Here is my breakdown of Major League Baseball to this point thus far. This includes my picks (not the fans picks) for the All-Star Game as well as my winners and losers in Major League Baseball up to this point (all statistics are as of 7/2). I’m not going by the rule that each player must have one representative so there will be a disparity with my rosters and the real ones. This is just who I believe deserves it.
American League All-Stars
Starters
C- Joe Mauer, MIN- Only position on this squad where I truly feel like there is no question. Even though he is not yet qualified for the batting crown contention, he will be soon. Leads all AL catchers with at least 200 AB in BA, HR, RBI, OBP, SLG, and OPS by substantial if not excessive margins.
1B- Justin Morneau, MIN- Only AL player in top 10 in in average and top 5 in both home runs and RBIs.
2B- Aaron Hill, TOR- Leads all AL 2B in HR, RBI, BA, and OBP. Most surprising top 5 MVP candidate in either league this year.
3B- Evan Longoria, TB- So far it’s been Longoria and Detroit’s Brandon Inge far and above all other AL 3B, as they are 1-2 in HR, RBI, SLG, and OPS. While they are both having great years, it is undeniable that Longoria has the edge.
SS- Derek Jeter, NYY- The inevitable starter in the game is still having a great year. He leads all AL SS in hits and is 2nd in HR, R, OBP, BA, SLG, and tied for first with Bartlett in steals among shortstops with at least 200 ABs.
OF- Ichiro, SEA- At this point you can’t leave this guy of any All-Star starting lineup. He leads all big league qualifiers in BA (still trails Mauer) and is still a money outfielder. Most people just don’t know how money he really is (anybody?, eh eh).
OF- Torii Hunter, LAA- Career year so far for the vet. Hasn’t looked to lose too much speed in the OF and is 5th in HR, 3rd in BA, 2nd in RBIs, and 2nd to Zobrist in OPS amongst AL OF.
OF- Ben Zobrist, TB- OPS over 1.000 says it all about the kind of year this guy is having. He’s top 10 in AL OF in HR, RBI, and BA while leading in OBP and SLG (and thus OPS). Dude’s been money and under the radar big time.
Starting Pitcher- Zack Greinke, KC- After an absolutely dominating start followed by a troubling string of four straight losses Greinke seems to have regained form. He’s won his past two starts, giving up 3 ER in 14.1 innings pitched. He is first among all AL pitchers in wins, ERA, WHIP, and CG. Ranks second in strikeouts and third in innings pitched.
Reserves
C- A.J. Pierzynski, CHW and Mike Napoli, LAA- Only two AL catchers qualify for the batting title thus far (Pierzynski and OAK’s Kurt Suzuki) making the crop very thin. Pierzynski and Napoli are the only two AL catchers with at least 180 AB rivaling hitting .300. While their power numbers are soft, the current expectations of MLB catchers is that less is more and durability is key. Sorry to Suzuki, Jorge Posada, Rod Barajas and Miguel Olivo. This is a testament to the dropoff that occurs after Mauer.
1B- Russell Branyan, SEA, Kevin Youkilis, BOS, and Miguel Cabrera, DET- Just like there were four 3rd basemen on the AL team in 2008, there should be four 1B on the team this year. These three guys are posting ridiculous numbers and with every other position only bearing one feasible backup, it just made too much sense to put all three of these guys on the squad. Sorry, Mark Teixeira.
2B- Ian Kinsler, TEX- Despite a BA lower than he would like, Kinsler still ranks in the top two AL 2B in HR and RBIs with Hill (substantially ahead of the crowd) and leads in SLG and OPS. He leads all AL 2B in SB and ranks top 5 in hits, OBP, and runs.
3B- Brandon Inge, DET- As previously noted, Inge and Longoria are far and away the top performing 3B in the AL so far. Granted Scott Rolen has hit at a high mark and A-Rod is posting solid power numbers despite his injury, nobody comes within 3 HRs, 11 RBIs, or 23 slugging points of these two.
SS- Jason Bartlett, TB- While you can’t expect him to top Jeter for the fan’s starting nod, Bartlett is hitting over 50 points higher than the next guy (Jeter) and his OPS is nearly 130 points higher than Jeter’s. Combined with his above .400 OBP and it’s obvious who has been better at the plate thus far, Jeter’s intangibles along with his power production gives him the slight edge.
OF- Carl Crawford, TB, Adam Jones, BAL, and Jason Bay, BOS- All three of these players are having very different years. Bay gets in by leading all AL OF in RBI by a margin of ten, Jones is in the top ten of AL OF in every single major offensive category while being brilliant in center, and Crawford’s .320 clip combined with leading the league in SB and being 2nd in AL OF in runs makes him perhaps the most dangerous #2 hitter in the league.
DH- Mark Teixeira, NYY- Despite the fact that the game will be played in St. Louis with no DH I decided to add one as a wild-card spot for the best offensive player not on the roster so far. In a battle between Tex and Toronto’s Adam Lind, Teixera comes out on top for a few simple reasons. He has more runs, HR, and RBI than Lind while also posting a higher slugging and OPS. While his batting average is nearly thirty points lower, his 44 walks puts their OBPs within five points of eachother, thus greatly decreasing the impact of Lind’s most notable advantage. Right now I say that Teixeira has overall been the more productive player.
Starting Pitchers
Edwin Jackson, DET- Breakthrough year, 2nd in AL in ERA and top 10 in IP and strikeouts.
Roy Halladay, TOR- 10-2 with a sub-3 ERA? Enough said.
Felix Hernandez, SEA- The boy wonder is finally turning into a man. Ranks T-6th among AL pitchers in wins, 5th in IP, 4th in strikouts, and 3rd in ERA.
Kevin Millwood, TEX- After a 5+ ERA and a losing record last year he is having perhaps the most shockingly under the radar year in baseball. He leads all AL pitchers in IP, is T-6th in wins, and ranks 5th in ERA as he rejuvenates his career at the age of 34.
Jered Weaver, LAA- This years Angels pitching rep is 6th in the AL in ERA and tied for 6th in wins. Also ranks in the top 10 in IP and strikeouts.
Justin Verlander, DET- T-6th in wins, 6th in IP, and first in strikeouts by a double digit margin. Sorry to Josh Beckett and especially Mark Buehrle but Verlander’s dominance so far exceeds their consistency.
Relief Pitchers
Joe Nathan, MIN- 21 saves, 1.44 ERA
Jonathan Papelbon, BOS- 20, 1.80
Mariano Rivera, NYY- 20, 2.76
David Aardsma, SEA- 16, 1.49
Bobby Jenks, CHW- 18, 3.21
George Sherill, BAL- 17, 2.51
National League All-Stars
Starters
C- Brian McCann, ATL- Despite not yet being qualified for the batting title McCann leads all C in BA, OPS, SLG, and OPS amongst catchers with at least 200 AB. He is also 2nd in RBIs and 3rd in home runs.
1B- Alber Pujols, St. Louis- Ranks 1st in all major offensive categories in the NL other than batting average (3rd). Unanimously the best offensive player in baseball, if not the best overall.
2B- Chase Utley, PHI- Leads all NL 2B in runs, HR, RBI, OBP, SLG, and OPS. Another position where nobody is really all that close to comparing to his all-around game.
3B- David Wright, NYM- Despite his low power numbers he still leads all NL 3B in hits, double, BA, and OBP. However, a good week by Pablo Sandoval could really swing my vote here.
SS- Hanley Ramirez, FLA- Leads the NL in batting and ranks in the top 10 in the league in runs, OBP, SLG, OPS, and RBI. Leads all NL SS in these categories as well as hits, HR, and SB.
OF- Brad Hawpe, COL- Second of all NL OF in BA, SLG, and OPS. Third in RBI and OBP. Top 5 in those 5 categories gets you a top 3 spot in my book, Justin Upton is very close behind though. Another position where a good week could change my vote.
OF- Raul Ibanez, PHI- Before the groin injury he was staying neck and neck with Pujols in the early goings of the MVP race. Even having not played in two weeks he is still 2nd in the NL in SLG and OPS and 3rd in HR and RBI.
OF- Ryan Braun, MIL- Productivity just sums this guy up. He is in the top 10 in the NL in all major offensive categories other than home runs, where his 16 are good enough for 11th in the league.
Starting Pitcher- Dan Haren, ARI- While his 7-5 record isn’t great, hes posted a league leading 2.19 ERA. The reason I give him the nod over Lincecum here is because of this: In his 5 losses he has given up totals of 1, 2, 1, 3, and 2 earned runs. He has only given up more than 3 ER in one start this year, a game where he gave up 5 in 7 IP and go the no decision.
Reserves
C- Yadier and Benji Molina, STL and SFG, respectively- For the first time the Molina brothers should be on the same All-Star team. Benji leads all catchers in hits, HR, and RBI while Yadier is 2nd in hits, 2nd in BA behind McCann, and 3rd in OPS behind McCann and Geovany Sota among catchers with at least 200 AB. Yadier also remains as the top defensive catcher in the NL.
1B- Prince Fielder, MIL and Ryan Howard- Most people put Adrian Gonzalez or Joey Votto ahead of Howard, but Howard and Fielder’s HR and RBI numbers are only comparable to those of Pujols, putting these two guys on their seperate plateau of superstar.
2B- Orlando Hudson, LAD- While his power numbers are low, his combination of hits, runs, and BA are only comparable to Utley. He’s doin what he’s expected to do to a tee, which is why he is an all-star.
3B- Pablo Sandoval, SFG, Mark Reynolds, ARI, and Ryan Zimmerman, WAS- I try to avoid the hometown bias on Zimmerman, but he leads all NL 3B in runs, is 2nd in hits, and is 3rd in HR, BA, and RBI, 4th in OBP, and 5th in SLG and OPS. Sandoval on the other hand is leading all NL 3B in SLG and OPS, he is 2nd in BA, 3rd in hits and OBP, and 4th in homers (but is tied for the lead in doubles with Wright). No other player is as high all the way across the board as these two guys. Reynolds on the other hand is more fit for the “DH” spot I used for the AL rosters. His 21 HR and 56 RBI are far and away the best amongst NL 3B and his .561 SLG% is only comparable to Sandoval’s .556.
SS- Miguel Tejada, HOU- Tejada is having a great season under the radar. He is a not-as-distant-as-you-would-think 2nd to Ramirez in runs, RBI, BA, OBP, SLG, and OPS. He is actually tied with Ramirez for the position lead in hits and doubles.
OF- Justin Upton, ARI, Carlos Beltran, NYM, and Hunter Pence, HOU- Upton just missed a starting spot with his combination of power (14 HR, 45 RBI, .568 SLG) and his ability to get on base and score (86 hits, 49 runs, .319 BA .394 OBP). Beltran is hurt but still leads all NL OF in BA and OBP. Also, despite low power numbers he is still tied for 3rd in doubles. Pence on the other hand is very close to Matt Kemp for the 6th OF spot. He currently holds narrow leads in average, OBP, SLG, and OPS but trails substantially in RBI and SB. A hot few games by Kemp could turn the tables quickly.
Starting Pitchers
Tim Lincecum, SFG
Matt Cain, SFG
Johnny Cueto, CIN
Josh Johnson, FLA
Chad Billingsley, LAD
These guys rank 2, 3, 4, 7, and 9 in the NL in terms of ERA. All of them have a least 7 wins. A very different yet statistically comparable group unlike the American League.
Relief Pitchers
Heath Bell, SDG- 22 saves, 1.34 ERA
Francisco Rodriguez, NYM- 21, 1.19
Francisco Cordero, CIN- 19, 1.91
Huston Street, COL- 19, 2.91
Jonathan Broxton, LAD- 19, 2.15
Trevor Hoffman, MIL- 18, 1.93
Ryan Franklin, STL- 18, 0.90
Now with the All-Star rosters completed, let’s fast forward 4 monthes, it’s awards time.
American League
Comeback Player of the Year- Russell Branyan, SEA- Branyan is a 33 year old who has only played in over 100 games twice in his previous nine seasons while playing for seven different teams (with two stints in both San Diego and Milwaukee). His career high in batting is .257 and he’s only topped .240 on that sole occasion. He hit .250 with 12 home runs and 20 RBI last year for Milwaukee. Despite all this, at this juncture he is on pace to finish the 2009 season playing 153 games, hitting 44 homers and knocking in 96 while hitting .294. Is there any question?
Rookie of the Year- (tie) Nolan Reimold, BAL and Ricky Porcello, DET- Reimold leads the race between him and Elvis Andrus (the only 2 everyday rookies in the AL) in BA, HR, RBI, OBP, and OPS while Porcello has stepped in to be the #2 guy the Tigers need to hold onto the Central. A couple more starts by Oakland’s Brett Anderson like his 2-hitter at Fenway and he could be passing both these guys.
Cy Young- Greinke (see above)
MVP- Mauer- Arguably the best defensive catcher in the AL hitting in the high .380s into the All-Star break for a team caught in the fray of the wild card race, unbelievable. If he finishes at .375/35/110 that’s unreal.
National League
Comeback Player of the Year- Zach Duke, PIT- After a rookie 2005 campaign that had everybody believing he was the next big thing, Duke flamed out. After subpar 2006, 2007, and 2008 years in which he compiled an 18-37 record and had ERAs of 4.47, 5.53, and 4.82, Duke has 8 wins and a sub-3.30 ERA for the surprise Pirates.
Rookie of the Year- Colby Rasmus, STL- The Card’s rookie outfielder is having one hell of a campaign so far. An everyday player in center, Rasmus is leading all rookies (with at least 175 ABs) in nearly every offensive category. Unless someone like Pittsburgh’s Andrew McCutchen or Casey McGehee of the Brewers can really boost their everday production, Rasmus has it.
Cy Young- Lincecum- (see above) I have Lincecum right now just barely topping Haren. All it takes is 2-3 starts to change all of that.
MVP- Pujols- The most unquestionable award of them all. This guy could miss the entire month of August come back and still be in the running for the MVP. He’s a hot week away from leading in all three Triple Crown categories. People need to start realizing the blessing we have to watch this guy play in his prime. Awesome.
That’s a-a-a-all folks… put some serious brain power behind this to figure out who right now is the most productive group of players in the game. It should be known that if I were to pick my own 33 man team I might not ignore players such as Manny, A-Rod, or C.C. but as far as today is concerned, these are my players.
Mike Demsky's Blog 