2011 MLB All-Star Game: Predicting the Starting Lineup for the AL

The 2011 MLB All-Star Game is upon us, and whether or not you like it, it remains important. Because of its importance on the World Series, picking the starting lineup is a key task for manager Ron Washington.

He's got a slew of power hitters to work with, and there are probably six guys that could easily hit cleanup.

Jose Bautista, the league leader in home runs, could do it.

Adrian Gonzalez, one of the most feared hitters in the league, could do it.

Alex Rodriguez and his 600 career home runs could do it.

Josh Hamilton, with his 500-foot home run ability, could do it.

David Oritz is, well, David Ortiz. He could do it.

Even Robinson Cano, who has electric talent, could do it.

It's a good problem to have.

The first, second, eighth and ninth spots are a little easier to predict, but let's take a look at how the AL lineup might shake out.  

1. Curtis Granderson, CF

Like Jeter in the leadoff spot, Curtis Granderson is pretty much the only AL starter that has hit in the No. 2 hole this season.

Granderson has been amazingly effective out of the No. 2 spot, hitting 25 home runs and 62 RBI. With Yankees players taking up half of the AL lineup, there's no point for them to not keep hitting in their natural positions. 

Therefore, Granderson stays in the No. 2 spot.

EDIT:

 Derek Jeter's departure leaves Curtis Granderson, who led off during his days with Detroit, as the only player with real leadoff experience.

Jeter's replacement, Asdrubal Cabrera, is an option here, but Granderson has a better on base percentage, and having his type of pop at the beginning of a lineup is always fun for an all-star game.  

2. Asdrubal Cabrera, SS (Replaces Derek Jeter)

It will be weird not seeing Ichiro, who has led off for the AL the past 10 years, in this spot, but there really isn't any other viable option than Derek Jeter.

No one else slated to start for the American League has hit leadoff more than Jeter. The shortstop, who hits leadoff for the Yanks and is closing in on 3,000 hits, is almost certain to be slotted in at the No. 1 spot.

EDIT:

Asdrubal Cabrera takes over for Derek Jeter, and because Granderson takes over the leadoff spot, the No. 2 spot becomes open.

The candidates here are most likely Cabrera, Cano and maybe Adrian Beltre.

With a .348 OBP, Cabrera gets on base at the best clip out of the three, however, and you want people on base for the slew of big hitters coming up. 

3. Jose Bautista, RF

I considered both Jose Bautista and Red Sox first baseman Adrian Gonzalez for the No. 3 spot, and while Bautista is intriguing at cleanup, he gets on base at a better clip than Gonzo. 

Bautista walks at a better clip than probably anyone in the league, and yet he still leads the majors in homers. By putting a feared hitter like Gonzalez behind him, Bautista will get all the pitches he can handle, and should thrive.

Bautista has put up MVP-like numbers with Adam Lind protecting him. Lind has been good, but he's no Adrian Gonzalez. It's scary to think what Bautista will do come Tuesday night.  

4. Adrian Gonzalez, 1B

Adrian Gonzalez has hit in the No. 3 spot for most of the year with the Boston Red Sox, but we just slotted Jose Bautista in that spot.

The cleanup spot, therefore, comes down to Gonzalez and Alex Rodriguez, who has hit cleanup for most of the year.

Gonzo's hitting .351 with 16 home runs and 71 RBI, while A-Rod is hitting .295 with 13 homers and 52 RBI.

Gonzalez has been much more consistent this year, and I would feel much more comfortable with him as my cleanup hitter, rather than with Rodriguez. 

5. Josh Hamilton, LF

Josh Hamilton falls to the sixth spot by process of elimination, really. 

Bautista, Gonzalez, Rodriguez and Hamilton could fit in the three-to-six spots in any order, and with Hamilton being an everyday player for Ron Washington, he could climb the order, but this is how I see it playing out.

Josh Hamilton as a No. 6 hitter, though? Talk about a dangerous lineup.  

6. Adrian Beltre, 3B (Replaces Alex Rodriguez)

That leaves Alex Rodriguez and Josh Hamilton to vie for the No. 5 spot in the lineup. They've both been good, but I see manager Ron Washington putting A-Rod at No. 5 instead of his own player.

Rodriguez has hit cleanup for most of the season, while Hamilton has hit third, so there's no real science to it.

However, with Bautista—a right-hander—hitting third, and Gonzalez—a lefty—hitting fourth, it would make sense to keep the pattern going.

Again, no science to it, but Alex is a righty and Hamilton is lefty, and that would mean the first six hitters alternate hands, which is always a nice thing to have.

EDIT: 

 Adrian Beltre replaces Alex Rodriguez, and his likely spot in the order will be fifth or sixth, with teammate Josh Hamilton taking the other spot.

Manager Ron Washington will certainly know how to use these two guys, and for the majority of the season he has hit Hamilton third and Beltre fourth or fifth.

My guess is that he stays with that pattern, and puts Hamilton ahead of Beltre.  

7. David Ortiz, DH

Putting David Ortiz at No. 7 seems a little crazy, but why not put some raw power near the end of the lineup?

Ortiz is hitting .300 with 18 homers this seasons. He puts together a blend of patience and power that I would like near the end of the lineup.

Big Papi has 40 walks and just 39 strikeouts on the season.

Also, add in the fact that Ortiz is, well, not very fast. It's probably best to not have him on base for major run producers, Hamilton and Beltre. 

It's better to have him at the plate with more people on base, and just let him swing for the fences with Cano and Avila behind him. 

Pitchers will think they've gotten through the meat of the lineup, and this 6'4", 230 pound monster will walk up in the seven spot. 

8. Robinson Cano, 2B

Speaking of dangerous lineups, Robinson Cano at the No. 7 spot is a little ridiculous.

Cano has insane talent, and could easily hit fourth in this lineup. He's hit fifth for the Yankees this season, and has produced at a .297, 15-homer, 56-RBI clip. 

Throw in terrific speed on the basepaths, and yeah, I think Ron Washington will take that as his eighth hitter. 

9. Alex Avila, C

No real question here. Alex Avila has hit seventh or eighth for the Detroit Tigers for the majority of the season.

With all of the stars around him now, I don't see any way to move up in the lineup. 

Avila has been terrific this season, hitting .287 with 10 homers and 46 RBI, but still, he doesn't fit anywhere else in the lineup.