MLB All-Star Game: Who Gets in From the American League?

(Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

The American League is a powerhouse. 

To put their dominance in perspective, they have not been defeated in the Midsummer Classic since 1996.

Every year, the National League pre-game media talk swirls around "this being the year" that they break the American League's reign of terror. 

And every year, they have failed.  Just ask Cubs fans how the "this is the year" slogan has gone for them over the past century.

This year's AL squad will be just as good as previous versions of it. 

The fact that the game is being played in the National League (St. Louis) doesn't figure to handicap the AL; when you're good, you're good.

Let's look at each American League team and their All-Star candidates.

East

Boston Red Sox

Candidates: Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jason Bay, Mike Lowell, Kevin Youkilis, Jason Varitek, Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, Tim Wakefield, Jonathan Papelbon

Basically everyone is a candidate.  In terms of bats, the Red Sox will be well represented.  Bay is the leading vote-getter among outfielders, so he will surely be in.

Youkilis and Pedroia are neck and neck with Mark Teixeira of the Yankees and Ian Kinsler of the Rangers, respectively, but neither should get voted in. 

Pedroia has taken a step back from his MVP season a year ago, while Youk-dog was injured earlier in the year.

Ellsbury could steal (no pun intended) a reserve spot, but Lowell's right hip has just cost him 15 days on the disabled list, ending his already slim All-Star chances.

Varitek is not an All-Star, Boston fans.  Please stop making him second in the voting.

Pitching-wise, Papelbon and his sub-two ERA are an All-Star lock.  Lester is likely to miss out because of an ERA in the mid-fours.

Beckett (nine wins) and Wakefield (ten wins) look like All-Stars on paper, but only Beckett deserves to go out of the two.

IN:  Bay, Papelbon, Beckett, Ellsbury

OUT: Pedroia, Lowell, Youkilis, Varitek, Lester, Wakefield

New York Yankees

Candidates: Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, Johnny Damon, Jorge Posada, Alex Rodriguez, Nick Swisher, CC Sabathia, Mariano Rivera, A.J. Burnett, Andy Pettitte, Joba Chamberlain

And you thought the Red Sox had a lot of candidates?

This list of candidates is very generous, seeing as A-Rod and Posada are only included because they are both in the top-three in their position votes (apparently the use of steroids has not registered with Yankees fans yet).

Also, Burnett, Pettitte, and Chamberlain will all likely cancel each other out for a roster spot, not that it would have mattered.

Swisher is also out because of his .237 batting average.

We've trimmed our list and will go ahead and pencil in Jeter as a lock.  The leading AL vote-getter will start at shortstop.

Cano has a tough road to climb, though his numbers are there.  But in a league with Aaron Hill, Ian Kinsler, and Ben Zobrist, can there really be room for Cano?

Big Tex is in, and there should be room for Damon as a reserve outfielder (14 HR, 46 RBI, .288 BA).

That leaves Sabathia and Rivera; both will be close calls.

IN:

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