Hey folks...
We're in the home stretch for the first half of the baseball season, so submitted for your perusal is what would be my 2014 National League All-Star roster for the mid-summer classic at Target Field in Minneapolis.
The ground rules from MLB are observed, so 34 players on the roster, each team must have at least one representative. I like to have at least one utility player and a couple middle relievers (both are positions that tend to get overlooked most years) thrown in. I try and find the best per position, and while I'm always going to be a Braves fan, I won't be a homer about it come voting time (which ends in exactly 15 minutes as I type). I'll list a starter and reserve at each position, then fill-in with at large selections, pitching and a utility player to fill out the roster. And aside from catchers and any utility players, I usually stick to selecting players that have enough plate appearances in the first half to qualify for the batting title (3.1 PAs/game).
Anyway, without further ado, here we go...
Starting Pitcher - Adam Wainwright (St Louis)
This could have easily been Johnny Cueto and would have been had I stayed with stats through Monday, however Adam Wainwright edges Cueto out as my starter after posting an 11 win, 1.89 ERA first half (both league leading). Wainwright is also in the top ten in K's and WHIP in the league.
Rest of the Pitching Staff
Johnny Cueto (Cincinnati)
Clayton Kershaw (Los Angeles)
Henderson Alvarez (Miami)
Julio Teheran (Atlanta)
Andrew Cashner (San Diego)(on DL)
Josh Beckett (Los Angeles)(replacing Cashner)
Jonathan Broxton (Cincinnati)
Pat Neshek (St Louis)
Tony Watson (Pittsburgh)
Rafael Soriano (Washington)
Huston Street (San Diego)
I usually prefer to have players that have played most of not all of the first half, but have to make an exception for the way Clayton Kershaw is pitching right now after returning from his first career DL stint in time to pitch his no-hitter against Colorado in June. Soriano and Street have been lights out in their closing roles for the Nationals and Padres and have had easily better first halves than any of the other league closers. Both have ERAs at least a full point better than F Rod, Kimbrel, Jansen and Romo.
Catcher - Jonathan Lucroy (Milwaukee - Starter), Evan Gattis (Atlanta - Reserve (DL)), Buster Posey (San Francisco - At Large), Devin Mesoraco (Cincinnati - replacing Gattis)
The Brewers have the best record in the NL as I write this and one of the unsung heroes of the first half is Lucroy who is 2nd in the NL in hits with 101 and leads the leagues in runners caught stealing with 18. Up until his back injury this week which led to time on the Disabled List, Gattis was leading all NL catchers in homers and Posey has put up unsurprising strong numbers in the first half. The surprise for me here is Mesoraco who is hitting .314 with 15 HRs in only 49 games. Russell Martin could also make a case for inclusion this year.
First Base - Adam LaRoche (Washington - Starter), Paul Goldschmidt (Arizona - Reserve), Anthony Rizzo (Chicago - At Large)
I like Adam LaRoche here as starter just over Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt, who has come on strong in the last few days for a team which is also having their issues winning games in the desert. LaRoche has done a great job keeping his K rate down in the first half (52 versus 88 for Goldschmidt) and is a notoriously slow starter. Rizzo has had a great first half in what has been a below average batting lineup in Chicago (with the exception of Starlin Castro). Freddie Freeman is also having a great first half, but just misses the cut in a crowded field at first in 2014.
Second Base - Scooter Gennett (Milwaukee - Starter), Chase Utley (Philadelphia - Reserve), Daniel Murphy (New York - At Large)
This is where I pretty much go off script for my starter. Gennett has outhit perennial All-Star Chase Utley (whom I give the reserve spot), hitting .311 for the Brewers in the first half. Utley is hitting well, one of the few in the Phillies lineup day in and day out that is producing. Murphy leads the league in hits as of now with 104. Neil Walker just missed the cut here and has had a great first half in Pittsburgh.
Shortstop - Troy Tulowitzki (Colorado - Starter), Hanley Ramirez (Los Angeles - Reserve), Brandon Crawford (San Francisco - At Large)
This would be Tulowitzki's 4th All-Star selection and leads the league in batting average (.350). Ramirez and Crawford have both shown some power at the plate and Ramirez has 10 stolen bases in the first half. Starlin Castro could have also easily made it based on his numbers most other seasons.
Third Base - Todd Frazier (Cincinnati - Starter), Anthony Rendon (Washington - Reserve)
Frazier leads all 3Bs in HRs with 17 and has also swiped 13 bases for the Reds in the first half. Ryan Zimmerman's injury was an opportunity for Matt Williams to move Rendon over from second to third, and he put up great numbers in the first half and is deserving of an All-Star nod (12 HRs, 48 RBIs, .280 BA). I feel like Aramis Ramirez is also deserving but lost out to a couple Brewers that are having a little better season within their positions.
Outfield - Giancarlo Stanton (Miami), Andrew McCutchen (Pittsburgh), Yasiel Puig (Los Angeles)(Starters), Carlos Gomez (Milwaukee), Justin Upton (Atlanta), Mike Morse (San Francisco)(Reserves), Ryan Braun (Milwaukee), AJ Pollock (Arizona-DL), Marlon Byrd (Philadelphia - replacing Pollock)
Stanton, McCutchen and Puig are my starters, each batting over .300 and Stanton leading the senior circuit in homers with 21. Gomez, Justin Upton and Morse would be my next three primarily for their power numbers. Braun's numbers aren't what they were (obviously), however he is hitting .293 and Byrd has hit 16 homers. I like Seth Smith and Hunter Pence also, both have had strong seasons to date.
Utility - Josh Harrison (Pittsburgh)
Harrison has the knack for getting clutch hits for the Pirates and is hitting .299 with 5 HRs, 24 RBIs and 7 stolen bases off the bench.
Mesoraco, Byrd, Braun, Watson, Neshek and Cashner would be the last six on the roster.
First six out were Freeman (Atlanta), Ramirez (Chicago), Seth Smith (San Diego), Samardzija (Chicago), Jonathan Papelbon (Philadelphia) and Craig Kimbrel (Atlanta).
