MLB All-Star Ballot 2.0

The second round of All-Star balloting updates has come out. The fans are starting to choose the right candidates, but there are still some major flaws. Here's what the ballot should look like (32 players per team, at least one player from each team).

American League

First Base

Justin Morneau (Minnesota Twins) leads American League first basemen in hits (69) and RBI (47). He's also second in OPS (1.066), third in batting average (.345), and third in home runs (14).

Reserves: Miguel Cabrera (Det), Kevin Youkilis (Bos), Mark Teixeira (Nyy)

Snubs: Russell Branyan (Sea), Carlos Pena (Tam)

Who Will Start: Mark Teixeira is my prediction. He's been hot recently and has leapfrogged Cabrera for second place.

Second Base

Aaron Hill (Toronto Blue Jays) leads American League second basemen in hits (77) and batting average (.328). He's also second in home runs (12), RBI (37), and OPS (.837).

Reserves: Ian Kinsler (Tex), Robinson Cano (Nyy), Dustin Pedroia (Bos)

Snubs: Asdrubal Cabrera (Cle), Brian Roberts (Bal)

Who Will Start: Ian Kinsler is winning by 147,000 votes. Unless Pedroia does something spectacular, he's going to run away with this.

Shortstop

Jason Bartlett (TB) leads American League shortstops in batting average (.373), OPS (1.014), RBI (30), home runs (7), and is still third in hits (60), despite injury.

Reserves: Derek Jeter (Nyy)

Snubs: Marco Scutaro (Tor)

Who Will Start: Derek Jeter is leading by 580,000 votes, which is more votes than Ichiro has in total.

Third Base

Evan Longoria (Tampa Bay Rays) leads American League third basemen in OPS (1.005), home runs (13), and RBI (55). He's also second in batting average (.322) and hits (65).

Reserves: Michael Young (Tex), Mike Lowell (Bos)

Snubs: Brandon Inge (Det), Chone Figgins (Laa)

Who Will Start: Evan Longoria is leading all AL vote getters and has more than 600,000 votes over Michael Young.

Catcher

Joe Mauer (Minnesota Twins) leads American League catchers in OPS (1.388), home runs (12), and batting average (.431). He's also second in RBI (35) in half the at-bats of Victor Martinez.

Reserves: Victor Martinez (Cle)

Snubs: None

Who Will Start: Joe Mauer has phenomenal numbers in half the at-bats of Victor Martinez and his 363,000 vote lead is insurmountable.

Outfield

Jason Bay (Boston Red Sox) is batting .286 with 16 homers, 51 RBI, and 1.042 OPS.
Adam Jones (Baltimore Orioles) is batting .347 with 11 homers, 36 RBI, and 1.012 OPS.
Torii Hunter (Los Angeles Angels) is batting .308 with 12 homers, 42 RBI, and .976 OPS.

Reserves: Nelson Cruz (Tex), Ichiro Suzuki (Sea), Nick Markakis (Bal), Carl Crawford (TB)

Snubs: Johnny Damon (Nyy), Jermaine Dye (Cws), Shin-soo Choo (Cle), Bobby Abreu (Laa)

Who Will Start: Jason Bay, Ichiro Suzuki, and Josh Hamilton will start. They're all leading the voting pretty considerably, although Hunter and Crawford could make some late noise.

Starting Pitchers

Zack Greinke (Kansas City Royals) is 8-1 with a 1.10 ERA and 88 Ks in 82.0 IP.

Roy Halladay (Toronto Blue Jays) is 9-2 with a 2.77 ERA and 82 Ks in 91.0 IP.

Edwin Jackson (Detroit Tigers) is 5-3 with a 2.30 ERA and 57 Ks in 74.1 IP.

Jered Weaver (Los Angeles Angels) is 4-2 with a 2.36 ERA and 53 Ks in 68.2 IP.

Erik Bedard (Seattle Mariners) is 4-2 with a 2.37 ERA and 61 Ks in 60.2 IP.

Mark Buehrle (Chicago White Sox) is 6-1 with a 2.71 ERA and 42 Ks in 66.1 IP.

Cliff Lee (Cleveland Indians) is 2-6 with a 3.16 ERA and 54 Ks in 64.1 IP.

Dallas Braden (Oakland Athletics) is 4-5 with 3.63 ERA and 43 Ks in 67.0 IP.

Snubs: Jarrod Washburn (Sea), Kevin Milwood (Tex), Felix Hernandez (Sea), CC Sabathia (Nyy), Nick Blackburn (Min), Scott Richmond (Tor), Justin Verlander (Det), Nick Porcello (Det)

Who Will Start: Zack Greinke. No explanation is really needed.

Closers

Frank Francisco (Texas Rangers) has 11 saves with a 0.48 ERA and 19 Ks in 18.2 IP.

Jonathan Papelbon (Boston Red Sox) has 13 saves with a 2.35 ERA 28 Ks in 23.0 IP.

Snubs: David Aardsma (Sea), Joe Nathan (Min), Mariano Rivera (Nyy)
Who Will Close: Papelbon will. He's an AL East player with an AL East manager.

Team	All-Stars	Snubs	Total
Bal	(2) Markakis, Jones	(1) Roberts	3
Bos	(5) Youkilis, Pedroia, Lowell, Bay, Papelbon		5
Cws	(1) Buehrle	(1) Dye	2
Cle	(2) Martinez, Lee	(2) Choo, Cabrera	4
Det	(2) Cabrera, Jackson	(3) Inge, Verlander, Porcello	5
Kan	(1) Greinke		1
Laa	(2) Hunter, Weaver	(2) Figgins, Abreu	4
Min	(2) Morneau, Mauer	(2) Blackburn, Nathan	4
Nyy	(3) Teixeria, Cano, Jeter	(3) Damon, Sabathia, Rivera	6
Oak	(1) Braden		1
Sea	(2) Bedard, Suzki	(4) Washburn, Hernandez, Branyan, Aardsma	6
TB	(3) Longoria, Bartlett, Crawford	(1) Pena	4
Tex	(4) Kinsler, Young, Cruz, Francisco	(1) Milwood	5
Tor	(2) Hill, Halladay	(2) Scutaro, Richmond	4

National League is on the next page...

National League

First Base

Albert Pujols (St. Louis Cardinals) leads National League first basemen in batting average (.339) and OPS (1.147). He's also second in homers (16) and RBI (43).

Reserves: Adrian Gonzalez (Sad), Prince Fielder (Mil), Todd Helton (Col)

Snubs: Joey Votto* (Cin), Ryan Howard (Phi), Nick Johnson (Was)

Who Will Start: Albert Pujols. St. Louis is the host and nobody has more votes than him.

Second Base

Chase Utley (Philadelphia Phillies) leads National League second basemen in OPS (1.001) by a wide margin. He's also first in homers (12) and third in RBI (35).

Reserves: Orlando Hudson (Lad), Brandon Phillips (Cin)

Snubs: Skip Schumaker (Stl), Freddy Sanchez (Pit)

Who Will Start: Chase Utley leads Orlando Hudson (under-the-radar) by 625,000 votes.

Shortstop

Miguel Tejada (Houston Astros) leads National League shortstops in RBI (29), hits (72), and batting average (.353). He's also second in OPS (.908).

Reserves: Hanley Ramirez (Fla), Ryan Theriot (Chc)
Snubs: Cristian Guzman (Was), Yunel Escobar (Atl)
Who Will Start: Hanley Ramirez will start. This is the closest race in the balloting, but Ramirez will come through.

Third Base

Ryan Zimmerman (Washington Nationals) leads National League third basemen in hits (68), RBI (37), batting average (.322), and OPS (.941). He's also second in home runs (11).

Reserves: David Wright (Nym), Casey Blake (Lad)

Snubs: Chipper Jones (Atl)

Who Will Start: David Wright leads Zimmerman by 200,000 votes. Zimmerman is catching up, but won't catch him.

Catcher

Brian McCann (Atlanta Braves) is the only catcher in the National League batting over .285 (.306) and has an OPS over .800 (.909).

Reserves: Ramon Hernandez (Cin)

Snubs: None

Who Will Start: Yadier Molina leads Jason Kendall by 159,000 votes, and Kendall will definitely not start.

Outfield

Raul Ibanez (Philadelphia Phillies) is batting .340 with 19 homers, 51 RBI, and 1.115 OPS.
Brad Hawpe (Colorado Rockies) is batting .345 with 7 homers, 40 RBI, and 1.033 OPS.
Justin Upton (Arizona Diamondbacks) is batting .322 with 10 homers, 33 RBI, and 1.003 OPS.

Reserves: Carlos Beltran (Nym), Ryan Braun (Mil), Adam Dunn (Was), Carlos Lee (Hou)

Snubs: Hunter Pence (Hou), Mike Cameron (Mil), Kosuke Fukudome (Chc), Matt Kemp (Lad), Shane Victorino (Phi), Juan Pierre (Lad)

Who Will Start: Ryan Braun and Raul Ibanez have built up leads. I think that Carlos Beltran will jump Alfonso Soriano in the voting.

Starting Pitchers:
Johan Santana (New York Mets) is 7-3 with a 2.00 ERA and 89 Ks in 72.0 IP.

Matt Cain (San Francisco Giants) is 6-1 with a 2.31 ERA and 46 Ks in 66.1 IP.

Dan Haren (Arizona Diamondbacks) is 4-4 with a 2.45 ERA and 76 Ks in 77.0 IP.

Jair Jurrjens (Atlanta Braves) is 5-2 with a 2.59 ERA and 40 Ks in 66.0 IP.

Wandy Rodriguez (Houston Astros) is 5-4 with a 2.26 ERA and 62 Ks in 67.2 IP.

Johnny Cueto (Cincinnati Reds) is 4-3 with a 2.53 ERA and 50 Ks in 67.2 IP.

Zack Duke (Pittsburgh Pirates) is 6-4 with a 2.62 ERA and 42 Ks in 79.0 IP.

Josh Johnson (Florida Marlins) is 4-1 with a 2.66 ERA and 64 Ks in 74.1 IP.

Snubs: Chad Billingsley (Lad), Tim Lincecum (Saf), Yovani Gallardo (Mil), Randy Wolf (Lad), Adam Wainwright (Stl), Derek Lowe (Atl), Ted Lilly (Chc), Jason Marquis (Col)

Who Will Start: Johan Santana has been dominant and consistent all year. Also, it's an NL East manager.

Closers

Francisco Cordero (Cin) has 14 saves with a 1.64 ERA and 22 Ks in 22.0 IP.

Trevor Hoffman (Mil) has 13 saves with a 0.00 ERA and 14 Ks in 15.0 IP.

Snubs: Heath Bell (Sad), Francisco Rodriguez (Nym), Jonathan Broxton (Lad)
Who Will Close: Francisco Rodriguez is an NL East player with an NL East manager.

Team	All-Stars	Snubs	Total
Ari	(2) Upton, Haren		2
Atl	(2) Jurrjens, McCann	(3) Escobar, Jones, Lowe	5
Chc	(1) Theriot	(2) Fukudome, Lilly	3
Cin	(4) Phillips, Hernandez, Cueto, Cordero	(1) Votto	5
Col	(2) Hawpe, Helton	(1) Marquis	3
Fla	(2) Johnson, Ramirez		2
Hou	(3) Tejada, Lee, Rodriguez	(1) Pence	4
Lad	(2) Hudson, Blake	(4) Billingsley, Broxton, Kemp, Pierre	6
Mil	(3) Braun, Hoffman, Fielder	(2) Cameron, Gallardo	5
Nym	(3) Wright, Beltran, Santana	(1) Rodriguez	4
Phi	(2) Utley, Ibanez	(2) Howard, Victorino	4
Pit	(1) Duke	(1) Sanchez	2
SD	(1) Gonzalez	(1) Bell	2
SF	(1) Cain	(1) Lincecum	2
Stl	(1) Pujols	(2) Schumaker, Wainwright	5
Was	(2) Zimmerman, Dunn	(2) Johnson, Guzman	4