My 2009 MLB All Star Game Starters

Every year, the MLB All Star Game features the leagues best players, as voted by the fans. Usually, the line up is comprised of the best players at each position in each league, but every so often deserving players do not receive the votes that would put them in their rightful place in the starting line-up and the vote goes to a player who should not be in the game (see Josh Hamilton). Now this all becomes obsolete when the deserving players left out of the starting line up are the selected by their leagues manager. But this is simply not enough for me, so I am here to do those players justice and present the starting line up that should take the field in tonight’s Mid Summer Classic.

My NL Starters – (*) denotes selected by voters

Catcher – Brian McCann ATL – The voters selected Yadier Molina of the host city St. Louis Cardinals and its not that Molina is having a bad season, its just that McCann is having a better one.
By the Numbers —
Brian McCann – .298 BA – 8 HR – 37 RBI – .862 OPS – .990 Fielding
Yadier Molina* – .280 BA – 5 HR – 30 RBI – .735 OPS – .996 Fielding

First Base – Albert Pujols* STL – His numbers speak for themselves. He leads the league in nearly every major offensive category.
By the Numbers —
Albert Pujols – .332 BA – 32 HR – 87 RBI – 1.179 OPS – 10 SB

Second Base – Chase Utley* PHI – Utley is offensively the best second baseman in the league and his defense is never to far behind.
By the Numbers —
Chase Utley – .313 BA – 20 HR – 61 RBI – 1.004 OPS – 9 SB

Third Base – Pablo Sandoval SF – Though David Wright is having a great year, you can’t ignore Sandoval’s production.
By the Numbers —
Pablo Sandoval – .333 BA – 15 HR – 55 RBI – .964 OPS – 4 SB
David Wright* – .324 BA – 5 HR – 44 RBI – .872 OPS

Shortstop – Hanley Ramirez* FLA – No other Shortstop is close to Ramirez’s numbers.
By the Numbers —
Hanley Ramirez – .349 BA – 14 HR – 61 RBI – .979 OPS – 13 SB

Left Field – Raul Ibanez* PHI – Ibanez got the vote and he deserves the vote.
By the Numbers —
Raul Ibanez – .309 BA – 22 HR – 60 RBI – 1.015 OPS – 4 SB

Center Field – Carlos Beltran* NYM – Beltran continues to put up All Star Numbers year in and year out.
By the Numbers —
Carlos Beltran – .336 BA – 8 HR – 40 RBI – .952 OPS – 11 SB

Right Field – Brad Hawpe COL – Hawpe edges out Braun for the third outfield spot. He has been a consistent producer this season and should continue producing the remainder of the season.
By the Numbers —
Brad Hawpe – .320 BA – 14 HR – 59 RBI – .973 OPS – 0 SB
Ryan Braun* – .310 BA – 16 HR – 58 RBI – .921 OPS – 7 SB

My AL Starters

Catcher – Joe Mauer* MIN – Mauer has had the best offensive season for an American Leaguer thus far and deserves every vote.
By the Numbers —
Joe Mauer – .373 BA – 15 HR – 49 RBI – 1.069 OPS – 1 SB

First Base – Justin Morneau MIN – Morneau is having a great offensive season, but lost out to Yankee Mark Texiera on the vote.
By the Numbers —
Justin Morneau – .311 BA – 21 HR – 70 RBI – .965 OPS – 0 SB
Mark Texiera* – .275 BA – 21 HR – 63 RBI – .913 OPS – 1 SB

Second Base – Ben Zobrist TAM – Zobrist has had an outstanding season this year, superior to that of Red Sox Dustin Pedroia, yet the voters game Pedroia the nod.
By the Numbers —
Ben Zobrist – .297 BA – 17 HR – 52 RBI – 1.012 OPS – 11 SB
Dustin Pedroia – .303 – 4 HR – 40 RBI – .807 OPS – 14 SB

Third Base – Chone Figgins LAA – This is not to take anything away from Evan Longoria, but Figgins’ season has been great. Figgins has 20 more runs than Longoria.
By the Numbers —
Chone Figgins – .310 BA – 1 HR – 28 RBI – .803 OPS – 27 SB
Evan Longoria* – .285 BA – 17 HR – 66 RBI – .898 OPS – 2 SB

Shortstop – Derek Jeter NYY – Jeter is clearly the best shortstop in the American League going into the break.
By the Numbers —
Derek Jeter* – .321 BA – 10 HR – 37 RBI – .857 OPS – 17 SB

Left Field – Jason Bay BOS – Bay’s average isn’t great, but his power numbers are terrific.
By the Numbers —
Jason Bay* – .260 BA – 20 HR – 72 RBI – .908 OPS – 10 SB

Center Field – Carl Crawford – Crawford has made a living this season on the base path, swiping bags and scoring runs.
Carl Crawford – .309 BA – 8 HR – 39 RBI – .806 OPS – 44 SB
Josh Hamilton* – .243 BA – 6 HR – 24 RBI – .725 OPS – 4 SB

Right Field – Ichiro* – I don’t think there is much disputing this pick. Ichiro continues to get hit after hit.
Ichiro – .362 BA – 6 HR – 24 RBI – .873 OPS – 19 SB

With fans voting and biases influencing the All Star Game there will always be a player here or there that gets left out of the game or an undeserving player may sneak onto the field. But the fun is in the festivities, so Merry All Star Break to all, and enjoy watching the best players in baseball… with a few exceptions.