MLB Predictions 2012: 8 Players Who Will Earn First All-Star Selection

It’s still the first week of the season and we’re already talking All-Star selections.  You’re probably thinking to yourself why that is. It’s really a testament to how well the young, core-players in 2012 played in spring training and so far to open the season.

This year’s midsummer classic is going to be entertaining and fun to watch as it’ll include many new faces and names that you’ve probably never heard of entering this season. That’s the nature of baseball: every-changing, and that’s what makes this game so great to be a part of. 

Yes, of course there are more than eight players who will be first-time All-Star selections this season in MLB, but here are a couple of names I feel will break out this year and show the baseball world what they can do on the field.    

Check out my list of possible All-Star selections and let me know what you think.

1. Eric Hosmer, Kansas City Royals 1B

This 22-year-old stud out of South Miami, Florida was the third overall pick in the 2008 First-Year Player Draft by the Royals.  They knew they had something special when they signed him at the age of 19, and he finished last season third in the Rookie of the Year balloting. 

Last season, Hosmer appeared in 128 games at the major league level for Kansas City.  Not only did he adjust to the majors, he was very consistent throughout the year.  He finished batting at a .293 clip with 19 home runs and 78 RBI. 

If he can bat around .300 as a rookie, just imagine what he can do when he has more experienced under his belt. In the future, he’ll definitely be a 25-30 home run guy each season as he possess incredible power to both fields and a great batting eye. 

This spring, Hosmer smashed two home runs, drove in 13 RBI and went 13 for 36 (.361) for the Royals.  This is his second season, first full, in the major leagues.  So, he might struggle out of the gate, but I’m sure he’ll be an All-Star by July.

2. Brett Lawrie, Toronto Blue Jays 3B

There’s no doubt in anyone’s mind who saw him play at the end of last year that would doubt his ability to perform at the major league level.  In just 23 at-bats this spring, he collected 14 base hits, including six doubles and five stolen bases. 

In his first season at the major league level last year, he appeared in 43 games, racked up 44 base hits, including nine home runs, 25 RBI and a .293 batting average.  He posted very strong and respectable numbers for a 22-year-old. 

Now just like Hosmer, he still has everything to learn about the game of baseball at a professional level, but he’s showed he can do it up to this point. 

I’ve read reports that mention he’s one who is susceptible to injury, like a Josh Hamilton. So, that would be the only negative against Lawrie.

3. Jemile Weeks, Oakland Athletics 2B

Let’s face it.  The Oakland Athletics are not the team they were in the early and mid-2000s in the hey days of the "Big Three" pitching staff.

As of late however, they’ve been struggling in all facets of the game.  Well, last season, Jemile Weeks, little brother of All-Star Rickie Weeks, joined the club and has been a pleasant face ever since.

He finished his first season with the A’s batting at a very respectable .303 clip, especially for a rookie.  Although he hit only two home runs and drove in 36 RBI on the year, if spring is any indication, he’s going to put up some power numbers this summer.

During spring training, Weeks jolted three home runs, more than he had over his 97 games last year, and drove in nine while batting at a .389 clip.  Not only is he able to hit for average and some power, his defense and speed are both above average. 

Although he still has a good deal to learn at the major league level, Weeks will definitely be a candidate for his first All-Star selection, especially since the talent in Oakland isn’t as prolific as in New York.

4. Mike Minor, Atlanta Braves LHP

With his impressive pitching performance over spring training and his strong finish to last season, Minor earned the fifth spot in the Braves starting five.  This spring, he tossed 14 scoreless innings in a row and managed to strike out ten opponents.

Let’s see if he can carry over his success from the spring into the regular season.  Last year he posted a 5-3 record with a 4.14 ERA over his 15 starts.  The Braves pitching staff always seems to be strong and cohesive, and that’s just what Minor needs to learn and grow.

I think that Minor will definitely break out this season, and surprise many people mainly because they’ve never hear of the name before.  

5. Ivan Nova, New York Yankees RHP

The 24-year-old Dominican-born right-handed pitcher Nova impressed the Yankees front office last season, and apparently the baseball world as well.  He finished fourth, one behind Hosmer, in the Rookie of the Year Award.

Nova won 16 games on the year, and if that’s not astounding enough, he only dropped four games.  Not only was he able to win games for the Bombers, he pitched well.  He finished with a strong 3.70 ERA and he only allowed 163 hits in 165.1 innings pitched. Overall in his career, he sports an 18-6 record with a 3.82 ERA.

Obviously, Nova put together a strong season last year, but there’s only room for him to continue to improve.  I think he’ll have another impressive year and definitely earn his spot as a 2012 All-Star.

6. Delmon Young, Detroit Tigers of

Young is no stranger to the game.  He’s the younger brother of former MLB Tiger Dmitri Young, and he’s been around the league since 2006 when he made his debut with the Tampa Bay Rays.

In 2007, Young broke out and proved to everyone why he deserves to be at the major league level.  He smashed 13 home runs, drove in a whopping 93 RBI (the home run to RBI ratio is high on the RBI side which means he drove in more runners with hits besides home runs) and hit at a .288 clip.  He finished second behind Boston’s Dustin Pedroia in the Rookie of the Year Award for 2007.

Overall in his career, he’s a .288 hitter with 71 home runs and 409 RBI. 

Obviously, he’s never been selected for an All-Star game, but he put together an impressive spring as he hit at a .422 average through 17 games, and he crushed five home runs and drove in 19 RBI.

I think this might be Young’s reawakening season. Watch him closely especially since he’s behind sluggers Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder.  He’s going to get a lot of good pitches to hit being after those two in the order.

7. Wade LeBlanc, Miami Marlins RHP

LeBlanc, who is a former San Diego Padre, turned some heads this spring as he posted astounding numbers.  He allowed just one earned run over his 14.2 innings of work. 

Not only were his numbers impressive and really jumped out on the page, his velocity has increased since leaving San Diego.  Also, he’s worked on his off-speed, and since his fastball is better, it makes his off-speed look that much slower, which really helps induce swings and misses.

In his career, he sports a sub .500 record at 17-22 with a fairly high 4.54 ERA.  So, he’s never really had an impressive season, but he’s changed venues to South Florida with a new team.  With everything he’s accomplished in spring training, I think he’ll definitely have a productive summer and possibly make the All-Star team.

8. Vance Worley, Philadelphia Phillies RHP

Last season, Worley burst onto the scene and as I remember, he was supposed to be one of the pitchers carrying the Phillies into the playoffs until their run came to a screeching halt.  This year might play out different for Worley and the Phils if he has a break-out season, a year in the making.

Last season, he finished with an 11-3 record with a 3.01 ERA over his 21 starts, and he ended the year third in Rookie of the Year voting.  Worley sure made an impact on an already monster team. 

This year, he’ll be with the team the entire year.  Let’s see what he can do.

Over his career, he’s 12-4 with a 2.81 ERA in just 24 major league starts.  He seems to have a promising future, and like many of the before-mentioned break-out players, there’s skills he has to work on at the major league level to improve.