MVN - Most Valuable Network

The Baseballistic All-Star Ballot

It’s that time again, time to cast your annual All-Star ballot.  If you haven’t already voted the ridiculous 25 times you’re allowed to, that is.  Being a believer in the true democratic process, I’m casting one ballot this year, as I have every year.  Being a believer in the deceptive capabilities of small sample sizes, I’ve decided to wait until now — just under six days before the voting deadline — to punch those virtual holes.  (Hey, at least there aren’t any hanging chads that way.)

Before I catch myself going off on a raging rant about MLB’s bizarre decision to start voting in late-April and allow fans to vote 25 times, here’s my ballot for the 2008 All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium.

We’ll start with the National League, the visiting team this year with the game being played at the House that Ruth Built.

CATCHER: Brian McCann (Braves)

I was tempted to go with Cubs rookie Geovany Soto or the Dodgers’ Russell Martin here, but a quick glance at the numbers gave McCann the ultimate nod.  Offensively, McCann has a .921 OPS and 14 homers, both tops among NL backstops.  Defensively, the Braves’ catcher has allowed a whopping 52 stolen bases (most in the league), but he has also, remarkably, been charged with only a single passed ball.  Put those two together and, despite the temptation to go with the rook, I’m offering McCann a third consecutive trip to the All-Star Game.

FIRST BASE: Lance Berkman (Astros)

Lance Berkman’s offensive performance during the first half of the 2008 season has been tremendous.  Though the Astros are batting just .260 as a team and have scored the eighth-fewest runs in baseball, Berkman has been a stud throughout the first three months of the season, batting .360/.443/.701 with 21 homers.  He’s also third in the National League with 62 runs batted in, and has somehow managed to motor all 220 pounds of himself for a career-high 12 stolen bases.  Defensively, The Big Puma isn’t the greatest first-baseman, but it’s hard to fault a .997 fielding percentage — even with mediocre range — considering his contributions at the plate.  Albert Pujols, Derrek Lee, and Adrian Gonzalez all have legitimate cases for the spot, but Berkman has simply been a notch above them the first half of the season.

SECOND BASE: Dan Uggla (Marlins)

The case for Chase Utley — 22 homers, solid defense — is just as easy to make, but I’m going to go with Uggla, because it’s his contributions that have been chiefly responsible for keeping the Marlins in the hunt in the NL East.  Uggla is the Major League leader in homeruns with 23, and his OPS this season is a cool 1.000.  Defensively, he’s been just as good as Utley; both are seven fielding runs above average, according to Baseball Prospectus.  It’s hard to pass over the keystoner from the Keystone State, but I’m going to be an Ugglie and contribute to the Marlin’s second All-Star selection in three years.

THIRD BASE: Chipper Jones (Braves)

Ted Williams can stop fidgeting in his grave now; Chipper is finally under the .400 threshold at .394.  Jones won’t hit .400, but he’s been darn close for long enough to make him an easy selection for the NL’s starting nod at the hot corner.  Chipper is at .394/.485/.630 on the season, with 16 homers and a stellar 46/32 walk-to-strikeout ratio.  His defense at third isn’t superb by any means, but Jones has been good enough with the bat that it doesn’t really matter if his glove is golden or not.

SHORTSTOP: Hanley Ramirez (Marlins)

The Marlins already have their second-baseman on my ballot, and now they’ll round-out the double play combination with Hanley getting the nod to play shortstop.  Ramirez is the only NL shortstop with an OPS over .900 (.905), and his 16 homeruns easily top all others at the position.  Hanley’s defense, despite still needing considerable work, is vastly improved from last season, so he gets somewhat of a reprieve there.  Miguel Tejada and Jose Reyes both have decent credentials, but there wasn’t too much hesitation before I clicked the marker next to Hanley’s name.

Another quirk in the All-Star balloting is that outfielders are not separated into the three positions, but are instead all lumped into one.  The result is that because corner-outfielders tend to have better offensive credentials, it’s easy to overlook the fact that the skipper will actually need to put someone in center-field, and that player better be able to cover some ground.  With that in mind, I decided to make sure that I cast a vote for at least one center-fielder.  

OUTFIELDER 1: Nate McLouth (Pirates)

And, after looking at the numbers, I decided that my center-fielder should be the Buccos’ Nate McLouth.  McLouth has cooled-off considerably from his torrid start, but is still batting .289/.371/.543 on the year with 15 homers and 26 doubles, both best among National League center-fielders.  He’s also the only center-fielder in the senior circuit with an OPS over .900.  Defensively, McLouth has not committed an error, and while his range and arm are both sub-par, he has contributed enough at the plate to make up for them.  Truth be told, McLouth is probably a corner-outfielder trapped in center, but since just about all of his innings have come at position number eight, I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and a vote of support.

OUTFIELDER 2: Pat Burrell (Phillies)

Burrell leads all NL outfielders with a .987 OPS, and his 19 homers are second only to Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun at the position.  Pat the Bat has also walked sixty times already this season, ranking second (to Adam Dunn) in that category as well.  Defensively, Burrell is in the middle of the pack — he has contributed one fielding run above average, according to Baseball Prospectus — which is sufficient to land him in left for the Midsummer Classic.

OUTFIELDER 3: Ryan Ludwick (Cardinals)

Yes, his hot start has almost certainly been a fluke.  And yes, he’s already starting to cool off significantly.  But Ryan Ludwick carried the Cardinals offense for most of Albert Pujols’ stay on the disabled list, and with a .956 OPS for the season — second among NL outfielders — the Redbird narrowly edges out Matt Holliday, Jason Bay, and Ryan Braun for my third vote.

Because there are no designated hitters in regular National League play, voters are not allowed to throw their support behind a specific player for the starting nod in that spot.  But if there were a designated hitter section on the NL part of the ballot, my vote would go to Chase Utley.  

And now my choices for the American League All-Star team.

CATCHER: Joe Mauer (Twins)

Because All-Star voting is a popularity contest, this spot may very well go to the undeserving Jason Varitek, but my vote goes to Joe Mauer, whose Twins are currently in the midst of a nine-game winning streak.  Mauer’s .323 batting average is third in the American League, and he leads all qualifying AL backstops in OPS, checking it at .837.  Defensively, Mauer has not been charged with a single passed ball this season — he’s the only spotless starting catcher to this point — and he’s gunned-down a terrific 37 percent of opposing base stealers.  The choice is easy — even for a guy sitting in a Red Sox beanbag chair, donning a Pedroia t-shirt, and looking directly at a poster of the Captain.

FIRST BASEMAN: Kevin Youkilis (Red Sox)

I kept my Red Sox homerism inside while choosing the starting catcher for the AL, but I’m going to let it out as I select the first-baseman.  Youkilis’ .913 OPS lags well behind Jason Giambi’s .959, but the Greek God of Walks has continued to make a name for himself as the Greek God of Scoops.  Boston’s first-sacker is currently seven fielding runs above average, while New York’s is one below.  Minnesota’s Justin Morneau, also in the hunt for the nod, is at plus-one.  It’s certainly a debatable choice, but whether you call it favoritism or the right decision, I’m casting my vote for Yoooooouuuk.

SECOND BASEMAN: Brian Roberts (Orioles)

Second-base in the AL, like the NL, poses one heck of a conundrum this year.  Ian Kinsler has the bat (.306 average, 12 homers, .867 OPS), but he’s committed 14 errors, and is seven fielding runs below average at a premium defensive position.  Dustin Pedroia — inexplicably, or perhaps expectedly, given the popularity contest that is All-Star balloting, the current leader — and Robinson Cano haven’t hit well enough to even merit consideration.  And taking advantage of all that to earn my vote is Baltimore’s Brian Roberts, who sits at .295/.374/.478 offensively, while providing above-average glovework to the surprising, albeit receding, Orioles.  (I’ll be honest: prior to doing my research, I had Kinsler penciled in as my choice, but the bloated error-count swayed me away.)

THIRD BASEMAN: Alex Rodriguez (Yankees)

Joe Crede’s position-leading 15 homers are tempting, but A-Rod’s the easy choice, with 14 of his own in 24 fewer at-bats.  Rodriguez adds in a superb .324 average and an even 1.000 OPS to seal the deal, and his defense continues to improve.  A-Rod may not be the most cost-effective third-baseman out there, but since the All-Star team has no payroll constraints, there isn’t even a second thought about checking the box next to his name.

SHORTSTOP: Michael Young (Rangers)

The way the American League’s shortstops are hitting, you’d think that none of them really want the gig.  Derek Jeter (.286/.345/.394) and Michael Young (.278/.334/.397) are both well below their career norms.  Jeter’s .739 OPS is actually, unbelievably, the best mark at the position in the junior circuit.  With that said, Michael Young (8 FRAA) has a considerable defensive edge over Jeter (-12 FRAA), so he gets the vote.  No one really deserves it, but I’m going with the adage “Don’t mess with Texas” and handing my vote to the Ranger.

See my voting rules for the three outfielders, described above the National League outfielders section.  

OUTFIELDER 1: Josh Hamilton (Rangers)

Hamilton is somewhat miscast as a center-fielder, much like McLouth, but his offensive production trounces everyone else’s at the position.  The Triple Crown hopeful is at .310/.355/.572 on the season, with an AL-high 19 homers and a ML-best 76 ribbies.  His .927 OPS also easily tops his positional rivals, so it’s not particularly difficult to overlook the fact that Hamilton is seven fielding runs below average, and give him the nod to play center for the American League team.

OUTFIELDER 2: J.D. Drew (Red Sox)

Drew’s insane early-to-mid-June hot streak was remarkably well-timed for the Red Sox, with David Ortiz on the disabled list due to a torn tendon sheath.  Though he’s cooled-off over the past several games, Boston’s right-fielder is still hitting .359 with 10 homers and an outstanding 1.354 OPS for the month.  His .987 season OPS is second only to Texas’ Milton Bradley among AL outfielders.  Drew is two fielding runs below average this year, but he’s played more than adequately in the Fenway pastures considering his contributions at the plate.

OUTFIELDER 3: Milton Bradley (Rangers)

Josh Hamilton has gotten most of the attention for leading the Rangers’ attack, but Milton Bradley is equally, if not more, deserving.  With a terrific .330 average, 15 homers, and a 1.075 OPS — best among AL outfielders — the 30 year-old has been a very nice surprise for the Rangers this season.  Bradley is proving yet again that, when healthy, both physically and mentally, he’s among the most dangerous hitters in the American League.  Two White Sox — Carlos Quentin and Jermaine Dye — as well as a Yankee, Johnny Damon, caught my attention, but in the end, Bradley gets the vote.

DESIGNATED HITTER: Hideki Matsui (Yankees)

This selection is typically made easier by David Ortiz’s presense, but the Red Sox’s DH is neither healthy, nor deserving of the honor this season, after enduring a major early-season slump.  Jim Thome has 14 homeruns, but he’s batting just .228 on the year.  Gary Sheffield has been hurt for much of the first half.   So, the honor goes to Hideki Matsui, who has managed to bat a stellar .323 this season, as one of the unsung heroes of a Yankees’ offense that sputtered for much of May.  That superb average makes Godzilla’s declining power (just seven homeruns in 251 at-bats) more palatable, and gives him the nod over Baltimore’s Aubrey Huff (14 homers).

(Clicks “Submit” button.)  And … we’re done!

Do you strongly agree or vehemently disagree with any of my choices?  Make your voice heard in the comments!

________________________________________________________

NEW POLL!

Perhaps the toughest choice to make on this year’s All-Star Ballot is at the second-base position in the National League.  Cutting the race down to the two frontrunners, who gets your vote, Dan Uggla or Chase Utley?  Make your choice in the poll on the right!

This entry was posted on Friday, June 27th, 2008 at 2:09 am and is filed under Ryan Ludwick, Milton Bradley, Nate McLouth, Hanley Ramirez, Brian McCann, Josh Hamilton, All-Star Balloting, Baseballistic, All Star Ballot, Pat Burrell, Chipper Jones, Chase Utley, Lance Berkman, Kevin Youkilis, Hideki Matsui, Dan Uggla, Brian Roberts, Michael Young, Joe Mauer, J.D. Drew, Alex Rodriguez. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.