Predicting the 2015 MLB All-Star Game All-Snub Team
For the likes of Alex Rodriguez and Carlos Martinez, the question is not whether they'll be starting in the 2015 MLB All-Star Game, but whether they'll even be taking part in the exhibition.
With the Midsummer Classic rapidly approaching, A-Rod and Martinez are just two of a slew of first-half standouts who look like they'll be left on the outside looking in when the American League and National League rosters are announced.
The players who populate the All-Snub team fall into two general groups. The first are major leaguers who have been performing at a high level but have relatively low profiles around the game. The second group are players who have been on fire in the first half but play a position that just so happens to be loaded with All-Star candidates.
It's no consolation to the players who make this squad, but the All-Snub team looks like an All-Star club itself.
Catcher
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Potential Snubs: Brian McCann, New York Yankees; Russell Martin, Toronto Blue Jays; Stephen Vogt, Oakland Athletics
The All-Snub Team Catcher: Francisco Cervelli, Pittsburgh Pirates
Tasked with stepping in for Russell Martin at PNC Park, a lot has been asked of Francisco Cervelli in his first season with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
So far, the 29-year-old has definitely been getting the job done. Cervelli checks in with a .303 average and helped guide the Bucs rotation to the second-lowest ERA in the NL.
Unfortunately for Cervelli, his strong showing is no guarantee of a trip to Great American Ball Park. Buster Posey is the much-deserved leading vote-getter and Yasmani Grandal, Derek Norris, Nick Hundley and Yadier Molina will be jockeying for backup spots.
1st Base
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Potential Snubs: Albert Pujols, Los Angeles Angels; Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees
The All-Snub Team First Baseman: Joey Votto, Cincinnati Reds
Joey Votto is back to his vintage form, but he's no lock to be at his home park July 14.
For the Cincinnati Reds masher, the biggest obstacle to taking part in this summer's All-Star clash is the field he's up against. Paul Goldschmidt, the owner of an absurd 1.104 OPS, has been battering the NL and is on track to start the contest.
With the starting nod all but off the table, Votto will have to battle for a reserve role with Adrian Gonzalez and Anthony Rizzo, who both have a higher OPS and slugging percentage.
2nd Base
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Potential Snubs: Brian Dozier, Minnesota Twins; Joe Panik, San Francisco Giants; Jose Altuve, Houston Astros
The All-Snub Team Second Baseman: Logan Forsythe, Tampa Bay Rays
Logan Forsythe is a microcosm of the 2015 Tampa Bay Rays in that he's been really good even though nobody expected him to be.
The 28-year-old has racked up 15 doubles and already connected on a career-high eight home runs. Forsythe has posted an .824 OPS, which is well above his career mark of .684. Despite the fact that the Rays' standout is enjoying a banner year, a trip to Cincinnati looks unlikely.
Second base is flooded with All-Star contenders, as Jason Kipnis, Jose Altuve, Devon Travis and Brian Dozier are all in the mix. The situation is made even murkier as a result of Omar Infante leading the fan vote, while posting a .553 OPS.
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Shortstop
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Potential Snub: Andrelton Simmons, Atlanta Braves
The All-Snub Team Shortstop: Adeiny Hechavarria, Miami Marlins
Looking around the bigs, there's no question that shortstop is the weakest spot on the diamond. As a result, there aren't a lot of options when it comes to picking the All-Snub team shortstop.
With that qualification in mind, the most deserving player for this selection is Adeiny Hechavarria of the Miami Marlins. In what has been a mess of a season for the Fish, the Cuban has been a rare bright spot. The 26-year-old is swinging at a clip of .283 and has also excelled in the field. Per FanGraphs, Hechavarria has saved the Marlins seven runs on defense, which is tied for fourth-most among all shortstops.
Right now, it looks like Hechavarria will have to wait at least a year before earning his first All-Star trip. Jhonny Peralta leads the vote to start, and Brandon Crawford and Troy Tulowitzki have both enjoyed stronger seasons in terms of OPS and home run production.
3rd Base
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Potential Snub: Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs
The All-Snub Team Third Baseman: Matt Duffy, San Francisco Giants
The pool of NL third basemen vying for an All-Star spot is beyond absurd. Matt Carpenter leads the way in the fan vote, but Todd Frazier, Kris Bryant and Nolan Arenado are also in the hunt at the position.
Matt Duffy can't be left out of the conversation, either. The 24-year-old wasn't the San Francisco Giants' starting third baseman to begin the season, but he's been on a tear ever since usurping Casey McGehee at the hot corner. Duffy has taken over as the No. 3 hitter for the NL West squad thanks to his .304 average and his .840 OPS.
Duffy's big first half has even impressed his skipper, Bruce Bochy. As the manager explained to Andrew Baggarly of the Bay Area News Group, he knew that the power was there, but didn't expect to see Duffy demonstrate so much pop so soon.
“I did,” Bochy said when asked if he realized Duffy had such impressive power potential. “Not quite this early. I just said, 'This kid’s going to get stronger.' You watch his BP and he’s got a quick bat. He’s wiry strong, and when he gets a pitch in the zone, he can do some damage with it.”
Duffy has been doing plenty of damage at AT&T Park, but an All-Star selection still looks like a long shot thanks to all of the other talented third basemen he's battling with.
Left Field
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Potential Snubs: Starling Marte, Pittsburgh Pirates; Michael Brantley, Cleveland Indians; Hanley Ramirez, Boston Red Sox
The All-Snub Team Left Fielder: Brett Gardner, New York Yankees
Brett Gardner is nowhere to be found on the ballot for AL outfielders.The New York Yankees vet isn't even in the top 15 in the voting despite putting up 15 steals, nine home runs and an .878 OPS.
Even though his chances of playing in the Midsummer Classic are looking bleak, the left fielder has certainly been making a furious charge. Gardner was just named the AL Player of the Week after scoring nine runs and posting an .885 slugging percentage for the AL East squad.
Center Field
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Potential Snub: Mookie Betts, Boston Red Sox
The All-Snub Team Center Fielder: A.J. Pollock, Arizona Diamondbacks
A.J. Pollock sure cuts a low profile for such a dynamic player. Like Brett Gardner, the Arizona Diamondbacks center fielder can't even make the grade for the top 15 in his league's outfield voting.
With a .297 average, nine home runs and 16 steals, the table-setter has been doing it all for the D-backs. Per FanGraphs, the 27-year-old has produced a WAR of 3.0, which is the fourth-highest output among all center fielders in baseball. Shiny stat line or not, Pollock faces an uphill battle to land a seat on the bench at the All-Star Game.
Right Field
8 of 11
Potential Snub: George Springer, Houston Astros; Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays
The All-Snub Team Right Fielder: J.D. Martinez, Detroit Tigers
From Miguel Cabrera to Yoenis Cespedes to Jose Iglesias and David Price, the Detroit Tigers have all sorts of candidates for the AL All-Star roster.
One player who shouldn't be forgotten about in the discussion is right fielder J.D. Martinez. The 27-year-old leads the Tigers with 19 bombs, but he's facing a daunting task into trying to break into the outfield mix on the AL roster.
Mike Trout, Lorenzo Cain and Alex Gordon are slated to start, and an array of big-name players will be fighting for bench spots. Some of the most prominent options include Hanley Ramirez, Jose Bautista, Adam Jones and Michael Brantley. All of those big leaguers have been All-Stars in the past and have higher profiles around the league than Martinez.
Designated Hitter
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Potential Snub: N/A
The All-Snub Team Designated Hitter: Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
Based on the way baseballdom has received Alex Rodriguez since he returned from his PED ban, there will be no sympathy if the New York Yankees slugger misses out on the AL roster.
Still, if the idea is to build the best team in hopes of helping the league secure home-field advantage, then A-Rod needs to be there. The 39-year-old has connected on 15 jacks and is the owner of a .909 OPS. With Nelson Cruz on track to start as the league's designated hitter, Rodriguez will be pushed by Kendrys Morales and Edwin Encarnacion for a backup role.
Starting Pitcher
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Potential Snubs: Lance Lynn, St. Louis Cardinals; Johnny Cueto, Cincinnati Reds; Hector Santiago, Los Angeles Angels; Scott Kazmir, Oakland Athletics
The All-Snub Team Starting Pitcher: Carlos Martinez, St. Louis Cardinals
This is a difficult position to predict because there are so many deserving starters angling for a role in the All-Star Game.
Carlos Martinez has been nasty for the St. Louis Cardinals in the first half of the season, but there could be factors beyond the right-hander's control that keep him from Great American Ball Park.
The Cardinals also have Michael Wacha and Lance Lynn as pitchers who could make the All-Star staff. Plus, when NL skipper Bruce Bochy makes his final decisions, seniority could be one of the tiebreakers. Considering this is Martinez's first full season as a starter, the Dominican has very little of that.
Relief Pitcher
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Potential Snubs: Greg Holland, Kansas City Royals; Francisco Rodriguez, Milwaukee Brewers
The All-Snub Team Relief Pitcher: Jeurys Familia, New York Mets
Jeurys Familia is in a situation similar to Carlos Martinez's. The New York Mets closer has been electric in 2015, posting a 1.23 ERA, but he could be at a disadvantage due to his lack of a track record.
Since the winner of this exhibition earns home-field advantage in the Fall Classic, manager Bruce Bochy will want to be sure that he picks the relief pitchers who give him the best chance to grab a W. When it comes down to picking who will be the final closer on the roster, Bochy could opt for a proven veteran like Francisco Rodriguez rather than Familia, who is in his first season as ninth-inning stopper.
Note: All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and MLB.com unless otherwise noted. AL and NL All-Star ballot updates courtesy of the MLB communications Twitter account.
If you want to talk baseball, find me on Twitter @KarlBuscheck.
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