Pittsburgh Pirates Early All-Star Candidates Through April

The first month of baseball is nearing its end, and the Pittsburgh Pirates have managed to tread water and win 11 of their first 21 games.  

On Wednesday, Major League Baseball opened its ballots to fans across the world to vote for All-Stars for the first time this season.  

Although the Pirates enter their contest with the Chicago Cubs Wednesday evening just one game over .500, there are a number of players on their roster who deserve reasonable consideration and a number of votes to play in the Midsummer Classic at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati this July.  

Let's take a look at five players who could land a spot on the National League All-Star team based solely on their statistics through the first month of play. 

Gerrit Cole, SP

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

If it is even possible, Gerrit Cole has been better than advertised so far this season. That is pretty hard to do for a former No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 MLB draft.  

Cole had two solid seasons with the Pirates in 2013 and 2014, going 21-12 over that span with an ERA of 3.22 in 2013 and 3.65 in 2014, and many believed this would be Cole's breakout season.  

With a record of 3-0 and an ERA of 2.19, Cole has been nothing short of dominant in 2015. He has also struck out just over a batter an inning, with a strikeout-per-nine of 9.9.  

Cole will get the nod Wednesday evening and look to help his team salvage one game of the three-game series as he takes on Kyle Hendricks and the Cubs at Wrigley Field.  

At this point, Cole undoubtedly deserves a spot on the National League roster. If he continues to be this dominant, however, he may even be considered for the start in the All-Star Game.  

Francisco Liriano, SP

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

Francisco Liriano is another example of a starting pitcher who has dominated for the Pirates this season.

The Pirates gave him a new contract this past offseason, and Liriano's presence on the mound has paid dividends. The southpaw currently ranks seventh in the National League with 30 strikeouts in four starts.

In 24.1 innings pitched, Liriano has worked an impressive WHIP of just 0.945, which would be a career-best for him if he maintained that through the end of the season.

Liriano has won just one of his first four starts, but as always, one can never look solely at a record to judge a pitcher's success. His worst start came on April 21, when he gave up three earned runs in five innings against the Cubs.  

Aside from that one start, Liriano has thrown 19.1 innings and has given up just three earned runs over that stretch. 

Neil Walker, 2B

Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press

A perennial fan-favorite, Pittsburgh native Neil Walker has blossomed into one of the best middle infielders in the game today. 

Although he won his first Silver Slugger Award in 2014 for batting .271 with 23 home runs in 137 games, Walker has never been named to an All-Star team. 

That could change in 2015, as Walker is off to a great start, batting .286 with a home run and nine RBI. Of his 22 hits, nine of them have been for extra bases.  

Over his seven-year career, Walker is a .273 hitter and has a career on-base percentage of .339.

Gregory Polanco, RF

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

The major league debut of Pirates top prospect Gregory Polanco last season was one of the most highly anticipated events around Pittsburgh in years.  

Polanco made his debut last June and struggled at times at the plate, ultimately finishing the season with a .235 average in 89 games. 

In his sophomore season, it has been a completely different story for Polanco, who is batting .284 with a home run and seven RBI in 19 games.  

Polanco has also seemed much less hesitant to attempt to steal bases in 2015, as he is already a perfect 7-for-7 in stolen-base attempts. Last year, it took him 43 games to swipe seven bags, and he would finish with 14 that season.  

There is no question that Polanco is one of the young cornerstones of the Pirates organization. In 2015, he may get reach All-Star status.

Jared Hughes, RP

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

Righty reliever Jared Hughes had the season of a lifetime out of the bullpen for the Pirates in 2014, pitching to a nearly unhittable 1.96 ERA in 63 games.  

So far in 2015, Hughes is having the best season of any Pirates reliever, as he has allowed three earned runs in 11 innings pitched, good for an ERA of 2.45.  

In those 11 innings pitched, Hughes has struck out an impressive 12 batters, which equates to a strikeout-per-nine of 9.8.  

Expect Hughes' ERA to continue plummeting until it is somewhere around 2.00. That his ERA of 2.45 is considered a bit high for him is a testament to how dominant he can be, and how dominant he has shown he is on the mound.  

These five players total parts of 27 seasons of major league service. Only once has any of these players been named to an All-Star team: Francisco Liriano as a member of the Minnesota Twins in 2006. 

It is an exciting time in Pittsburgh, as the Pirates have one of the best young teams and arguably one of the brightest futures in baseball.  

What's even more exciting is seeing these players performing well enough to earn their first spots on an All-Star team.  

It is a long way until the middle of July, but through roughly one month of play, these five men are doing more than their share to help the Pirates win games.  

*Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com