7 Reasons Yoenis Cespedes Will Be an All-Star for the Oakland Athletics

Can newly acquired Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes save the Oakland Athletics franchise?

It may be too early to declare Cespedes a savior, but it's a safe bet he'll be an immediate All-Star.

Scouts have deemed the 26-year-old a five-tool player who will be successful in Major League Baseball. The Athletics paid $36 million for four years of service to find out.

Signing an eight-figure contract without ever playing a game on this level will bring high expectations. The speculation and hype only make it more of a challenge.

Here are seven reasons Cespedes will meet those expectations, and represent Oakland at the Midsummer Classic on July 12, 2012:

He'll Hit for Power

In just 90 games in 2011, Yoenis Cespedes hit 33 home runs and added a whopping .667 slugging percentage. If he can equal the ratio of one home run every three games, he could hit 59 dingers in 2012.

Of course, no one expects him to put up that massive of a number. At least not in his first year in the league.

If Cespedes puts up 33 home runs again in 2012, it's still a respectable ratio of one to five.

In 2011, the Oakland Athletic with the most home runs was Josh Willingham with 29 bombs. Willingham signed with the Minnesota Twins in the offseason. The next closest was Kurt Suzuki at 14.

Yoenis Cespedes will easily be the team leader in home runs this year.

He'll Hit for Average

In 2011, the Oakland Athletics' team batting average was .244.

If Jemile Weeks hit .303 and the average was still just .244, how poorly must everyone else have hit?

The next best hitter, Ryan Sweeney hit .265. Oakland dealt him to the Boston Red Sox this past offseason.

If Yoenis Cespedes' 2012 is anything like 2011, in which he hit .333 with an OBP of .424, his numbers easily put him at the top of the clubhouse leaderboard.

At this point, if he hits .280 he's got a good chance of leading the A's.

His Speed Will Help His Cause

11 stolen bases isn't the overwhelming statistic that proves Yoenis Cespedes has fantastic speed. Though a reported 6.35 60-yard dash works.

After Coco Crisp (49), Jemile Weeks (22) and Cliff Pennington (14), no one else stole more than four bases. If Cespedes leads in home runs and batting average, being in the top three for stolen bases will further his All-Star candidacy.

In a move that speaks volumes about his speed and defense, the A's are considering moving Crisp to clear center field for Cespedes.

He'll Flash the Leather

In his 20-minute promotional videos, Yoenis Cespedes showcases glimpses of his fielding talents at various points.

Many describe Cespedes as a center fielder with a right fielder's arm strength. As stated in the previous slide, if he's talented enough to replace incumbent Coco Crisp, there must be something to the speculation.

All around the web fans are clamoring about his "swagger" and the videos do nothing to hide Cespedes' obvious high degree of confidence.

With speed and handy glove work, he should have no problems roaming center field. Throw in the swagger factor, and he may be the next Eric Byrnes or Nick Swisher in terms of effort and dazzle.

He's Still a Mystery in the U.S.

Sure there's tape and scouts.

But tape can only show you so much. Word and research can vary from scout to scout.

The fact is, until you're facing him live, you can't fully understand his tendencies and capabilities. So for now, he's got a surprise factor.

At 26, he's in his prime. He knows the game of baseball; he just needs to learn major league pitching. Likewise, major league pitchers need to learn him.

Fan Voting

As long as fans are allowed to vote, Yoenis Cespedes will be an All-Star this year.

No disrespect to fans, but the All-Star game of every sport is filled with fan-favorites, familiar faces, big names and guys with good background stories. There are cases each year where players with better statistics aren't invited in favor of more popular guys.

Obviously, in his first year he won't be a familiar face, but he's a huge name. He was also one of the biggest stories this offseason, especially in the fact that he spurned the front-running Miami Marlins for the unexpected Oakland Athletics.

If he produces, which I'm sure he will, he'll be a fan-favorite in Oakland. The continued media spotlight will keep the entire nation's eyes on him—helping his case even more.

A Lack of Better Options

Per Major League Baseball rules, each team must send at least one representative to the All-Star game.

Luckily for Cespedes, he plays for the Oakland Athletics on a roster mirroring the Triple-A affiliate Sacramento River Cats.

Rather than having a one in 25 chance to beat everyone else on the team, Cespedes has more of a one in three chance. All he has to do is shine more than Coco Crisp and Jemile Weeks, and he's in for sure.

The probability of representing the A's is pretty high.