Surprise Stars Who Deserve 2015 MLB All-Star Game Spots
The 2015 MLB All-Star Game is rapidly approaching, and a handful of surprising players are worthy of an All-Star nod.
Over the next few slides, we'll touch on some of the unsung heroes of the 2015 season. The following players deserve to be recognized at the Midsummer Classic, despite coming out of nowhere to earn such praise.
How about Brandon Crawford's emergence as one of the game's top all-around shortstops? Or the unlikely story of Stephen Vogt slugging his way to the top of numerous offensive categories? And where would the Texas Rangers be without Nick Martinez?
Those are just a few of the names we'll touch on over the next few slides. With a better grip of what they have to offer, maybe we can turn these deserving major leaguers into All-Stars.
Brandon Crawford
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Over the last few seasons, few shortstops have been as dependable as San Francisco's Brandon Crawford. With his slick glove work and timely postseason hits, he has endeared himself to the Giants faithful since taking over full-time in 2012.
But 2015 has been a completely different animal for the 28-year-old. Crawford is emerging as one of the game's best all-around shortstops and should be the starter for the National League at this summer's All-Star Game.
Crawford is hitting .292/.364/.494 with seven homers and 34 RBI on the season. He leads all major league shortstops in WAR, wRC+ and RBI while ranking second in on-base percentage, isolated power and slugging percentage.
He's done so by keeping the ball out of the air in the spacious AT&T Park, cutting his fly-ball rate by nearly 8 percent this season. Crawford is also hitting the ball hard 36 percent of the time, which is a significant improvement from his 27.1 percent career mark.
He has always been considered an elite defender, as he ranks fourth in defensive runs saved since 2012. In 2015, he trails only Atlanta's Andrelton Simmons in that category.
Crawford ranked fifth at the position in NL all-star votes as of May 27, which is a travesty considering he's been instrumental to San Francisco's turnaround after a rocky start.
"Speaking of snubbed Giants, Brandon Crawford bears mentioning here for his fast start with the stick (.299/379/.506)," said Bleacher Report's Jason Catania. "(Jhonny) Peralta is a fine pick, but going on 2015 alone to date, Crawford shouldn't be in fifth place compared to first for the St. Louis shortstop."
Truer words have never been spoken. There's not a more complete shortstop in baseball right now than Crawford, who deserves to be the starter for the NL this summer.
Nick Martinez
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The Texas Rangers have climbed back into the playoff picture after a scorching May. While the offense has heated up over the last month, Nick Martinez has been vital for the club every fifth day.
He is 4-1 with a 2.03 ERA in 62 innings. The right-hander ranks third in the American League in ERA. That's not bad for a former 18th-round pick.
The 24-year-old has completely flipped his ground-ball and fly-ball rates, which has been a key to his success pitching in the hitter-friendly Globe Life Park in Arlington:
- 2014: GB: 32.9 percent, FB: 47.3 percent
- 2015: GB: 43.8 percent, FB: 33.3 percent
The biggest change in his offerings has been with his slider. In 2014, opposing hitters hit .278 against Martinez's slider.
In 2015? Opponents have managed just a .163 average. Martinez has enjoyed success by decreasing his slider velocity by nearly 4 mph. That change has resulted in an increase in ground-ball rate as well.
Martinez is also still learning the nuances of pitching. Without dominating stuff, he's had to adjust his game plan throughout his career.
“We talk about how the hitters are reacting to my pitches and adjust our game plan accordingly,” Martinez told David Laurila of FanGraphs. “You don’t stay tight with your game plan as often as you might think. There are so many variables, and so many different things that can happen. Your best games are usually when Plan A is working, but how often do you have your best game, or even your best stuff? You have to learn to battle with what you have.”
After struggling in 2014, Martinez has proved he belongs in 2015. The Texas hurler should be rewarded for his good work with an All-Star Game nod.
Jose Iglesias
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Miguel Cabrera has been the focal point of the Detroit Tigers offense, but did anybody have Jose Iglesias as the second-most important Tiger at the beginning of the season?
That's exactly what's happened, as the shortstop is in the midst of a career year. Iglesias is slashing .338/.396/.426 with a 132 wRC+. If he qualified, he would rank sixth in average and on-base percentage among major league hitters.
Iglesias has vastly improved his plate discipline from last season. The 25-year-old sported a 0.25 walk-to-strikeout ratio in 2014. So far this year, he has improved that mark to 0.92. He's walking almost as much as he's whiffing, which has caused his on-base percentage to skyrocket.
His average on balls in play is abnormally high, but Iglesias hits the ball to all fields and keeps it out of the air. His BABIP will surely drop, but with improved contact, he should be able to maintain above-average production.
Iglesias is also a gifted defender, which Craig Edwards at FanGraphs believes will allow him to develop comfortably at the dish:
"Even if his BABIP falls below .300, Iglesias is likely to be a serviceable shortstop for years to come. This is not the first fast start with a high BABIP that Iglesias has had, and like the last one, his hitting line should come down in the months to come. He does not need a high BABIP to succeed, however, if he can maintain his elite contact skills. Even as a below-average batter, Iglesias is still a three-win player.
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His improvements in strikeout and walk percentages bode well for continued success. Iglesias is still becoming the player he will be, but he's been good enough to warrant an All-Star Game selection this season.
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Jeurys Familia
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Where would the New York Mets be without Jeurys Familia in the ninth inning?
After an injury to Bobby Parnell and the suspension of Jenrry Mejia, the Mets' closer situation looked bleak. Considering the immense talent of the starting rotation, New York couldn't afford to cough up games in the ninth.
Luckily for the Mets, Familia has performed like a seasoned veteran in 2015. The right-hander is 15-for-16 in save opportunities with a 1.44 ERA. He's tied for second in the NL in saves and ranks 10th in ERA.
Familia is your typical strikeout artist—he's fanned over 32 percent of the batters he's faced—but he's also exhibited elite command. He has walked just six of 93 hitters this season.
As you would expect when looking at those strikeout totals, the 25-year-old definitely has the stuff to be a big league closer.
Familia consistently touches the upper 90s with his sinker and fastball. The sinker is his deadliest weapon, averaging around 96 mph and generating ground-ball contact over 66 percent of the time. A wipeout slider resulting in a strikeout percentage over 50 percent gives him the two plus offerings necessary to succeed in late-inning situations.
The Mets figure to be in the thick of the playoff hunt as the season progresses and owe a lot of their early success to Familia. He's provided the club with stability at the end of ballgames, something that was in doubt at the start of the season.
He's deserving of a spot on the NL All-Star team for that reason alone.
Stephen Vogt
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Scanning the names of the AL leaders in run production will lead to some familiar faces. Nelson Cruz, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Trout, Josh Donaldson, Prince Fielder, Stephen Vogt—wait, who?
That's right: Oakland's Stephen Vogt is in the midst of a breakout season. The 30-year-old is slashing .322/.411/.611 with 11 homers and 38 RBI so far in 2015. In the AL, Vogt ranks seventh in average, fourth in OBP, second in slugging, second in wRC+, ninth in homers, second in RBI and fourth in WAR.
Phew.
So how is a 30-year-old, career minor leaguer putting together one of the best individual seasons of 2015? The biggest difference is an increase in walk percentage from 5.6 to 13.9 percent, which is far and away a career best.
Like many minor leaguers hoping to appear on a major league team's radar, Vogt's aggressive nature was a calculated decision.
“Back in 2011, I made the conscious decision to not walk as much,” Vogt told Eno Sarris of FanGraphs. “I knew that I was 26 years old and in Double-A, I needed to hit my way up. I wasn’t going to walk my way up.”
By crushing the baseball, Vogt's walk rate has risen substantially. Pitchers aren't as comfortable challenging him in the zone, as evidenced by a decrease in first-pitch strike percentage. Opponents have noticed what Vogt is doing in Oakland and are making sure to pitch to him carefully.
As far as the All-Star Game goes, there's no doubt Vogt should be participating. It's taken him quite some time, but he has finally flourished in the majors.
Michael Pineda
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After an impressive, albeit injury-filled 2014, Michael Pineda seemed poised to take the next step this season.
The right-hander has done just that, proving to be the ace of the New York Yankees at just 26 years old.
Pineda is 7-2 with a 3.33 ERA in 70.1 innings this season. He ranks second in the AL in pitching WAR, sixth in strikeouts per nine innings and second in walks per nine innings.
When looking at his peripherals, there's not much difference from 2014 to 2015. He's still primarily featuring a fastball, slider and cutter as he has for most of his career. The cutter leads to groundouts, while the slider remains his out pitch.
What separates him is that ridiculously low walk percentage. He's walked just seven of 289 hitters, after allowing just seven free passes to 290 hitters last season. With three pitches and an improving changeup, Pineda can confidently throw any of his offerings for a strike in any count.
The Yankees have a clear-cut ace, according to Jeff Sullivan at FanGraphs. News flash: It's not Masahiro Tanaka.
"But for Michael Pineda, everything’s pointing up. That much, we can be certain of. His numbers are getting stronger, he’s becoming increasingly dependable, and even his velocity is ticking north. At the beginning, it felt like the Yankees’ fate hinged on the health of Masahiro Tanaka. Now it’s not even clear whether he’s the No. 1.
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Pineda's FIP is significantly lower than his ERA. He's going to get even better as the season progresses, which is scary for hitters in the AL East.
Joc Pederson
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Joc Pederson was a highly touted prospect before the regular season, but the rookie has played his way onto the NL roster with a standout campaign in 2015.
He has exploded to hit .254/.380/.550 with 14 homers and 27 RBI this season. The outfielder ranks fifth in the NL in homers, 15th in OBP, eighth in slugging, 10th in wRC+ and ninth in WAR.
The 23-year-old has struck out over 29 percent of the time this season, which is understandable for a first-year player. However, Pederson's 16.0 percent walk rate is well above-average for a rookie. His ability to work the count has allowed him to stay productive during prolonged slumps.
When he does make contact, he doesn't get cheated. He currently ranks sixth in the majors in batted ball distance and 13th in hard contact percentage. Don't get fooled by the average—Pederson has been one of the top hitters in the NL.
The Dodgers have a budding superstar on their hands. L.A. allowed Pederson to develop slowly and is reaping the benefits of that decision in 2015.
Andrew Beaton of the Wall Street Journal believes that Pederson has what it takes to become one of the next faces of MLB.
"Like Trout, Pederson has the potential to excel in all facets of the game," Beaton wrote. "He is considered an above-average defender in center field and quick on the basepaths. Even though he has only two steals in six attempts this year, he stole at least 30 bases in his two previous seasons in the minor leagues."
While such lofty praise must still be met with production, Pederson is deserving of a NL roster spot at the All-Star Game.
Chris Archer
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Chris Archer is the best pitcher nobody ever talks about.
The right-hander is 5-4 with a 2.12 ERA in 68 innings in 2015. He is tied for fourth in the major leagues in pitching WAR, 11th in ERA, fifth in FIP and sixth in strikeouts per nine innings.
Archer has been consistently good since his promotion in 2013, but he's blossoming into one of the game's top hurlers in 2015. His strikeout rate is up above 30 percent, and over 22 percent of the contact he's allowed registers as soft.
He is doing so with an elite fastball and a wipeout slider. His heater sits in the mid-90s, while his slider is holding hitters to a .175 average. Archer mixes in a changeup and a two-seamer every now and again to keep hitters honest, but he's primarily dominating with two pitches.
But why fix something what's not broken? His fastball qualifies as one of the hardest in baseball, while FanGraphs ranks the slider as baseball's very best. It's simple—Archer throws two pitches as good as anybody in the game.
As Carson Cistulli of FanGraphs puts it, "To find him among the top candidates for the American League Cy Young award at the season end would be an exercise in not-surprise." It's hard to argue that point, as Archer continues to dominate opposing hitters."
If he pitched in a bigger market, Archer might be a shoo-in to start for the AL in the All-Star Game. Instead, he's often forgotten about when talking about baseball's top young arms.
But that ends today. Consider this the constitution for the Chris Archer fan club. Baseball fans: Join the bandwagon while you still can.
Advanced stats courtesy of FanGraphs and accurate as of June 1.
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