Patterns are already in place. So here are my picks for starters on the AL All-Star team.
Listen, I know: baseball is a marathon, not a sprint. We’re only twenty games into the season, but my urge to spew pre-emptive predictions has been growing with every pop of the glove. So, without further ado, I present to you the 2017 American League All-Star team (…maybe, I hope).
Courtesy: KC Star
Catcher–Salvador Perez, KC–19 Games/5 Home Runs/ 9 RBIs/ .233 AVG
Right now the battle for the AL All-star catcher spot is pretty grim. But picking among the likes of James McCann and Robinson Chirinos…well…it’s fairly easy. Salvador Perez has been the most consistent catcher in the AL for the past couple seasons and he’s showing no signs of slowing down. He has already hit 5 HR’s in only 19 games.
First Base–Yonder Alonso, OAK–19 Games/4 Home Runs/ 13 RBIs/ .286 AVG
Okay, before you close out the page, hear me out. I’m not saying that Yonder Alonso is a better first baseman than Miguel Cabrera, Carlos Santana, or Edwin Encarnacion. However, I am saying that Alonso will outlast these three players, as well as be a more consistent and stable first baseman. Miguel Cabrera is already on the DL; Encarnacion is flirting with the Mendoza Line; and Santana (while having a great season) is just way too inconsistent. Yonder Alonso, on the other hand, has just been doing just fine–hitting the ball well and filling the role as a traditional first baseman.
Second Base–Jose Altuve, HOU–20 Games/2 Home Runs/ 7 RBIs/ .312 AVG
After a shaky start to the season, this young second basemen seems to be finding his groove…again. On his best days Altuve is a giant threat that could hit a HR in one inning and then rob your star hitter from a base hit the next. He is extremely versatile and I truly believe he is one of the few names on the short-list of 5-tool players who are left in the MLB. Expect Altuve’s power numbers to increase as he continues to play. Keep an eye on the AL MVP watch, too. He’s a serious contender.
Courtesy: Let’s Go Tribe
Third Base–Jose Ramirez, CLE–20 Games/5 Home Runs/ 18 RBIs/ .320 AVG
Until Manny Machado finds his way out of this slump, I can’t see the All-Star bid going to anyone else. Josh Donaldson’s power numbers have been lackluster so far and he’s currently waiting out a ten-day stint on the DL (a designation that could very well be a 60-day wait). But while the rest of the world has been distracted by those two, Ramirez is having a fantastic start. Having eligibility at second base as well as outfield, Ramirez should easily find a spot on the team (if he keeps it up, of course).
Shortstop–Francisco Lindor, CLE–20 Games/5 Home Runs/ 12 RBIs/ .304 AVG
This was my hardest All-Star prediction. We’re experiencing a renaissance at the shortstop position with several young-guns vying for the spot of top dog. But at this point in the season Lindor is winning the race. His primary competitors–Xander Bogaerts and Carlos Correa–are having slow starts. Bogaerts missed a few games due to bereavement. Correa has nobody to blame but himself. Lindor? He has been hitting the ball consistently and flashing power potential.
Mike Trout
Outfield–Mike Trout, LAA–23 Games/ 6 Home Runs/ 15 RBIs/ .337 AVG
This pick comes as no shock. No name has been more of an automatic All-Star in baseball for the last five years. That short list of 5-tool players that I mentioned earlier? Trout is #1-5. He’s the perfect combination of power and contact that pitchers hate and hitting coaches love. I could talk about Trout all day, but I’m sure you’ve heard it all before, so i’ll leave it at this. Mike Trout will be an All-Star this year. Mike Trout will be an All-Star next year…and the year after that…and the year after that. Do I really need to keep going?
Outfield–Mookie Betts, BOS–17 Games/ 2 Home Runs/ 11 RBIs/ .324 AVG
As a Yankee fan this pick hurts me but, as a fan of baseball, I have to say that Mookie Betts is one of the most exciting players in MLB. My ‘short list’ of 5-tool players seems to get longer and longer, but how could you make one without putting on a guy who hit 31 home runs last season while also stealing 26 bases? Betts was one of four players to record over 200 hits last season and was in the Top 30 in HR’s. If Betts keeps his numbers up, he’s another player who could make a splash in the MVP debate.
Outfield 3–Khris Davis, OAK–20 Games/ 7 Home runs/ 12 RBIs/ .275 AVG
After putting up outstanding power-centered numbers last year I felt that Khris Davis was slept on coming into this season. By hitting 42 home runs and batting in 102 runs last season Davis gave Oakland that power hitter it desperately needs. Davis hasn’t slowed down a bit. He has already hit seven HR’s this season, tied for third behind Ryan Zimmerman and Eric Thames.
Courtesy: Boston Herald
Starting Pitcher–Chris Sale, BOS– 4 GS/ 1-1/ 42 Strikeouts/ 0.91 ERA/ 0.71 WHIP
Again, the Yankee fan inside of me is crying. But, other than Sale, who’s it going to be? Sure, there are a lot of young talented starts in the AL who could really give Sale a run for his money, players like James Paxton, Lance McCullers, and Danny Duffy. But starting the All-Star game is a completely different thing. Chris Sale offers the AL the best chance to keep up with the expansive list of aces over in the NL.
