The All-Star game is the most important game of the year (Home-field advantage!), so obviously careful attention must be paid when filling out our ballots. We must avoid voting for sentimental favorites or just voting for all the Twins on the ballot in early May.

 

I'll start with my ballot for the AL, and post the NL later.

 

1B – This one is easy. First-basemen are supposed to hit bombs; Chris Davis hits bombs. Chris Davis, BAL

 

 

2B – I think Cano is probably a lock to be the starting second baseman for the AL team, and he is deserving. There is probably going to be a lot of debate though over whether he or Pedroia should be the starter. Pedroia would also be deserving, probably more deserving. But frankly, I'm tired of Cano and the Yankees and I'm tired of Pedroia and the Red Sox so I'm going to go with someone who has arguably played as well as both of them. Howie Kendrick, LAA

 

 

SS– This one is between perennially underrated Jhonny Peralta and perennially underrated (especially by Bill Smith and the Twins F.O.) J.J. Hardy. Both are deceptively good fielders, both have some pop. Peralta is having a better overall offensive season, but Hardy has more bombs. But “Jhonny”? I just learned that his name is supposedly due to a clerical error on his birth certificate. I guess that makes me hold it against him less, but still. J.J. Hardy, BAL

 

 

3B– This one is easy, despite already having two Orioles, what's not to love about Manny Machado? No more Orioles after this. Manny Machado, BAL

 

 

C– Also easy. Joe Mauer, MIN

 

 

DH– This is for aging guys who could never field, but tear the cover off the ball year after year. Detroit has too many of those guys, so they often end up on the field playing defense anyway. But I'm going to use a write-in for the guy that really should be here. Miguel Cabrera, DET

 

 

OF– First one's easy. Mike Trout, LAA

There are a lot of other guys I like here, but to be fair I'll just go by WAR for the next two, as Fangraphs and BBRef actually agree on who have been the best. Coco Crisp, OAK and Jose Bautista, TOR. Feels a little weird voting for Crisp, but every ballot needs a veteran with no All-Star appearances having a career year.So who's on your ballot?

C -Mauer

1B - Davis

2B - Pedroia

SS - Hardy

3B - Cabrera

DH - Ortiz

OF - Trout

OF - Bautista

OF - Cespedes

1B-Davis

2B-Pedroia

SS-Hardy

3B-Cabrera

DH-Encarnacion

C-Arencibia

OF-Trout

OF-Jones

OF-Cruz

[h=3]National League[/h]

• 1B - Goldschmidt, Paul
  
• 2B - Carpenter, Matt
  
• SS - Tulowitzki, Troy
  
• 3B - Sandoval, Pablo
  
• C - Posey, Buster
  
• OF - Brown, Domonic
  
• OF - Gomez, Carlos
  
• OF - Gonzalez, Carlos
  

C - Mauer

1B - Davis

2B - Cano - if you are playing to win then you take Cano because he's better than kendrick (Pedroia could be argued though)

3B - MCab

SS - Hardy - not a lot of options - solid bat and great defense

OF - Trout

OF - Crisp - he's just having a great season

OF - Bautista - this spot is up for grabs with about 5 guys

DH - Ortiz

SP - Verlander

I am one that much more prefers to see the stars of the game at the All-Star game than a guy who happens to perform well in the first half of a season. I'd rather see Albert Pujols in the game than James Loney or Robinson Cano over Jose Altuve. That's for the entire roster, and then I'd reward the stars performing well with the starting roles. After that, I'd put on guys playing out of their minds - Chris Davis, for example.

 

My ballots didn't look like this because I didn't want to upset El Oso Blanco, but here's what I would do...

 

AL

Catcher - Joe Mauer, Min

First Base - Prince Fielder, Det

Second Base - Dustin Pedroia, Bos

Third Base - Miguel Cabrera, Det

Shortstop - Jhonny Peralta, Det

Outfield - Alex Gordon, KC; Mike Trout, LAA; Jose Bautista, Tor

 

NL

Catcher - Yadi Molina, StL

First Base - Joey Votto, Cin

Second Base - Brandon Phillips, Cin

Third Base - David Wright, NYM

Shortstop - Troy Tulowitzki, Col

Outfield - Carlos Gonzalez, Col; Ryan Braun, Mil; Andrew McCutchen, Pit

 

I would enjoy utilizing both leagues' DH roles to promote a breakout player. In the AL, I'd choose Manny Machado, and in the NL, I'd go with Jean Segura.

 

My rosters would be filled with more of the typical one-half performers that you see, especially on the pitching staffs, but to me, an All-Star game without the biggest stars of the game on the team is simply folly.

I really like the vote for Crisp.

 

Very nice for him well into his career.

Here's my NL ballot.

 

1B– Similar to Davis in the AL, Paul Goldschmidt hits bombs. Paul Goldschmidt, ARI

 

 

2B –I can never keep Matt Carpenter and Chris Carpenter straight. I also don't know how St. Louis keeps on managing to get such good production out of all of these position players with All-American sounding names that you've never heard of. David Freese, Jon Jay, Allen Craig, now Matt Carpenter. Anyway, I'm not really interested in seeing Utley and Phillips again, so Carpenter it is. Matt Carpenter, STL

 

 

SS– This one seems pretty easy. Troy Tulowitzki, COL

 

 

3B– Who doesn't want to see Captain America in the All-Star game? David Wright, NYM

 

 

C– This one also seems pretty easy, except there are actually a few deserving candidates. Still, I'm always going to go with the guy that plays great defense and hits as well. Yadier Molina, STL

 

 

OF– First two are easy. Carlos Gomez, MILand Carlos Gonzalez, COL. After that it gets hard. Hunter Pence doesn't generally seem like an All-Star, but he's having a really good year. Andrew McCutchen is part of the next class of superstars and he's also having a good year. But Hunter Pence plays like he just stepped out of a time machine from the 1910's and chugged a liter of Red Bull. But McCutchen is coming off of back-to-back 5+ WAR seasons. But Hunter Pence has crazy eyes and swings like he's fighting off invisible demons. I want to see Hunter Pence. Hunter Pence, SFG

 

I am one that much more prefers to see the stars of the game at the All-Star game than a guy who happens to perform well in the first half of a season.

 

I sort of agree with this, but I always prefer to see a young, future superstar in his breakout years rather than an established superstar in his decline. Too many guys get voted in year after year even when they start playing really poorly.

I sort of agree with this, but I always prefer to see a young, future superstar in his breakout years rather than an established superstar in his decline. Too many guys get voted in year after year even when they start playing really poorly.

 

No disagreement, but you just need to see the 1990 NL pitching staff to see where the half-season crap can be dumb. Jack Armstrong starts the game while the NL Cy Young winner and another in the top 5 for the season don't make the game at all.

 

I would much rather see Chris Davis play than Albert Pujols, but just last year, Brian LaHair had an All-Star roster spot and barely cracked 100 ABs after the All-Star game because he was terrible (and he was horrid after April, so he had already been terrible for two months when he was put on the team).

I voted Davis, Cano, Hardy, and Miggy in the infield. Machado will be there for sure. He's a great player, but we can't deny the Triple Crown winner. In the outfield, Alex Gordon, Trout, and Bautista. My DH vote went to Ortiz. BTW, I voted for Cuddyer as an All-Star in the NL. He doesn't have quite enough at-bats to qualify (5 short), but he would be in the top five in both OPS and Batting Average.

Torii has fallen to fourth among AL outfielders and the vote at Comerica is over. While I am a Hunter fan, Torii Hunter doesn't have All-Star numbers. Bautista, Gordon, Crisp, Nelson Cruz and a half dozen other guys have better overall numbers than Torii Hunter.

Torii has fallen to fourth among AL outfielders and the vote at Comerica is over. While I am a Hunter fan, Torii Hunter doesn't have All-Star numbers. Bautista, Gordon, Crisp, Nelson Cruz and a half dozen other guys have better overall numbers than Torii Hunter.

 

Although it's not like Markakis is really a better choice.

C -Mauer

1B - Davis

2B - Pedroia

SS - Hardy

3B - Cabrera

DH - Ortiz

OF - Trout

OF - Bautista

OF - Cespedes

 

This was mine too

I remember a few years ago when either Cal Ripken or Ozzie Smith got selected for the All-Star game not because they were having a great season but because they were retiring after that year and it would be their last All-Star game. Is that really a good use of the last spot? It's always fun to debate stuff like this!

Boy, these lists tell me that the OF selection in the AL is not pretty.

AL, then NL

 

C: Mauer/Molina

1B: Davis/Goldschmidt

2B: Cano/Carpenter

SS: Hardy/Tulo

3B: Cabrera/Wright

OF: Trout-Crisp-A Jones/Gonzalez-Gomez-Beltran

DH: Ortiz

Edited June 19, 201313 yr by ThePuck