backward!”).

I get it that the schedule is a huge grind and players don’t want to make the effort to appear at the All-Star Game and then sit and watch nine innings from the dugout. But sometimes that’s the way things go. And you know what solves that problem? Same thing that solves every problem: Money. Increase the All-Star bonuses and take back control of the game.

In a perfect world, the fans will continue to vote (they should get something for continually shelling out for tickets, jerseys and authentic team insignia grill covers), the managers and players will continue to have a say, the managers and baseball officials will pick the starting lineups from a pool of players voted on by fans and the players then would get on board with the World Series home-field thing.

This is easily the best All-Star Game of any of the major professional sports leagues. But it’s more difficult keeping it that way than it should be.

3. The Yankees No-Stars

One of the most telling statistics surrounding this year’s All-Star Game: No Yankees were voted into the starting lineup.

How unusual is that?

Well, it hasn’t happened since 1999, and it is only the second time since 1992.

As Billy Witz points out in this New York Times piece, Derek Jeter got boxed out in the ’99 game in Fenway Park when a late voting rush propelled hometown hero Nomar Garciaparra into the starting lineup.

Now, even in a season in which he collected his 3,000th hit, Alex Rodriguez didn’t get strong backing. Mark Teixeira and Brett Gardner are having good seasons. Yawn.

Is it that Yankees fans just don’t find this team likable?

In a conversation with Joe Girardi last week, the Yankees manager said he thinks it’s more the fact that some of the current players—guys like Brian McCann and even Teixeira—just haven’t been Yankees for a long period of time

But this is Teixeira’s seventh season in New York. Gardner has been a Yankee since 2008.

The baseball world no longer revolves around the Yankees, at least not right now.

4. Detroit Shakedown

Chasing that elusive World Series title under owner Mike Ilitch, the Tigers’ chances of catching Kansas City in the AL Central took a huge hit with Miguel Cabrera’s calf strain.

He is out for six weeks, and if that sounds odd, know this: Before now, Cabrera has never spent a day on the disabled list. Not in 13 years and 1,896 games.

This is a guy who powered through a torn groin in 2013 and played on a stress fracture in his right foot last year. The foot injury was such that when he finally allowed doctors to fix it after the season, according to Bleacher Report sources, they could not believe he had been playing on it.

That tells you two things:

How tough Miggy is.

And how, at 32, time might be beginning to work against him.

5. Rabbits, Hats and the Cubs

Out-of-the-box manager Joe Maddon hired a magician last week to take some minds off the Cubs’ five-game losing streak. Yes, the same manager who brought penguins and boa constrictors into the Tampa Bay clubhouse when he managed the Rays.

So why didn’t the skipper go all “beast mode” for the Cubs?

“It’s hard to grab a zoo animal on the road,” Maddon told reporters. “It’s much easier to acquire a magician on the road than a 20-foot python. I’ve always felt that way.”

Of course.

6. Managing in a Modern (Oakland) World

Strong words from A’s outfielder Josh Reddick last week in expressing his frustration at being benched against left-handers at times this season. But if he intends to keep manager Bob Melvin on his side, maybe he shouldn’t throw the skipper under the bus driven by general manager Billy Beane.

Speaking with broadcaster Ray Fosse on Oakland’s pregame radio show on 95.7 The Game last week, Reddick said he has no idea why he sometimes doesn’t play against lefties (hint: Perhaps it is his current slash line against lefties, which is .159/.227/.232?).

“It doesn’t come from anywhere in this clubhouse,” Reddick told Fosse. “Everybody knows what situations our general manager puts up there….

“I know Bob’s in there fighting for me. The other day I was supposed to play against [Colorado’s Jorge] De La Rosa, and Bob texts me at around 1:30 and told me he had been ‘trumped,’ was the word he used. I understood right away. I know it’s not Bob. He’s fighting for me to be in there every night. It still frustrates me beyond belief when I don’t play.”

Melvin said the situation didn’t quite play out that way. Instead, he said, he changed his mind after telling Reddick he would start against De La Rosa, opting for Sam Fuld instead.

“Sometimes I get ahead of myself because I want our guys always to know ahead of time so they can prepare,” Melvin told Joe Stiglich of CSNBayArea.com. “And I got ahead of myself on that one and I backtracked and I told him you’re not playing now. And maybe to an extent he thought I was so-called ‘trumped.'”

Reddick explained himself a day later, trying to unring the Melvin-tapped bell.

Meanwhile, former Oakland managers Dick Williams and Billy Martin just rolled over in their eternal resting places when they learned that managers now communicate with players via text.

7. Weekly Power Rankings

1. Josh Donaldson: Blue Jays third baseman sets All-Star Game record with 14,090,188 votes. @BringerOfRain20 should change his Twitter handle to @BringerOfVotes20.

2. Supreme Court: It’s been a busy few weeks. Now if the justices have any guts, they’ll take on Pete Rose vs. Baseball.

3. Mike Scioscia: Blocks general managers equally as well as he blocked the plate as a Dodgers catcher.

4. Home Run Derby: Bryce Harper declines to participate, Giancarlo Stanton is injured…thank goodness World Series home-field advantage isn’t attached to this thing.

8. What’s So Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding with A-Rod?

So Alex Rodriguez and the Yankees came to an amicable agreement in which a total of $3.5 million in charitable contributions will be made by the Yanks in lieu of paying A-Rod the milestone homer bonuses in his contract.

According to a joint announcement by the Yankees and the Players Association, $1 million is being split among the Special Operations Warrior Foundation, the Boys & Girls Club of Tampa and Pitch In For Baseball, and $2.5 million is going to the MLB Urban Youth Foundation.

What a great idea! In fact, hmmm, I do believe I suggested a resolution like this back in April. Check it out.

9. Final Word on July 4

Move over Joey Chestnut (actually, he did).

Here comes Brewers bullpen catcher Marcus Hanel, who ate 23 cheesesteaks last week in Philadelphia, setting a new Citizens Bank Park record for a three-game series.

Congratulations, Marcus. Let us know where to send the Tums.

(Full disclosure: I once ate 16 bratwurst during a four-game Twins-Brewers series in old Milwaukee County Stadium. And they were delicious.)

9a. Rock ‘n’ Roll Lyric of the Week

In one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen, this happened in my hometown of Monroe, Michigan, last week. So, of course, I texted my pal, old high school classmate, co-host of the Only In Monroe show and, oh yeah, Miss America 1988 and told her, geez, you guys will let anybody on that show, huh?

“I’m a man, I’ma make a new plan

“Time for me to just stand up, and travel new land

“Time for me to just take matters into my own hands

“Once I’m over these track man I’ma never look back

“And I’m gone, I know right where I’m going

“Sorry momma I’m grown, I must travel alone

“Ain’t gon‘ follow the footsteps, I’m making my own

“Only way that I know how to escape from this 8 Mile Road.

— Eminem, 8 Mile

Scott Miller covers Major League Baseball as a national columnist for Bleacher Report. Follow Scott on Twitter and talk baseball.

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For high-profile snubs like Clayton Kershaw and Johnny Cueto, the 2015 MLB All-Star Game final vote represents one last chance to sneak into the Midsummer Classic.

Five players from each league make up the ballot, and voting for the final All-Star gigs runs through Friday at 4 p.m. ET. Here’s a look at the American League and National League hopefuls who made the cut, via MLB.com:

American League

• Xander Bogaerts, SS, Boston Red Sox
• Yoenis Cespedes, LF, Detroit Tigers
• Brian Dozier, 2B, Minnesota Twins
• Brett Gardner, LF, New York Yankees
• Mike Moustakas, 3B, Kansas City Royals

National League

• Johnny Cueto, SP, Cincinnati Reds
• Jeurys Familia, RP, New York Mets
• Clayton Kershaw, SP, Los Angeles Dodgers
• Carlos Martinez, SP, St. Louis Cardinals
• Troy Tulowitzki, SS, Colorado Rockies

In the process of determining the odds for each of the above players to land a spot, first-half stats were certainly part of the equation. But ultimately, this is a popularity contest, which is great news for Moustakas and Kershaw.

First we’ll examine the AL candidates, and then we’ll delve into the NL contenders.

Begin Slideshow

Voting for the 2015 MLB All-Star Game concluded Thursday night, but the league doesn’t reveal its final tally until Sunday.  And given the hullabaloo surrounding the potential results of this year’s fan vote with the American League ballot, there should be more interest than usual in a typically academic unveiling.

Kansas City Royals aside, there were plenty of tight races and deserving starters sitting on the outside when the last updates were released before voting closed.  With half the season in the books, we’ve reached the point in the season where sample size is no longer an issue in evaluating individual head-to-head resumes.

Taking a look at the last June 29 updates via MLB Communications, let’s highlight some of the most intriguing storylines to keep an eye on for the vote reveal.

Tightest Race: AL Designated Hitter

Mathematically, the National League third base race between Matt Carpenter and Todd Frazier is actually closer.  But Frazier made up plenty of ground in the last update as Carpenter continued his June swoon; the Cardinals leadoff hitter finished the month with a horrific .190 average.  Thus, the more interesting race may actually be at designated hitter between Seattle’s Nelson Cruz and Kansas City’s Kendrys Morales.

Along with Josh Donaldson, Cruz helped displace part of the Royals’ monopoly on the starting lineup (though Kansas City still has five starters at the moment).  On his third team in as many years, the 35-year-old has been an invaluable source of right-handed power for a largely disappointing Mariners squad.  Cruz’s 20 home runs rank fourth in the AL, while his .248 isolated power ranks seventh in the league.

Morales’ value has largely stemmed from the traditionalists’ favorite stat, RBI.  The DH successor to longtime fan favorite Billy Butler, Morales has driven in 51 runs, seventh-most in the AL, and has rebounded well from a lackluster and injury-riddled 2014 campaign.

However, Cruz has posted twice as much WAR (1.8 to 0.9) because of ballpark adjustments.  His 158 weighted runs created (wRC+) ranks fourth in the AL and sits 23 percent better than Morales’ 125 wRC+ mark.  Cruz is the rightful new leader, and the guess is that his lead widened by the end of the voting.

Prediction: Cruz starts

Underrated Race: NL Outfield 

MVP favorite Bryce Harper is the run-away leading vote-getter in the National League outfield, with the largest lead of any player in the senior circuit.  However, major injuries have thinned out the next three places behind Harper, with Giancarlo Stanton, Matt Holliday and Nori Aoki all sidelined for the summer classic.

Consequently, there’s a host of candidates who could swoop in and snag one of those final spots.  The prior fifth- and sixth-place outfielders were Andrew McCutchen and Joc Pederson, respectively.  The former MVP McCutchen will likely get in on reputation and likability, but the Pirate has seen a sizable dip in power and batting rate stats this season.  Though his 142 wRC+ is certainly nothing to sneeze at, the fans probably got it right by initially excluding him from a starting spot.

Pederson is a more interesting case.  The potential Rookie of the Year has garnered poor batting average and strikeout totals, but with 20 home runs and a whopping .281 ISO (fifth in the NL), the Dodgers outfielder has quickly become a cult hero.  Coupled with excellent defense, only Harper and Stanton have accumulated more WAR among NL outfielders.  Even without injuries, Pederson was always a deserving starter.

Among the players outside the current starters, Jason Heyward and Starling Marte have supplied the best all-around value of power, average, baserunning and defense.  Justin Upton’s bounce-back power season in San Diego has also garnered some deserved attention, which should make McCutchen and Pederson sweat out the final results.

Prediction: McCutchen and Pederson join Harper as starters

Biggest Potential Snub: Jason Kipnis, Cleveland, 2B

Fans of schadenfreude and general chaos will want to see replacement-level Royals second baseman Omar Infante nab the starting spot over Jose Altuve, but in reality, neither comes close to deserving the starting nod.  The Indians’ leadoff hitter has put together one of the league’s best bounce-back campaigns this season after a lackluster 2014, and has been arguably the league’s best pure hitter for two months:

Though his .392 BABIP is surely unsustainable moving forward, Kipnis‘ .344 average doesn’t figure to dip too severely because of his revamped plate approach.  The fourth-year pro has cut his strikeout rate from 18.0 percent in 2014 to 13.6 percent this season, while his walk rate has risen to career high 10 percent.

But with barely half the votes of Infante and Altuve, there’s no shot for Kipnis to claim the starting spot he’s earned.  He will get the deserving All-Star nod as a reserve, and if Altuve can pass Infante, the AL will at least have a respectable starter.  Altuve‘s average has come down, but he’s still posting a high on-base and fielding well as the face of baseball’s most inspiring Cinderella story thus far.

Nevertheless, with Miguel Cabrera having regained the AL first base lead over Eric Hosmer, the choice for biggest snub is fairly simple.  At the very least, Kipnis can take solace that this snub may actually do more to put him on the map for a possible redemption if he can post a similar season in 2016.  

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The San Diego Padres officially announced they will serve as the hosts for the 2016 Major League Baseball All-Star Game at Petco Park.

They confirmed the hosting duties on social media:

Team president Mike Dee commented on the decision:

The game, which is scheduled for July 12, 2016, will mark the second consecutive All-Star Game in a National League park. Great American Ball Park, the home of the Cincinnati Reds, is set to welcome the league’s best players this year.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports it’s only the second time since 1963 the same league was awarded the opportunity to host back-to-back Midsummer Classics. He notes it could become three straight with the Miami Marlins being favorites to host in 2017.

It’s also pointed out the game heads to San Diego after the Padres named part of their stadium after outgoing commissioner Bud Selig last year:

The Padres, who have not hosted an All-Star Game since 1992, and never since the opening of Petco Park in 2004, created a backlash from fans in August when they announced that they were dedicating an area outside Petco Park to Selig.

Of course, the same league hosting the event wouldn’t have been a big deal before 2003. That’s when the league started awarding home-field advantage in the World Series to the league that won the All-Star Game. It’s made the exhibition far more important, for better or worse.

More details about the events coinciding with the MLB showcase will surely get released as the date moves closer.

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