Happy baseball friends and neighbors...
It's that time again, time to look back on the first half of the baseball season (which is in the home stretch as I type this) and look at who I feel from the NL side of the house is deserving of inclusion of the mid-summer classic being held at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.
The ground rules from MLB are observed, so 34 players on the roster,
each team must have at least one representative. I usually 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 although this year I didn't really see a utility guy deserving this go around. I saw a couple more middle relievers and setup guys that I felt deserving, so there's a couple more from that group in 2015. 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. 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). All stats are complete as of the games of 7/5/2015.
Starting Pitcher - Max Scherzer (Washington)
It came down to Scherzer and Zach Grienke as far as best pitching performance in the first half and Grienke's numbers in many respects are as strong as if not better (1.48 ERA for Grienke vs 1.82 for Scherzer, 5 less earned runs). Scherzer's hitless streak a few weeks back is what gives him the nod in my mind.
Rest of the NL Pitching Staff
Zach Grienke (Los Angeles)
Shelby Miller (Atlanta)
AJ Burnett (Pittsburgh)
Jacob deGrom (New York)
Gerrit Cole (Pittsburgh)
JP Howell (Los Angeles)
Will Smith (Milwaukee)
JJ Hoover (Cincinnati)
Ken Giles (Philadelphia)
Trevor Rosenthal (St Louis)
Mark Melancon (Pittsburgh)
I've got a roughly 50/50 split between starters and relievers this year. Top 5 in the league right now in ERA are all represented (that being in order Grienke (1.48), Scherzer (1.82), Burnett (2.05), Miller (2.07) and Cole (2.28)). deGrom has pitched well for the Metropolitans and Howell, Smith, Hoover and Giles have pitched very well out of their respective pens. Best closers so far in the first half would be Rosenthal and the NL leader in saves, Mark Melancon.
Catchers - Buster Posey (San Francisco - Starter), Derek Norris (San Diego - Reserve), Yadier Molina (St Louis - At Large)
I've got Posey, Norris and Molina this year behind the plate, however I also believe Yasmani Grandal of the Dodgers, Francisco Cervelli of the Pirates and Miguel Montero of the Cubs are all deserving. Posey is hitting .314 with 14 HRs and is the easy choice for starter in 2015.
First Base - Paul Goldschmidt (Arizona - Starter), Anthony Rizzo (Chicago - Reserve), Adrian Gonzalez (Los Angeles - At Large)
Goldschmidt is having a great year so far for Arizona and is hitting .348 with 20 HRs, 67 RBIs and a 1.087 OPS. First base is usually a crowded position for All-Star consideration on the NL side. I believe Freddie Freeman would also have been in for consideration before his trip to the DL for his wrist injury.
Second Base - Joe Panik (San Francisco - Starter), Kolten Wong (St Louis - Reserve), Dee Gordon (Los Angeles - At Large)
I've got Panik just barely over Wong and Gordon. Wong has the better power numbers, Gordon has the better average, but I like Panik here with a good average (.304), good power (6 HRs for a second baseman) and a whole lot less strikeouts (only 38 versus 50 for Wong and 55 for Gordon).
Shortstop - Troy Tulowitzki (Colorado - Starter), Jhonny Peralta (St Louis - Reserve), Brandon Crawford (San Francisco - At Large)
Last week Crawford would have started at short in my mind, but now it's a familiar face in the Rockies' Tulowitzki who is hitting .321 now in Denver.
Third Base - Todd Frazier (Cincinnati - Starter), Nolan Arenado (Colorado - Reserve), Kris Bryant (Chicago)
Todd Frazier is the home town choice at third sack and has had a great first half for what has been overall a disappointing year to date for the Reds. The Cubs rookie phenom Bryant has not disappointed so far on the north side and Colorado's Arenado has quietly put up great numbers in the first half.
Outfield - Bryce Harper (Washington - Starter), Giancarlo Stanton (Miami - Starter but on DL), Joc Pederson (Los Angeles - Starter), Andrew McCutchen - Pittsburgh, replacing Stanton), Justin Upton (San Diego - Reserve), Curtis Granderson (New York - Reserve), Chris Coughlan (Chicago - Reserve), Denard Span (Washington - At Large)
My outfield would be Harper, Stanton and Pederson, however with Stanton on the DL, Andrew McCutchen would ably step in without missing a beat. I have Upton, Granderson, Coughlan and Span as reserve/at large selections). Ryan Braun, AJ Pollock and Starling Marte should also be in the conversation for spots also based on their first half performances.
First five out were Joey Votto (Cincinnati), Freddie Freeman (Atlanta), Kenley Jansen (Los Angeles), Matt Carpenter (St Louis) and Michael Wacha (St Louis).
My first half Cy Young Award winner would be Scherzer, first half MVP would be Harper and first half Rookie of the Year would be Bryant.
