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Voting for the 2014 MLB All-Star Game has officially come to a close.

As the Midsummer Classic approaches, all we can do now is speculate which players will earn enough votes to make the team and a starting role in the game.

The American League featured several close positional battles from the last time MLB.com released the standings. We won’t know the official results until rosters are announced on Sunday.

While we await the highly anticipated unveiling, let’s take a stab at predicting the AL’s starters for this year’s All-Star Game.

Catcher

The last time these votes were tallied, Matt Wieters topped the list. Since then, he’s unfortunately been forced to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery.

This brings us to a two-horse race between Derek Norris and Brian McCann. The edge has to go to McCann. He’s played in more games this season, has a better fielding percentage at .998—leading all AL catchers—and has been powerful at the plate, boasting 10 home runs and 37 RBI despite a .224 batting average.

McCann has been his own worst critic, according to a tweet from Bryan Hoch of MLB.com:

Perhaps a start in the Midsummer Classic would change his tune.

Prediction: McCann

First Base

There’s really not much of a competition at first base. Miguel Cabrera is running away with the voting, and rightfully so.

Solid on offense and defense, Cabrera has a .316 batting average with 100 hits, 32 doubles, 14 home runs, 67 RBI and a fielding percentage of .993.

He’s been showing no signs of slowing down lately:

Jose Abreu has been tremendous as well, displaying some great power, but Cabrera has been more consistent.

Prediction: Cabrera 

Second Base

Like the battle for first base, second base shouldn’t be all that close. Robinson Cano is boasting an impressive .323 batting average, producing 101 hits, 19 doubles, six home runs and 51 RBI. He also holds a .991 fielding percentage with just three errors this season.

Here’s a telling tweet from Bob Nightengale of USA Today regarding Cano and the Mariners’ success:

Ian Kinsler and Dustin Pedroia have been solid as well, but the gap simply appears too large to close.

Prediction: Cano

Third Base

It appears power will win the right to start at third base for the AL. While David Freese has the position’s best fielding percentage, he was nowhere near the top of the standings the last time they were released by MLB.com.

So, we turn to hitting.

Josh Donaldson is far and away the most powerful hitter at third base for the AL this season. He holds a .245 batting average and has accumulated 80 hits, 12 doubles, 18 home runs and 61 RBI. He’s hit five more balls out of the park than anyone else at the position.

He has been clutch at the plate for the A’s all season long:

Prediction: Donaldson 

Shortstop

The last time the standings were released, Derek Jeter had a slight lead on Alexei Ramirez.

Jeter has been playing well this year, holding a .975 fielding percentage and batting .268 with 80 hits, nine doubles, two home runs and 21 RBI; however, Ramirez has simply been much better.

He’s playing well defensively with a fielding percentage of .976, but his hitting has been even better. Ramirez is batting .294 with 97 hits, 14 doubles, eight home runs and 41 RBI.

Here’s yet another fine reason why Ramirez should be getting the start:

It would be nice to see Jeter take the field in what appears to be his last season in the league, but Ramirez is the right choice here.

Prediction: Ramirez

Outfield

With three starting spots up for grabs, the outfield becomes an intriguing race.

At center field, expect Mike Trout to get the nod. The 22-year-old phenom has continued his remarkable run this season with 95 hits, 23 doubles, five triples, 19 home runs and 62 RBI for a batting average of .314. No slouch on defense, he’s also fielding .990.

He’s certainly no slouch on defense at all:

At right field, Jose Bautista is running away with things. He has produced a stellar season at the plate with 86 hits, 15 doubles, 17 home runs and 51 RBI for a .303 batting average. His defense has been superb as well, as he holds a .986 fielding percentage.

So, who gets the third spot?

That would be Adam Jones. He ranks in the top 10 of AL center fielders with a .980 fielding percentage, but his prowess at the plate is what makes him stand out. With 107 hits, 18 doubles, 16 home runs, 53 RBI and a batting average of .308, he’s far and away the most productive outfielder behind Trout and Bautista.

Prediction: Trout, Bautista and Jones

Voting results updated at MLB.com as of July 1.

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The idea of Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game is sound. It’s designed to gather the best players in the league in one place, and it mostly succeeds at doing so.

But not always. On occasion, players who have no business being called “All-Stars” end up at the Midsummer Classic. It’s our duty as honest, baseball gods-fearing citizens to not forget them.

With the rosters for the 2014 All-Star Game due to be announced Sunday night, there’s no time like the present to do a bit of not forgetting by looking back at the 10 least-deserving All-Stars of the last decade (2004-2013).

For the record: No, we’re not going to concern ourselves with things like past performances and reputations. We’re only targeting players who didn’t deserve to be All-Stars based strictly on how they were performing at the time. And the worse the performance, the higher the rank.

Note: Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs.

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It may not coincide with some ridiculous campaign commercials dished out by rich politicians, but the 2014 MLB All-Star vote has been entertaining nonetheless.

Like any formal political vote, the MLB’s deadline is rapidly approaching, and each and every tally will count. Some positions are such toss-ups at this juncture that it’s hard to imagine who comes out on top.

While the old-school method of penciling in votes in between grabs for peanuts at the ballpark has since expired, fans can still tally votes online and influence the outcome.

As days bleed into hours before the deadline, intrigue for the Midsummer Classic continues to mount.

MLB All-Star Game Voting Info

Deadline: July 3 at 11:59 p.m. ET

Where to Vote: MLB.com

American League All-Star Starting Lineup Prediction

National League All-Star Starting Lineup Predictions

The recently-turned-40 Derek Jeter is the focal point of the 2014 iteration of the Midsummer Class, as he should be, this being his last season and all. Last time anybody counted the votes, he was winning his position in the American League by a landslide.

“You know me — I don’t think about that before it happens,” Jeter said on Monday, via Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. “I learned that a long time ago. I’ll wait to see what happens.”

Hoch explained why Jeter never pays attention to the vote until the final tally comes in:

Jeter’s reluctance to discuss his All-Star candidacy is rooted in the summer of 1999, when Nomar Garciaparra of the Red Sox benefited from frenzied online voting to overcome a deficit of more than 30,000 votes, passing both Jeter and the Indians’ Omar Vizquel in the final week.

“Everyone was like, ‘Oh, you’re leading,'” Jeter recalled. “Then Garciaparra got like 100,000, 200,000 votes the last day, something like that. After that, I said, ‘I’ll just wait.'”

See? The online vote does matter, as long as fans are willing to sit around and click their life away for it.

But, in all seriousness, Jeter is not the most deserving shortstop at this juncture, especially when perusing his numbers and finding that he has just two home runs and 19 RBI on the year. But, from a historical standpoint, Jeter deserves one final sendoff similar to those received by Chipper Jones, Mariano Rivera and other legends.

The top positional battle resides in the National League, which is quite the coincidence considering everything outside of third base is well in hand.

Aramis Ramirez of the Milwaukee Brewers and the New York Mets’ David Wright are fighting over the spot there, with both sides of the argument in possession of solid points.

Ramirez has been better statistics-wise, although not by a large margin:

That said, the Brewers star—a team that has a representative in the top five at every position—may win out by default, as Wright continues to battle a shoulder issue, as noted by ESPN’s Adam Rubin:

The battle is one to keep an eye on, although the process itself is not without its issues.

For example, Matt Wieters leads the way at the AL catcher spot, but underwent Tommy John surgery. Players such as Derek Norris (.304 average, 8 HR, 35 RBI) and Brian McCann (.221 average, 9 HR, 36 RBI) are much more deserving at this point taking into account the fact they have actually been on the field as of late.

Alas, these are the woes of a system that allows fan votes to play such an integral role in the process. It’s great for fans, outside of the hardcore crowd that will be disappointed to see a name like Yadier Molina stealing a spot from the superior Jonathan Lucroy.

No matter who wins each spot, fans worldwide are sure to tune in once again. That’s what happens when an All Star game both involves fans and means something, making the Midsummer Classic the best event of its kind.

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As long as MLB All-Star Game voting is done by the fans, there will always be cases where popularity wins out over production—and this year is no different.

While the game does mean something these days with home-field advantage in the World Series at stake, it is still very much an exhibition for the fans, and they certainly have the right to elect the starter they want to see play.

Whether it is one fan base in particular stuffing the ballot box, a veteran superstar earning a start solely upon name recognition alone or a small-market star being overlooked in favor of a big-market counterpart, there are always deserving starters that wind up as reserves or being snubbed altogether.

Here is a look at six guys who are deserving of a starting spot in this year’s Midsummer Classic but look to be well on their way to getting snubbed by the fan vote.

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The third-round voting results for the 2014 MLB All-Star Game have been released, and while the game is still over a month away, we are already starting to get a good idea of what the rosters could look like on July 15.

Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis led everyone with 8,272,243 votes last season, while St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina paced the National League with 6,883,248 votes.

This year’s game will be played at Target Field in Minnesota. Having opened in 2010, it’s one of the newer stadiums in baseball.

American League

Toronto Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista is now the leading vote-getter for the American League, coming in just ahead of Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike Trout with 2,135,223 total votes so far.

Take a look at the table below for a closer look at the top three vote-getters at each position in the American League:

Biggest AL All-Star voting takeaways

1. No change among the projected starters

Outside of Jose Bautista jumping Mike Trout into first place in the outfielder voting, there was no change from last week’s update as far as the projected starters are concerned. That could change next week, though, as one race in particular remains very close.

2. Derek Jeter widens lead in shortstop voting, still the tightest race

In last week’s voting update, New York Yankees captain Derek Jeter held a 140,812-vote lead over Alexei Ramirez of the Chicago White Sox, who, by all accounts, is having a better statistical season than Jeter.

That gap was widened to 163,692 votes in this latest update, but that still makes it the tightest race by a decent margin. The next closest battle is at second base, where a pair of players in their first seasons with their new teams are battling it out, as Robinson Cano (SEA) currently leads Ian Kinsler (DET) by 224,336 votes.

3. Jose Altuve finally among the voting leaders where he belongs

Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve currently leads the American League in hits (88) and stolen bases (24) while hitting .320/.360/.429 as the star of what has been a vastly improved Houston Astros team so far this year.

An All-Star in 2012, Altuve did not appear among the top five vote-getters at second base until this most recent update, as he jumped ahead of Howie Kendrick (LAA). He’s not going to catch Robinson Cano and will be lucky if he can close the gap to fourth place, but it’s nice to see Altuve get some recognition.

4. Baltimore Orioles fans are stuffing the ballot boxes

Outside of second base, every Baltimore Orioles player on the ballot currently appears among the leaders at his position. That includes third baseman Manny Machado, who has played just 35 games, and Matt Wieters, who has been sidelined since May 10 with an elbow injury.

Chris Davis, J.J. Hardy and Adam Jones were all voted in as starters by the fans last year, so the big turnout from Orioles fans is nothing new.

5. Best player not among the leading vote-getters?

With Yangervis Solarte and Lonnie Chisenhall not on the AL ballot, a pair of Kansas City Royals outfielders in Alex Gordon and Lorenzo Cain rank as the biggest oversights as far as the AL field is concerned.

Gordon (.288 BA, .822 OPS, 3.4 WAR) is tied for second in WAR among outfielders, while Cain (.331 BA, .811 OPS, 2.0 WAR) is tied for sixth. There are actually no Royals players among the leaders at any position, as Kansas City’s offense has been among the worst in the AL this year.

National League

Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki remains the leading vote-getter for the National League. With 2,007,202 votes, he has a wide lead over St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina, who has 1,621,944.

Take a look at the table below for a closer look at the top three vote-getters at each position in the National League:

Biggest NL All-Star voting takeaways

1. David Wright and Carlos Gomez take over as starters

Unlike the American League, there was some change to the potential NL starting lineup since the last update.

New York Mets third baseman David Wright passed the injured Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies in voting at the hot corner, while another Rockies player in outfielder Charlie Blackmon also lost his starting spot to Carlos Gomez of the Milwaukee Brewers.

2. Three different races separated by less than 200,000 votes

While Wright has finally passed Arenado at third base, he is by no means running away with the spot just yet, as his lead is just 92,718 votes.

First base is also very close, as Los Angeles Dodgers slugger Adrian Gonzalez leads Paul Goldschmidt of the Arizona Diamondbacks by just 104,880 votes and Freddie Freeman of the Atlanta Braves by 178,128 votes.

Finally, while Gomez is in the third outfield slot for now, he has a tenuous hold on the spot at best. Andrew McCutchen (1,658 votes back), Blackmon (62,861) and teammate Ryan Braun (133,494) are all within striking distance.

3. Still no Padres or Cubs among the leading vote-getters

Of the 40 players who make up the leading vote-getters in the National League, only the Chicago Cubs and San Diego Padres are without representation.

A case can be made for Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo (.887 OPS, 12 HR) being among the first base candidates—and ahead of both Justin Morneau and Brandon Belt. Shortstop Starlin Castro (.773 OPS, 8 HR) is also having a solid season.

For the Padres, outfielder Seth Smith (.934 OPS, 14 2B) has been one of the best hitters in the National League, yet he ranks outside the top 15 in voting. He has his work cut out for him making it as a reserve, too, as the Padres’ representative will likely come on the pitching side of things in the form of Huston Street and/or Andrew Cashner.

4. No starters for the San Francisco Giants, baseball’s best team

With a 42-22 record, the San Francisco Giants currently hold an 8.5-game lead in the NL West and sport the best record in all of baseball.

While six of their eight everyday players rank among the leading vote-getters at their respective positions, none is currently on pace to start. Third baseman Pablo Sandoval is the closest to a starting spot, trailing David Wright by 144,534 votes, and he’s probably the least deserving of the six included among the leaders.

5. Best player not among the leading vote-getters?

Not only does Cincinnati Reds third baseman Todd Frazier belong among the top five vote-getters at his position, but he also deserves the starting nod with Nolan Arenado sidelined in the midst of a breakout season.

After a disappointing sophomore campaign, Frazier is currently hitting .276/.347/.511 with 14 doubles, 13 home runs and 32 RBI, and he leads all NL third basemen with a 2.4 WAR. With Joey Votto and Jay Bruce both missing significant time this year, he has been the Reds’ best hitter.

All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

In the hierarchy of professional and collegiate sports in the United States, Major League Baseball ranks fifth in terms of popularity. Football is king in America and basketball takes the silver medal. Baseball has gradually lost its appeal and consequently, part of its fan base.

Professional baseball’s downhill slide in the U.S. is no more evident than a quick look at television ratings. The MLB All-Star Game peaked in 1970 when it earned a 28.5 and its ratings have declined ever since, according to Thom Loverro of The Atlantic. 

The one area in which MLB triumphs over the NFL (7.7 rating) and NBA (5.9 rating) is the All-Star Game, according to Sports Media Watch.

While the MLB All-Star Game draws a larger audience and it’s the only one of the three major All-Star Games to feature any defense, the Midsummer Classic can be even better. 

Major League Baseball can be proactive to make changes that will re-energize the All-Star Weekend. The modifications involve the stakes of the game, the voting process and the addition of skills competitions.

According to Sports Media Watch, the past three All-Star Games’ overnight ratings have been the lowest in the history of the game.

The five lowest MLB All-Star Game overnights have taken place within the last decade — 2005 (9.8), 2010 (9.3), 2012 and 2013 (8.1) and 2011 (7.9).

However, MLB doesn’t have to fall victim to this downward trend. It has the most popular All-Star Game in the U.S. and the Midsummer Classic features the best product. 

All Major League Baseball needs is the right combination of new All-Star Weekend events and a modification of the All-Star Game’s purpose in order to appeal more to fans and players.

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Manny Machado did it again.

The Baltimore Orioles‘ talented young third baseman showed off his cannon of an arm during the 2013 MLB All-Star Game.

Machado robbed what looked to be a clear hit for Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, who hit a rocket down the third base line. Goldschmidt looked like he could cruise into first, but Machado took away the hit.

Machado’s play at third is arguably the play of the game for either side, and even his fellow All-Stars had to be impressed.

The jaws of every All-Star player just dropped. Manny Machado … WOW.

— ESPN (@espn) July 17, 2013

Machado floored even the best players in the MLB, which isn’t an easy thing to do by any stretch of the imagination.

Announcer Joe Buck said he doubted that any other player in the league could make that play, and it’s tough to think of anyone who could have.

Incredible play at third by Manny Machado! “I don’t know anybody else that makes this play in this game tonight.” – Joe Buck

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 17, 2013

Even Jon Paul Morosi chimed in on Machado’s throw.

Manny Machado. He is so, so good.

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) July 17, 2013

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Machado make a throw like this. Just about one week earlier, he threw across his body from foul territory to take away a hit from New York Yankees third baseman Luis Cruz.

There might as well be a permanent Manny Machado segment on Web Gems after this play, as he seems to show off his arm on a nightly basis.

I think fans would agree with me there.

Manny Machado with his nightly Brooks Robinson impersonation,

— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) July 17, 2013

Manny. Machado. My goodness what an arm.

— Amanda Comak (@acomak) July 17, 2013

Machado’s play recorded the first out of the seventh inning, and David Wright singled right afterward. If he had not made the play, there’s no telling whether or not the NL would have scored.

Follow @JoshSchoch

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There is this ever-prevailing sentiment that MLB‘s All-Star Game is the only such one among the United States’ four major sports that actually “means something.”

And, piety of that statement aside, it’s mostly based in truth. 

If you talk to anyone of That Certain Age, they will speak to you of the abstract definition. They’ll tell you where they were, with whom and what they were eating when Pete Rose ran over Ray Fosse, in what still remains one of the dumbest things we laud as a whole in the sports community. Rose, in a game that meant absolutely nothing, drilled a man and gave him injuries that still haven’t properly healed four decades later. But whatever. People like it, I guess.

Baseball’s Midsummer Classic also “means something” in the most literal sense. Reeling after the 2002 tie debacle and hoping to recapture some of that Fosse-Rose vinegar, Bud Selig decided to tie the contest to the World Series’ home-field advantage. It’s just as strange and unexplainable as it sounds, but we’re over a decade deep into the rule and no one seems that offended by it anymore; it’s staying.

So, no matter whether your definition of “means something” is tangible or more emotional, it’s likely MLB wins out by either definition.

MLB’s All-Star game, which will be held Tuesday night at Citi Field, also wins out because it’s probably the most tolerable viewer experience. Among the four major sports, it’s the one that most looks like its regular-season incarnation. It’s not the tickle fight of the NFL’s Pro Bowl. Nor is it the NBA or NHL incarnations, where players are seemingly given defense abstinence rings along with their plane tickets.

Pitchers will pitch, batters will bat, fielders will field and it will only be at a slightly lesser level than they would on your average Tuesday. 

The MLB All-Star Game, frankly, is a very tolerable event—which is about the best thing you can say about these All-Star snoozefests. If you like watching baseball, chances are you won’t want to throw your television out a window if you tune in Tuesday night. (Don’t worry, it’s 100-percent Berman-free. I checked.)

That’s also the case if you get into any of the major storylines for the event, each of which carry some fun implications. As you prepare your peanuts and Cracker Jack, here’s a look at some of the top storylines to watch Tuesday.

Mariano’s Last Stand

Tonight will mark the last Midsummer Classic for one of the most well-respected people—by fans, players and the media—in league history. I know what you’re thinking…but I’m not talking about Fox broadcaster Tim McCarver, who will be calling his final All-Star Game with Joe Buck.

No, the man I speak of will come to the mound with Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” blasting from the Citi Field speakers. He’ll be wearing the No. 42 jersey, which will almost certainly retire that jersey number from All-Star lore. The player I speak of, of course, is Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, who will be retiring at the end of the 2013 season.

Not that he needs to, or anything. Rivera, unlike many of his retirement-tour counterparts, almost certainly would have made his 13th All-Star team without the impending end of his career. The 43-year-old righty has converted 30-of-32 save opportunities during the first half of the season, tied for second in the league behind Joe Nathan of the Rangers. His 1.83 ERA is below his career mark, though his 1.25 WHIP is a bit more elder-statesmanly than one would expect.

Deservedness aside, this should be a special occasion for Rivera. He’s been honored during his retirement tour by just about every team in the league, showering him with the type of gifts and honors befitting of his unquestioned moniker as the greatest closer of all time.

While there has been an outpouring of support from fellow players and the Mets for Rivera—the Yankees’ crosstown rival already bestowed him with gifts when the two teams played this season—it will be interesting to see what Jim Leyland has up his sleeve for Tuesday night.

The Tigers manager has guaranteed that Rivera will pitch, per Scott Boeck of USA Today. But will he close? Rivera sure hopes so.

“It would be great,” said Rivera. “This is home, even though this is the Mets stadium. This is New York City. It’s home for us. It would be a beautiful thing.”

If the American League wins and Rivera shuts the door, it’s going to be awfully hard to find a dry eye in Citi Field—Mets’ home stadium or not. Rivera and Derek Jeter are the two Yankees about whom few can say disparaging things.  

And if Rivera closes it out, good luck wresting that MVP trophy away from his hands. It’s one of the few things the man has never won in his career and would mark a fitting end to the pitcher with the second-most MLB All-Star selections in history.

Which 1st-Time All-Star Will Have a Night to Remember?

As many folks will be saying goodbye to one of the greats of the old guard, the new generation of MLB stars will undoubtedly be making their impact known. Depending on how you choose to count these things, either 39 or 34 players were named to their first All-Star team this year. The latter statistic represents the players who actually made the trip to Citi Field, the former including those named who couldn’t make it.

For reference, that 34 number represents exactly half of the 68-player field. That’s an astoundingly high number. In an event that’s often met with a blase, same-old-song attitude, there is more new blood in New York City than at any point in recent memory—and that could be a great thing for appealing to the younger generation.

MLB missed out again and again at the marketing chance to add Yasiel Puig, the Dodgers’ superstar phenom who has taken the league by storm over this past month, to the roster. But there is a substantial amount of intriguing young talent, and one of them could shine on the brightest stage, perhaps enough to even overshadow Rivera.

The player carrying the highest likelihood of doing so is obviously Orioles first baseman Chris Davis. The 27-year-old slugger, often seen as a guy with prodigious power but unable to put it all together, has done just that and then some this year. He’s batting .315 with 37 home runs and 93 RBI, his dinger total being tied with Reggie Jackson (1969) and Mark McGwire (1998) for second-most before the All-Star break in league history. 

And among players who have accomplished such feats, Davis and Jackson—Barry Bonds’ 39 pre-break homers in 2001 hold the record—will do so without looking like the baseball equivalent of Space Jam characters. Davis stands the very real chance of belting a couple over the fence, even if he wasn’t quite able to make it the Week of Crush at the Home Run Derby Monday night. 

Other notable first-timers include Davis’ teammate Manny Machado, Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and both starting pitchers in Tigers star Max Scherzer and Mets burgeoning star Matt Harvey. Each of those players come bearing the expectations of fans and teammates from both sides of the diamond, so it will be interesting to see how they step up.

Odds are, though, the rookie who makes the biggest impact will be the one who comes with the smallest amount of hype.

Hey There. Remember Me? Just Miguel Cabrera, Best Hitter in MLB Here. No Biggie.

Among players not in their first nor their last All-Star Game, there are plenty of guys worthy of a spotlight. Bryce Harper and Mike Trout still have an average age of 20.5, but they have more All-Star appearances than half of the rosters. You get old quick in MLB nowadays, I guess. And some of the other stars of this event like Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen have to be looking around and wondering where their ‘attaboys are for having such a great season.

But of the players expected to be here who are most likely to make a real impact on the outcome, the answer begins (and possibly ends) with Tigers third baseman Miguel Cabrera. The reigning American League MVP has gone out and somehow put himself well on the way to topping his brilliant 2012 season.

Cabrera heads into the break leading the majors with a .365 batting average and 95 RBI. His 30 home runs put him just behind Davis for an MLB-best in that category as well, an astounding level of hitting proficiency that puts him likely ahead of the Orioles slugger in an MVP straw poll at the moment.

It’s always hard to credit someone like Cabrera without doing the same to his teammates. You can’t get 95 RBI by yourself, which is part of the reason that stat remains arguably the most flawed among baseball’s standard counters. 

Still, Cabrera has a WAR of 6.0, best in baseball, which is rather astounding considering he remains a wretched fielder and a below-average baserunner. At this juncture, it would be absolutely shocking if Cabrera didn’t break his career-high WAR of last season while busting just about every other advanced mark he set last season. 

Metrics obviously mean diddly in a one-game sample where the spectacle means more than anything. Luckily, Cabrera is just the type of hitter who can make an entire event become about him with just one or two swings of the bat. 

With just a bat on his shoulders, it’s hard to bet against anyone outperforming Miguel Cabrera. That is, of course, unless Rivera gets the save. In which case all bets are off.

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The 2013 MLB All-Star Game is finally upon us, as the festivities have ended and the fight for home-field advantage in the World Series will soon commence. While everyone knows that the game will transpire, there’s one question that everyone needs answered.

When and where can we watch the game?

The Midsummer Classic has long been the most competitive All-Star Game of America’s big four sports. With the stipulations involved, both sides have something to play for, as home-field advantage is critical come the World Series.

To ensure you don’t miss a second of the action, all of the viewing information can be found in the following article. From start times to rosters, we have it all.

What a game this should be.

Date: Tuesday, July 16

Time: 8 p.m. ET

TV: Fox

Venue: Citi Field in Flushing Meadows, Queens, N.Y.

American League: Starting Lineup

If we could only pick one aspect of the 2013 MLB All-Star Game to marvel over, it would be the top of the order for the American League. From MVP candidates to phenoms to home run masters, you have the most fearsome one-through-four in recent memory.

Mike Trout, Robinson Cano, Miguel Cabrera and Chris Davis—who do you want to pitch to?

Behind them are sluggers Jose Bautista and David Ortiz, as well as do-it-all center fielder Adam Jones and future Hall of Famer Joe Mauer. To cap it all off, they have J.J. Hardy hitting ninth, which sets the stage for a tough go-round once you reach the top of the lineup again.

It certainly doesn’t hurt that Max Scherzer is the one pitching.

Scherzer is currently 13-1, leading the MLB in wins and ranking second to Yu Darvish in strikeouts. While no one expects this to be a collective shutout, Scherzer is the front-runner to win the Cy Young at this stage of the season.

With the run support he’s bound to get, who’s putting their money against him?

American League: Reserves

The American League reserves are highlighted by some big names, including Nelson Cruz, Prince Fielder and Dustin Pedroia. There are also rising stars, with Alex Gordon, Jason Kipnis and Manny Machado all making their first career appearances.

The only question at this point is how will the American League fit all these high-profile players into one game?

Veterans Edwin Encarnacion and Torii Hunter are players worth watching, as each has something to prove. Both have been relatively under-appreciated for their level of play in 2013, and each has the opportunity to break through for the American League.

With superstars surrounding them, a home run here and a stellar catch there could remind us of why they’re two of the best players in baseball.

With all of that being established, the world is waiting to see Fielder’s power and Machado‘s—well, everything. Barehanded grabs along the third-base line and extra-base hits are what the fans want, and if the American League is hoping to win, it’s what it will need.

The starting lineup may be substantially better than the reserves, but there are players who are of a starter’s caliber scattered throughout the reserves.

American League: Pitchers 

Bartolo Colon has been a revelation, Hisashi Iwakuma is becoming a dominant force and both Jesse Crain and Glen Perkins have been pleasant surprises. Felix Hernandez remains an ace, and both Chris Sale and Justin Verlander are superstars.

Regardless of what else is going on with the American League, though, this one is all about Mariano Rivera.

The greatest closer in the history of professional baseball will be playing in his final All-Star Game. The 43-year-old certainly deserves to be here, as he’s second in the MLB with 30 saves on an ERA of 1.83 with just two blown opportunities.

According to Scott Boeck of USA Today Sports, American League manager Jim Leyland made sure there was no question about Rivera’s availability in this game. Rivera chimed in, too:

“You can rest assured (Rivera) will be on the mound at some point and you will see him pitch,” [Jim] Leyland said.

“It would be great,” said Rivera about the opportunity of closing out the game. “This is home, even though this is the Mets stadium. This is New York City. It’s home for us. It would be a beautiful thing.”

We may be in New York Mets territory, but every person in the world will be giving Rivera a standing ovation after this one.

Rivera has distanced himself from the all-time greats and moved into his place as the most dominant relief pitcher to ever live. He has 13 All-Star Game appearances, five World Series championships and a World Series MVP award, to list only a few of his career achievements.

He also holds the MLB record with 638 career saves. The AL will be hoping to give him an unofficial one during the All-Star Game in what should be the most memorable moment of the evening.

National League: Starting Lineup

The National League may lack the star power that the AL possesses, but that doesn’t mean these hitters will be easy outs. With players in the middle of the lineup consisting of Joey Votto, David Wright and Carlos Gonzalez, it will be anything but manageable for American League ace Max Scherzer.

With that being said, all eyes will be set on hometown pitcher Matt Harvey of the New York Mets.

Harvey is currently 7-2 with an ERA of 2.35 and a WHIP of 0.92, also posting an NL-best 147 strikeouts. At Citi Field, he’s posted an ERA of 2.21 and held batters to a batting average of .191.

Between him and Wright, Mets fans will be in for an evening to remember.

Fresh off of a loss in the Home Run Derby final, it will be interesting to see how Bryce Harper fares against the American League. With his elite level production dipping in recent weeks, Harper has dropped all the way to No. 9 in the NL starting lineup.

Plain and simple, all eyes are on the young guns.

National League: Reserves

Believe it or not, there’s an equal level of name value amongst the National League reserves as there is the starters. When your bench is highlighted by reigning regular-season MVP Buster Posey, superstar Andrew McCutchen and 2012 NLCS MVP Marco Scutaro, it’s hard to debate that statement.

The question is, how quickly will they get the National League bats off of the bench?

There’s an abundance of power with this team, as Pedro Alvarez, Domonic Brown and Paul Goldschmidt have emerged as three of the top home run hitters in baseball. With McCutchen and Posey being able to do it all, and Allen Craig serving as an RBI machine, we could see a high-scoring affair.

Surprisingly, it hasn’t been the big names who have dominated the saber-metrics prior to the All-Star Game—it’s been Carlos Gomez.

Gomez currently leads the MLB in the vaunted wins shares statistic, clocking at 5.7. He also leads all outfielders in defensive win shares, flashing his glove and becoming a SportsCenter mainstay with his home run saving catches.

If you’re looking for entertainment, Gomez is the player to watch.

National League: Pitchers

When Clayton Kershaw, Cliff Lee and Adam Wainwright are coming out of your bullpen, you know you have something special going. When Aroldis Chapman and Craig Kimbrel comprise the back end of your bullpen, you have reason to believe you can shut anyone down.

And we haven’t even touched on the presence of Madison Bumgarner, Patrick Corbin and Jordan Zimmerman.

The American League may own an edge with its hitting, but there should be no question about who has more depth in the bullpen. The National League boasts Cy Young award winners, lockdown relievers and some of the most powerful arms in all of baseball.

They may not have the legendary Mariano Rivera, but hitting off of Chapman, Jason Grilli or Kimbrel will be no walk in the park.

If the NL is going to pull off this victory and achieve home-field advantage in the World Series, it will need its pitchers to step up in a major way. The American League may not have the same pitching depth, but it still boasts stars and its hitters are world class.

With Matt Harvey, Kershaw, Lee, Wainwright and Bumgarner working through the early and middle innings, something tells us the NL will be just fine.

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Let’s be honest: Every hitter in the MLB All-Star Game is capable of a huge performance. No one made it to the Midsummer Classic without having already proven that time and again this season.

But every hitter is going to be facing some tremendous pitching in the game, and there’s a reason the American League and National League haven’t combined for more than eight runs in any of the last five All-Star Games.

For any player to put on an offensive show on Tuesday night, it’s going to take some truly elite skills at the dish.

Fortunately for fans looking for some offense, both lineups feature a few of those players, each capable of tearing up any hurler the opposition throws at him. Matt Harvey and Max Scherzer are phenomenal pitchers, but don’t expect either to make it through their outing unscathed.

Let’s take a look at the starting lineups for each team and highlight two players from each starting lineup poised for a massive performance on Tuesday night.

*Image courtesy of MLB Instagram.

American League

National League

Miguel Cabrera, 3B (AL)

Miguel Cabrera needs to introduction, but I’ll give him one anyway.

The Detroit Tigers third baseman and reigning Triple Crown winner hasn’t disappointed this season, hitting an incredible .365 with 30 home runs and 95 RBI through 93 games. The icing on the cake? He also boasts an on-base percentage of .458 and has walked nearly as many times as he’s struck out (60-64).

Forget the debate about whether Cabrera is the best right-handed hitter in baseball—he’s the best hitter in baseball.

But here’s the best part: Cabrera boasts a .350 batting average with 21 home runs and 70 RBI against right-handers this year. And, oh yeah, he’ll be facing one to start the game Tuesday night.

Harvey isn’t going to make life easy on Cabrera, but the hulking third baseman has no problem making hitting look all too easy. Expect the 30-year-old to continue his incredible season with another impressive performance on Tuesday, recording at least one extra-base hit with Harvey on the bump.

Chris Davis, 1B (AL)

Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

Even if Harvey gets through Cabrera without a problem, he’ll be forced to pitch to arguably the only player in the American League starting lineup with even more pop.

Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis is on an historic home run-hitting tear this season, having already popped 37 before the All-Star break. Tack on 93 RBI and a .315 batting average (.345 against righties) and you have a hitter Harvey isn’t going to want to face.

Davis didn’t put that power on display in the Home Run Derby Monday night (12 homers), but what he’s done against live pitching this season isn’t even fair. On the biggest stage of his career, there’s no way Davis doesn’t find the outfield bleachers at least once in this game.

David Wright, 3B (NL)

The National League features some bigger bats than David Wright, but the New York Mets third baseman is playing in front of his home crowd, and he certainly has the offensive prowess to put together a quality performance at the dish.

The 30-year-old is a fan favorite who will have the home crowd on his side. Is that a thin argument for predicting his All-Star Game performance? Perhaps.

But consider this: Wright is hitting .304 with 13 home runs and 44 RBI this season on a team ranked 28th in batting average and 19th in runs scored. He hasn’t exactly been getting a lot of help from the rest of New York’s lineup.

Wright plays the game the right way, and he’s a guy fans love to watch night in and night out.

Stats don’t tell the whole story, and on Tuesday night, Wright is going to prove he’s capable of a monster performance well beyond his slightly above-average numbers this season.

Bryce Harper, CF (NL)

Two seasons, two All-Star appearances. Bryce Harper is going to do some big things in his big league career.

Harper got the nod to compete in his first Home Run Derby Monday night, and he decided to bring his dad along to pitch to him and enjoy the festivities. The Washington Nationals slugger didn’t win the Derby, but he came pretty close.

Harper juiced 24 pitches over the outfield fence Monday to finish second to Oakland Athletics phenom Yoenis Cespedes, his longest coming in at an estimated 471 feet. Say what you will about his pedestrian .264 batting average this season, but the kid knows how to hit the long ball.

At 20 years old, it would be easy for Harper to get caught up in just being selected as an All-Star Game starter. But as he proved Monday night, the lights aren’t too bright to keep him from standing out from the crowd.

Hitting in the nine-hole, Harper is likely to see some decent pitches from Scherzer and the rest of the American League pitching staff. If he sees one he likes, well, he’ll know what to do with it.

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