BBall's NL All Stars
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by user Timothy Moreland(Bball3345)
After posting my selections for the AL All-Stars last week, I will follow that up with the National League. As explained before, those players selected to represent their league in the All-Star game should meet two criteria, 1) They should be having a great first half, and 2) They should be one of the most talented players based on past performance. So, a player such as Dan Uggla, who is having a great season at 2B, will be downgraded based on the second criteria. On the other hand, a player with a great track record like Barry Bonds will be hurt by his slow start.
Catcher
Brian McCann...While this seems to run contrary to my second criteria, there simply is no other logical choice. Offensively, he has been the premier catcher in the NL with only Michael Barrett anywhere close. Unfortunately for Barrett, baserunners are running rampant on his weak arm with 52 SBs and only 13 caught. McCann's OBP exceeds the .400 mark, and his batting average of .358 would place him 2nd in the league if an injury did not leave him short of qualifying. On defense, 11 of 27 basestealers have been thrown out(41%). At only 22-years-old, McCann showed promise in 2005 and has broken out in 2006 as the premier catcher in the NL. Without a player who meets both criteria of past and present performance, McCann's pace-setting performance gets the nod.
Honorable Mentions: Michael Barrett, Damian Miller
First Base
Albert Pujols...As the best player in the world, this is a no-brainer pick. Pujols has set the benchmark for offensive dominance with a league-leading 1.193 OPS. Although missing time with an injury, his 25 HRs lead the majors along with Ryan Howard and his 66 RBI's are also tops in the bigs. Nick Johnson's on-base ability and Lance Berkman's power make them viable all-star starters; however, this season's MVP-frontrunner, Albert Pujols, is the only sane choice to start at first base.
Honorable Mentions: Nick Johnson, Lance Berkman, Nomar Garciaparra
Second Base
Jeff Kent... Second base offers two players with Hall of Fame credentials and two others with hot starts to this season. Biggio, one of the top five players of the '90s, has used the first part of 2006 proving he is not done yet. At 40-years-old, his defense at second base has been stronger than usual and his OBP of .343 isn't bad for a secondbaseman. One of the myriad of rookies in Florida, Dan Uggla, has outplayed any of the secondbasemen in the league. His offense has been as impressive as his great range at 2B(.313/.366/.532). Another surprise, Jamey Carroll has showed tremendous on-base abilities(.415 OBP) and stellar defense(0 errors in 40 games at 2B). Still, Kent brings a track record to overshadow Uggla and Carroll, as well as a solid start to 2006(.836 OPS/ 2 errors), making him the best pick to represent the NL in the midsummer classic.
Honorable Mentions: Dan Uggla, Craig Biggio, Jamey Carroll, Chase Utley
Third Base
Scott Rolen... With Pujols out and Edmonds fading, Rolen becomes the lone superstar on the Cardinals and a strong MVP candidate. Two future All-Star starters, Miguel Cabrera and David Wright, have strong cases to start; however, they fall short for this year's game in Pittsburgh. Offensively, Rolen(.993 OPS) is comparable to Wright(.972); however, Cabrera leads the way with a 1.007 OPS. The difference appears in the field, as Rolen remains unparalleled on defense at the hot corner and Wright and Cabrera are below average defenders. Rolen has arguably outplayed both of them overall this season and, with a great track record of 10 years, beats out Cabrera's and Wright's two solid years.
Honorable Mentions: Miguel Cabrera, David Wright
Shortstop
Jose Reyes... I'll admit it; I looked for any excuse not to slot Reyes as my starting shortstop. First, I turned to the best performers to date in 2006 besides Reyes, which turned up as Edgar Renteria and Omar Vizquel. These also happened to be guys with more experience. Unfortunately, outside of 2003, Renteria has nothing more than a career of average seasons with the bat and terrible defense. Vizquel has always been a weak-hitting, great fielding shortstop; however, at the age of 39, he has lost a step or so on his range. On the other hand, Reyes is in the midst of a season arguably as valuable as any of Vizquel's seventeen years. After a terrible OBP of .300, he has raised it up to a respectable .340 this season. As well, Reyes makes his presence known on the basepaths with 30 steals in 37 attempts. He has even brought a little pop to his bat, hitting six balls out of the park. Although he falls short in the second criteria, Reyes' long-realized potential and the lack of a true superstar track record amongst his peer shortstops makes him the go-to-guy, unless his OBP drops back to .300.
Honorable Mentions: Omar Vizquel, Edgar Renteria, Bill Hall
Outfield
Carlos Beltran/Jason Bay/Bobby Abreu... Beltran ranks up there with Pujols and Rolen as my MVP favorites. His OBP of .396, 19 HRs, 12 steals and gold-glove caliber defense make Beltran the best all-around player in baseball. Overlooked by playing on the Pirates, Jason Bay has to be one of the top five batters in the game and would have received serious MVP support had he been playing for a winning team. With an OBP above .400 and 20 HRs, he is the lone star for a terrible franchise. Pirates fans deserve to have one of their own starting in leftfield at PNC Park and Bay more than deserves the spot. Oddly, Abreu's power has taken a small hit this year with only 8 homeruns; however, his OBP is at a career-high .452, thanks to 70 walks. On the basepaths, he has chipped in 14 stolen bases.
Honorable Mentions: Barry Bonds, Andruw Jones, Alfonso Soriano
As I did before, here is my starting rotation and closer, even though us fans aren't allowed to vote on them.
SP Brandon Webb
Date
Wed 06/21/06, 10:31 am EST
