Kansas City Royals: Predicting the Royals' 2012 All-Star Selections

With the 2012 MLB All-Star Game less than one month away, it's time to start making predictions on who will be going for each team.

The Kansas City Royals have plenty of All-Star candidates this season but will likely send just one or two players to the Midsummer Classic.

Here are my predictions for who KC will have represent them at Kauffman Stadium next month.

DH Billy Butler

2012 Stats:

AVG: .301

2B: 12

HR: 11

RBI: 37

OBP: .364

Royals designated hitter Billy Butler is enjoying one of the best years of his young MLB career so far in 2012.

His power numbers have been way up this year, and he should be awarded with his first All-Star Game appearance next month.

Prediction: All-Star

SS Alcides Escobar

2012 Stats:

AVG: .292

2B: 14

HR: 1

RBI: 16

OBP: .330

SB: 10

Escobar has been solid at the plate and in the field so far in his second season with the Royals.

However, he doesn't quite have the power numbers to make the A.L. All-Star squad as a shortstop this year.

Prediction: Not an All-Star

3B Mike Moustakas

2012 Stats:

AVG: .270

2B: 15

HR: 9

RBI: 29

OBP: .338

Moustakas has turned things around some in his sophomore season with the Royals.

He has begun to hit for more power and is slowly showing why he was such a highly coveted prospect coming out of KC's minor league system.

That being said, he is a major long shot to be an All-Star this year, when you consider all the stiff competition that he faces at third base, including the likes of veteran Alex Rodriguez and Angels phenom Mark Trumbo.

Prediction: Not an All-Star

RP Tim Collins

2012 Stats:

IP: 30.0

W: 3

L: 0

ERA: 2.10

WHIP: 1.00

K: 44

BB: 10

HLD: 4

Twenty-two-year-old reliever Tim Collins has been dominant out of the Royals' pen through the first part of this season.

Like every other candidate on this team, he will face tough competition to make this squad as a reliever, but when it comes down to it, I believe that his ERA, WHIP and K/9 numbers are good enough to land him a spot in the A.L.'s pen.

Prediction: All-Star

RP Jonathan Broxton

2012 Stats:

IP: 23.2

W: 0

L: 1

SV: 15

SV OPP: 17

ERA: 1.52

WHIP: 1.27

K: 16

BB: 8

So far this season, Jonathan Broxton has been everything that the Royals could have asked for in a closer and more.

He's picked up saves in 15 out of his 17 save opportunities and has done that while posting an anemic ERA of 1.52 for the year.

If he had a few more saves, I would give him a much better shot at making this team, but he appears to be on the outside looking in right now.

Prediction: Not an All-Star