Wshelton's MLB All-Star Picks
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by user Wshelton
AMERICAN LEAGUE
First Base - Paul Konerko, White Sox While Giambi and Big Papi have the star power and the home runs, and other guys like Chris Shelton and Travis Hafner have had good years, Konerko has knocked in 60 with 19 homers, while hitting .315, almost fifty points higher than Giambi and Ortiz.
Second Base - Robinson Cano, Yankees Jose Lopez in Seattle is the only real alternative here, but Cano has come along quickly in New York to make a name for himself. He went on the DL this week, but is still the best choice here.
Shortstop - Derek Jeter, Yankees If you want to go with Miguel Tejada here, I won't argue. But Jeter is like Jay Barker - he's the guy that plays for a team that I strongly dislike, but he simply gets it done every single time. The New Yorkers love him in a way that Alex Rodriguez can never attain.
Third Base - Joe Crede, White Sox All the things I like about Jeter are all the things I don't like about A-Rod...which is unfair, but even so, he's not the best AL third baseman right now. Crede is another reason why the White Sox really are the best team in baseball for the second year in a row. Honorable mention to Mike Lowell and Hank Blalock.
Catcher - Joe Mauer, Twins There are guys like Posada and I-Rod who have more power and better name recognition - until this year, you say Joe Mauer, I say football? But Mauer is hitting a sick .389 as of this posting, and you can't deny that.
Outfield - Jermaine Dye, White Sox; Manny Ramirez, Red Sox; Vernon Wells, Blue Jays Reed Johnson and Ichiro probably deserve a spot for hitting so well, but these three are great players on great teams (and Wells is more valuable to the Blue Jays than Johnson). The fans may go for Johnny Damon or Vlad Guerrero, but I'll take these three any day.
Starting Pitchers (you can't vote for these guys, but while we're here...) Johan Santana, Twins; Roy Halladay, Blue Jays; Jose Contreras, White Sox; Mike Mussina, Yankees; Kenny Rogers, Tigers Santana might be the best pitcher walking the earth today with an ERA under 3; Halladay is the best pitcher in the crowded AL East, Contreras is undefeated, Mussina keeps getting things done, and Kenny Rogers is a feel good story with 10 wins.
Closer - B.J. Ryan, Blue Jays Yeah, he's not Mariano, but he's given up 17 hits in 38 innings, with 45 strikeouts and 21 saves. Better across the board.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
First Base - Albert Pujols, Cardinals The best player in baseball? What if he didn't get hurt? I'd love to write Todd Helton here, and Lance Berkman is having a great year...but Pujols is a beast.
Second Base - Dan Uggla, Marlins Great name to go with his stats, just behind Chase Utley in power and hitting much better. The big names that used to go here - Marcus Giles, Craig Biggio, etc. - have given way to a younger generation.
Shortstop - Jose Reyes, Mets Don't get me wrong, despite Atlanta's struggles, Edgar Renteria has been a solid accquisition and is playing just as well as Reyes...except on the basepaths, where Reyes owns the rest of the NL with 34 stolen bases. And the Mets are about two touchdowns up on the Braves in the standings. Which hurts.
Third Base - David Wright, Mets As I like to think of him, the Keith Hernandez of the new millenium. If he keeps this up, he'll get his own Seinfeld episode. Miguel Cabrera is having another good year, but Wright might be the best non-Pujols player in the NL.
Catcher - Brian McCann, Braves Brian McCann deserves this spot. He's hitting almost fifty points better than the next closest player...who happens to be Chicago's Michael Barrett, and the Cubs are actually worse than the Braves, which means that at least one thing is as it should be. Don't talk to me about Piazza. I'd give former Brave Johnny Estrada a second glance, but McCann is playing the best baseball at this position right now.
Outfield - Matt Holliday, Rockies; Carlos Beltran, Mets; Alfonso Soriano, Nationals Just missing the cut are Andruw Jones, Moises Alou, Carlos Lee and Jason Bay. Holliday is hitting .354, Beltran and Soriano are simply better players than everyone else on that list outside of Andruw's defensive prowess.
Starting Pitchers Tom Glavine, Mets; Bronson Arroyo, Reds; Carlos Zambrano, Cubs; Pedro Martinez, Mets; Brandon Webb, D-Backs The argument is more compelling here, and you could go with Jason Schmidt or Brad Penny and not lose much. Some of the best and most talented pitchers in this league - Clemens, Smoltz, D-Train - don't have the numbers for one reason or another this year. Glavine leads the majors with 11 wins, Zambrano and Pedro are fearsome, Arroyo quietly is at the top of the ERA leaderboard, and Brandon Webb is underrated out in Arizona.
Closer - Trevor Hoffman, Padres Still the best in the NL.
Date
Thu 06/29/06, 6:39 pm EST
