All
Star Picks
Since
the All Star Break is coming up I decided that this would be a good time to
look at the numbers and see who should be picked for the All Star team. While I know this list isn’t going to
happen, or at least get all the picks, since fans tend to vote for favorites
more often than the players that deserve it. So what I decided to do is pick my picks using saber
stats. I’m only going to do
position players since players and coaches pick pitchers and bench players. So
lets start with the AL All Stars.
AL:
C: Salvador Perez
|
AVG
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
OPS
|
BABIP
|
ISO
|
HR
|
BB%
|
K%
|
wOBA
|
wRC+
|
WAR
|
|
.282
|
.332
|
.448
|
.780
|
.293
|
.164
|
10
|
5.9%
|
11.1%
|
.343
|
116
|
2.7
|
Best
of the bunch all around and he’s actually having a pretty decent season. While not a massive offensive season as
we had all hoped he’s still doing the best of any C in the AL in WAR and a lot
of that is do to his strong defense.
Yes that’s not something that gets guys onto All Star games but his all
around effectiveness is what gives him the nod for me.
Alternate: Kurt Suzuki- if his
defense was better it would be a harder pick.
1B: Edwin Encranacion
|
AVG
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
OPS
|
BABIP
|
ISO
|
HR
|
BB%
|
K%
|
wOBA
|
wRC+
|
WAR
|
|
.281
|
.369
|
.599
|
.967
|
.270
|
.318
|
26
|
11.7%
|
15.4%
|
.415
|
.165
|
3.1
|
This
was a tough choice between the top 4 guys in the AL and I decided to go with
Encranacion due to the power that he’s shown this year. Yes Cabrera is basically the same or
close to in many respects though Cabrera has a higher AVG. In the end I went with the wRC+ as the
end factor, Cabrera is at 151 and Encranacion is a 165.
Alternate: Miguel Cabrera
2B: Jose Altuve
|
AVG
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
OPS
|
BABIP
|
ISO
|
SB
|
BB%
|
K%
|
wOBA
|
wRC+
|
WAR
|
|
.347
|
.386
|
.450
|
.835
|
.366
|
.103
|
37
|
5.6%
|
6.6%
|
.368
|
135
|
3.1
|
Unlike
the other guys I’ve mentioned so far Altuve is all hit and no power but that’s
fine by me. His speed has been
such a boom for the Astros this year and causing havoc for most of MLB. His high AVG and OBP don’t hurt either;
he’s really become a threat to pitchers and defense’s alike.
Alternate: Ian Kinsler
SS: Alcides Escobar
|
AVG
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
OPS
|
BABIP
|
ISO
|
SB
|
BB%
|
K%
|
wOBA
|
wRC+
|
WAR
|
|
.295
|
.335
|
.410
|
.746
|
.337
|
.115
|
20
|
4.7%
|
13.4%
|
.329
|
106
|
2.1
|
Very
close call here but I went with Escobar due to the better slash line versus Erick
Aybar’s better defense. Escobar is
pretty much Altuve with a lower stat line and better defense.
Alternate: Derek Jeter- Yes he’s
nowhere near the top of these lists but he deserves to be in 1 more All Star
game right?
3B: Josh Donaldson
|
AVG
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
OPS
|
BABIP
|
ISO
|
HR
|
BB%
|
K%
|
wOBA
|
wRC+
|
WAR
|
|
.245
|
.325
|
.459
|
.784
|
.262
|
.214
|
18
|
10.35
|
20.1%
|
.343
|
120
|
3.5
|
Another
really tough choice between him and Adrian Beltre but in the end it’s the
defense and power. Remember this
game counts for something now so you can’t just load a team full of nothing but
hitters with no glove. Donaldson
has been in a ruff patch recently so that numbers don’t reflect how good he had
been a few weeks back. Combining
the numbers now and how good he’s been at defense he’s the more worthy pick
overall.
Alternate: Adrian Beltre
OF: Mike Trout
|
AVG
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
OPS
|
BABIP
|
ISO
|
HR
|
BB%
|
K%
|
wOBA
|
wRC+
|
WAR
|
|
.314
|
.406
|
.611
|
1.017
|
.371
|
.297
|
19
|
13.8%
|
23.8%
|
.432
|
183
|
5.5
|
Jose Bautista
|
AVG
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
OPS
|
BABIP
|
ISO
|
HR
|
BB%
|
K%
|
wOBA
|
wRC+
|
WAR
|
|
.303
|
.350
|
.535
|
.964
|
.315
|
.232
|
17
|
17.1%
|
14.2%
|
.419
|
168
|
3.7
|
Alex Gordon
|
AVG
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
OPS
|
BABIP
|
ISO
|
HR
|
BB%
|
K%
|
wOBA
|
wRC+
|
WAR
|
|
.267
|
.350
|
.430
|
.780
|
.303
|
.163
|
9
|
9.7%
|
16.9%
|
.346
|
117
|
4.5
|
Trout
and Bautista are obvious choices and I don’t think I really need to go into
them too much. But Alex Gordon is
another choice determined by defense wins over offense. Like I’ve said this game matters and a
team needs offense and defense as well; Gordon is one of the better defensive
OF’s in the AL. His stats aren’t
terrible either so its not like he doesn’t deserve it on other merits.
Alternates: Adam Jones, Michael
Brantley, Brett Gardner
NL
C: Jonathan Lucroy
|
AVG
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
OPS
|
BABIP
|
ISO
|
HR
|
BB%
|
K%
|
wOBA
|
wRC+
|
WAR
|
|
.331
|
.399
|
.511
|
.911
|
.354
|
.180
|
8
|
10.2%
|
10.5%
|
.396
|
154
|
3.8
|
Best
hitting catcher in baseball right now so I don’t think I need to go into
details why I picked him.
Alternate: Yadier Molina
1B: Paul Goldschmidt
|
AVG
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
OPS
|
BABIP
|
ISO
|
HR
|
BB%
|
K%
|
wOBA
|
wRC+
|
WAR
|
|
.308
|
.398
|
.545
|
.942
|
.379
|
.237
|
15
|
12.9%
|
23.1%
|
.405
|
157
|
3.3
|
Good
hitting and decent defense put him at the top of the list in the NL, at least
in terms of 1B. That strong OBP
and the very strong ISO make him a threat to any pitcher even if the team
around him isn’t that strong as of now.
If he could play a little more solid defense he could be the clear-cut
winner but with Anthony Rizzo and Freddie Freeman behind him it’s a close call.
Alternate: Anthony Rizzo
2B: Daniel Murphy
|
AVG
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
OPS
|
BABIP
|
ISO
|
HR
|
BB%
|
K%
|
wOBA
|
wRC+
|
WAR
|
|
.300
|
.351
|
.421
|
.772
|
.326
|
.121
|
7
|
7.7%
|
11.9%
|
.340
|
121
|
2.6
|
A
tough call for all the right reasons, with three players almost neck and neck I
choose Murphy because of his stronger overall stats compared to Utley. If Utley were to make the team I don’t
see any real problems with that.
Alternate: Chase Utley
SS: Troy Tulowitzki
|
AVG
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
OPS
|
BABIP
|
ISO
|
HR
|
BB%
|
K%
|
wOBA
|
wRC+
|
WAR
|
|
.350
|
.441
|
.608
|
1.049
|
.365
|
.258
|
18
|
13.6%
|
14.2%
|
.449
|
178
|
4.8
|
Do
I need to go into how amazing Tulowitzki has been?
Alternate: Hanley Ramirez
3B: Todd Fraizer
|
AVG
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
OPS
|
BABIP
|
ISO
|
HR
|
BB%
|
K%
|
wOBA
|
wRC+
|
WAR
|
|
.289
|
.356
|
.503
|
.859
|
.326
|
.214
|
17
|
8.5%
|
20.6%
|
.375
|
140
|
3.5
|
Fraizer
is having a fantastic season and is on pace to have a 20/20 year. Really 3B in the NL have been very
disappointing so far but Fraizer has been that one bright spot. Not only is he hitting well he’s
playing solid defense and that’s going to help in the game.
Alternate: Anthony Rendon
OF: Gaincarlo Stanton
|
AVG
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
OPS
|
BABIP
|
ISO
|
HR
|
BB%
|
K%
|
wOBA
|
wRC+
|
WAR
|
|
.313
|
.410
|
.581
|
.991
|
.382
|
.269
|
21
|
13.4%
|
24.7%
|
.420
|
171
|
4.2
|
Andrew McCutchen
|
AVG
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
OPS
|
BABIP
|
ISO
|
HR
|
BB%
|
K%
|
wOBA
|
wRC+
|
WAR
|
|
.315
|
.420
|
.519
|
.939
|
.369
|
.204
|
12
|
15.0%
|
18.2%
|
.408
|
166
|
3.4
|
Carlos Gomez
|
AVG
|
OBP
|
SLG
|
OPS
|
BABIP
|
ISO
|
HR
|
BB%
|
K%
|
wOBA
|
wRC+
|
WAR
|
|
.306
|
.372
|
.516
|
.888
|
.374
|
.210
|
13
|
7.2%
|
22.9%
|
.389
|
149
|
3.6
|
Not
much to say about these guys they’re the best of the best. The only thing ill knock on this OF is
the fact its not the most defensively sound OF out there. It doesn’t hold a candle to the defense
of the AL but it can hit much harder than the AL’s OF.
Alternates: Yasiel Puig, Billy
Hamilton, Jason Heyward
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