Selecting the 2015 All-MLB Team Through the All-Star Break
While Bryce Harper was a stone-cold lock as the right fielder for the 2015 All-MLB team, there were plenty of positions where singling out just one star was a serious headache.
Since this team is highlighting the giants of the first half, 2015 production was the only factor in the selection process.
For position players, both defensive and offensive performance played into the equation. The candidates for the squad were judged on stats like batting average, slugging percentage, extra-base hits, home runs, OPS and defensive runs saved.
For pitchers, stats like ERA and strikeout rate were highly important, but so too was FIP. As FanGraphs puts it, FIP "estimates a pitcher's run prevention independent of the performance of their defense." Since run prevention is what pitching is all about, that stat weighed heavily into the selection process.
The 2015 All-MLB squad is littered with players who just took part in the All-Star Game, but there is also room in the lineup for a couple of first-half standouts who missed the cut for the Midsummer Classic.
Catcher
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The All-MLB Catcher: Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants
This decision came down to a couple of Bay Area backstops in Buster Posey and Stephen Vogt. While Vogt's breakout from platoon catcher to American League All-Star has been remarkable, there's just no way to ignore the numbers that Posey has been putting up.
The 28-year-old is dominating the offensive leaderboard for players at his spot, leading all catchers in average, OBP, OPS, RBI and hits, while sharing the lead in slugging percentage with Vogt.
In 2015, Posey has been the most dangerous when the San Francisco Giants need him most. With runners in scoring position and two outs, the right-handed hitter is swinging at a clip of .444 with a 1.262 OPS.
Honorable Mentions: Stephen Vogt, Oakland Athletics; Brian McCann, New York Yankees; Russell Martin, Toronto Blue Jays; Salvador Perez, Kansas City Royals
First Base
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The All-MLB First Baseman: Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks
With Miguel Cabrera sidelined by a strained calf, it was an easy call to tab Paul Goldschmidt as the first baseman for this squad.
For ESPN's Aaron Boone, there's no debate between Miggy and Goldschmidt.
"He's Miguel Cabrera right now at his best, only with the ability to steal bases, being a plus defender at first base," Boone told Doug Franz and Ron Wolfley on the Doug and Wolf Show on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. "He's a great, great player on a historically great run right now."
The National League All-Star has already racked up 16 stolen bases, but it's what he's been doing at the plate that's really impressive. The owner of a 1.064 OPS, Goldschmidt has a realistic shot at snagging the NL Triple Crown. As ESPN Stats & Info notes, the Arizona Diamondbacks masher is first in average, fifth in home runs and tied for the lead in RBI.
Honorable Mentions: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers (disabled list); Anthony Rizzo, Chicago Cubs; Prince Fielder, Texas Rangers; Albert Pujols, Los Angeles Angels; Mark Teixeira, New York Yankees; Adrian Gonzalez, Los Angeles Dodgers
Second Base
3 of 12The All-MLB Second Baseman: Brian Dozier, Minnesota Twins
This was such a competitive position that there should probably have been an honorable mentions section for the honorable mentions.
After combing through all the stats, Jason Kipnis and Brian Dozier stood out from the rest. Neither Kipnis nor Dozier has a big-time defensive reputation, but both second basemen have been flat-out crushing the ball in the first half.
In the end, it's Dozier's crazy power numbers that give him the edge over Kipnis. The Minnesota Twins All-Star is tied for third in baseball with 48 extra-base hits, including 19 bombs. Considering Dozier had to sneak into the All-Star Game as an injury replacement, he might be the most underrated position player in the AL.
Honorable Mentions: Jason Kipnis, Cleveland Indians; Dee Gordon, Miami Marlins (DL); Joe Panik, San Francisco Giants; Kolten Wong, St. Louis Cardinals; Dustin Pedroia, Boston Red Sox
Shortstop
4 of 12The All-MLB Shortstop: Brandon Crawford, San Francisco Giants
There's just no way anyone could have predicted this selection before the start of the season.
Crawford, who has always been known as a glove-first player, has certainly lived up to that reputation in the opening half of the campaign.
According to FanGraphs, the San Francisco Giants All-Star has saved 11 runs, which is third-best for shortstops behind defensive wizard Andrelton Simmons of the Atlanta Braves and the light-hitting Nick Ahmed of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
While his fielding has been characteristically impressive, it's the tremendous strides he's made at the plate that cement Crawford's position on the All-MLB team. The left-handed hitter has already connected on a career-high 12 home runs and is third among all shortstops with a .796 OPS.
Honorable Mentions: Jhonny Peralta, St. Louis Cardinals; Jose Iglesias, Detroit Tigers; Xander Bogaerts, Boston Red Sox; Andrelton Simmons, Atlanta Braves; Adeiny Hechavarria, Miami Marlins
Third Base
5 of 12The All-MLB Third Baseman: Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies
In what's been a banner year for the position, it's challenging to single out just one third baseman for the All-MLB team.
Home Run Derby champ Todd Frazier played out of his mind in the first half. Josh Donaldson has been the best trade pickup of the year. Then there's the healthy and resurgent Manny Machado, who has put his name right back in the conversation when it comes to the game's elite players at the hot corner.
With apologies to those three, this spot belongs to Nolan Arenado. The Colorado Rockies standout has taken off in 2015.
Arenado has 24 jacks and leads all third basemen in OPS (.922). The real kicker is his unmatched play in the field. According to the calculations of FanGraphs, the 24-year-old has saved 16 runs. The next closest player is Donaldson at 11.
Courtesy of the magic of MLB.com's Statcast, you can watch above as Arenado spins to snare a grounder and then uncorks an 83.5 mph heater to throw out the runner.
Honorable Mentions: Todd Frazier, Cincinnati Reds; Josh Donaldson, Toronto Blue Jays; Manny Machado, Baltimore Orioles
Left Field
6 of 12The All-MLB Left Fielder: Yoenis Cespedes, Detroit Tigers
Yoenis Cespedes can thank his glove, his arm and his bat for winning him this spot.
For the Cuban, his contract season has gone exactly to script. It's puzzling that Cespedes missed out on the Midsummer Classic after his monster first half. The 29-year-old was an extra-base hitting machine for the Detroit Tigers, collecting 27 doubles, two triples and 13 home runs.
Cespedes also made his mark in left. Per FanGraphs, the vet saved the Tigers eight runs in the field, which was the most for any player at his position. He also made great use of his ridiculously powerful arm, leading all left fielders with eight assists.
Honorable Mentions: Starling Marte, Pittsburgh Pirates; Brett Gardner, New York Yankees; Hanley Ramirez, Boston Red Sox; Alex Gordon, Kansas City Royals (DL)
Center Field
7 of 12The All-MLB Center Fielder: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels
From Andrew McCutchen to Adam Jones and rising star Joc Pederson, some of the most dynamic ballplayers reside in center field. Right at the top of that list is Mike Trout.
The Los Angeles Angels superstar has a fan in fellow phenom Bryce Harper. After Trout put his wheels on display in the All-Star Game, as you can see in the video above, Harper offered some praise: "Trout can run, bro," he said, via Lyle Spencer of MLB.com.
Trout can also hit—a lot.
This season, the 23-year-old tops all MLB center fielders in home runs, slugging percentage and OPS. One thing is for sure: This is not the last time Trout will be the center fielder on the All-MLB squad.
Honorable Mentions: Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates; Joc Pederson, Los Angeles Dodgers; Lorenzo Cain, Kansas City Royals; Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles; Mookie Betts, Boston Red Sox
Right Field
8 of 12The All-MLB Right Fielder: Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals
During his time in the bigs, Bryce Harper has always been known for his supreme self-confidence. Terry Collins, the skipper of the rival New York Mets, doesn't have the slightest problem with the way the 22-year-old carries himself.
"This game is about confidence," Collins said, via Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times. "These guys all have huge egos. Bryce does too. But I'll tell you one thing: he believes that he is a star, and he plays like he is a star."
In 2015, Harper hasn't just been a star—he's been the best all-around position player in the game. The Washington Nationals right fielder, who is the front-runner for the NL MVP Award, has been a game-changer with his bat, glove and arm.
Harper has already cracked 26 home runs, which is a career high and the second-best output in the majors. His 1.168 OPS is more than 100 points higher than any other big leaguer.
In the field, he's been covering all sorts of ground in right, as he's saved the Nats eight runs, per FanGraphs. Then there's his cannon of a right arm, which you can see in action in the video above.
Honorable Mentions: Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins (DL); J.D. Martinez, Detroit Tigers; Jose Bautista, Toronto Blue Jays; Nelson Cruz, Seattle Mariners; Jason Heyward, St. Louis Cardinals
Designated Hitter
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The All-MLB Designated Hitter: Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
In 2015, Alex Rodriguez has been an indispensable member of the first-place New York Yankees. That's a narrative that would have been nearly impossible to predict entering the season.
The 39-year-old was left out in the cold when it came to the All-Star Game, but A-Rod definitely has the numbers to land a role on this All-MLB team. Rodriguez has already thumped 18 home runs, and his .898 OPS is not only the best among all DHs, but it also ranks No. 12 among all major leaguers.
The way Rodriguez battered the AL in the first half, the MLB Comeback Player of the Year Award could be in his future.
Honorable Mentions: Jimmy Paredes, Baltimore Orioles; Kendrys Morales, Kansas City Royals
Starting Rotation
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The All-MLB No. 1 Starter: Chris Sale, Chicago White Sox
Don't ask Chris Sale about his stats.
"I'll check my numbers at the end of the year," Sale explained, via Matt Snyder of CBS Sports. "I started doing that in college because—I might think different than most—but if you look at your numbers and you don't like what you see, you're gonna press to try and get them where you want them to be."
Sale is definitely going to like what he sees at the end of the year. The Chicago White Sox ace has already ripped off 10 starts with at least 10 strikeouts. His K/9 ratio of 11.4 is not just top among starting pitchers in 2015 but one of the best figures in recent memory. Per ESPN Stats & Info, that's the third-highest rate in the first half in the past 10 seasons.
The advanced stats also like Sale a lot. According to FanGraphs, his FIP (2.21) is second only to that of Max Scherzer (2.20) among all starters.
The Rest of the Rotation
Honorable Mentions: Gerrit Cole, Pittsburgh Pirates; A.J. Burnett, Pirates; Dallas Keuchel, Houston Astros; Jacob deGrom, New York Mets; Corey Kluber, Cleveland Indians; Jake Arrieta, Chicago Cubs
Closer
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The All-MLB Closer: Aroldis Chapman, Cincinnati Reds
Aroldis Chapman doesn't have the most saves in 2015. That distinction belongs to Mark Melancon, the All-Star ninth-inning stopper of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
But neither Melancon nor any of the other closers considered for this gig can match the dominance that Chapman has demonstrated in the first half. Facing the Cuban is a hitter's worst nightmare. Per Brooks Baseball, Chapman's four-seam fastball has zipped in at an average speed of 100.7 mph.
That velocity has resulted in the lefty posting an unreal 15.7 K/9 ratio. Meanwhile, his FIP, which checks in at 1.71, is the lowest among all closers, per FanGraphs.
Honorable Mentions: Mark Melancon, Pittsburgh Pirates; Trevor Rosenthal, St. Louis Cardinals; Jeurys Familia, New York Mets; Glen Perkins, Minnesota Twins; Drew Storen, Washington Nationals; Zach Britton Baltimore Orioles; Francisco Rodriguez, Milwaukee Brewers
The Starting Lineup
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- Mike Trout, CF, Los Angeles Angels
- Brian Dozier, 2B, Minnesota Twins
- Bryce Harper, RF, Washington Nationals
- Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, Arizona Diamondbacks
- Buster Posey, C, San Francisco Giants
- Nolan Arenado, 3B, Colorado Rockies
- Yoenis Cespedes, LF, Detroit Tigers
- Alex Rodriguez, DH, New York Yankees
- Brandon Crawford, SS, San Francisco Giants
- Chris Sale, SP, Chicago White Sox
Note: All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com, MLB.com and FanGraphs. All videos courtesy of MLB.com.
If you want to talk baseball, find me on Twitter: @KarlBuscheck.
