Post by Philadelphia Phillies on Jul 11, 2017 16:35:19 GMT -5
The Marlins beat me to it, but I was already well into writing this so I’m posting it anyway. I picked the teams trying to mimic the structure of the real life all-star game, so 32-man rosters and every team must have at least one player on the team. Admittedly, however, I chose less RPs because they are not nearly as valuable in Moneyball. I did not pick just based on overall points, as I tried to pick the players that provided the most value. If the player has eligibility at a position in Moneyball, they have that availability for the Moneyball All-Star team. I added a few injury replacements (and did not count injured players towards the required one per team), but did not replace the SPs that pitched on Sunday. Hopefully my reasoning expresses why I chose who I chose well.
AL Starting Lineup
1. 2B- Jose Altuve, HOU – Altuve has earned his status as a top 5 pick in the draft, playing 86 games and averaging over 4 ppg. He was an easy decision to start at 2B for the AL squad.
2. 1B- Joey Votto, CLE – Votto has provided his owners with 50 more points than any other 1B and is averaging more than a half-point more than any other 1B per game (other than 43-game Freeman). He is leading all offensive players in points, by a wide margin, and needs to start.
3. RF- Aaron Judge, NYY – Harper and Judge have put up nearly identical points so far this season, although Harper has played three less games. Still, I hate watching Harper play in the OF, so he gets the DH spot to start. Judge has been amazing for the Yankees and is the main reason they are in a playoff spot with 38 games to play.
4. DH- Bryce Harper, OAK- Oakland needs a player in the all-star game, but Harper obviously deserves the nod regardless of need. Although he has spent a lot of time on the bench, he is averaging almost 4 points per game, which is damn near impossible to do for an OF in this league. Oakland clearly has a cornerstone to build around after worries of regression after a down 2016.
5. LF- Jose Ramirez, TBR – Ramirez has the ability to play three different positions, so I would rather have that flexibility off the bench, but he has been too much better than the other LFs that he has to start in left. He has outscored the second-highest scoring LF by well over 60 points and is scoring more than a half-point per game more as well. At only 24, Tampa has got to love what they are getting out of Ramirez.
6. CF- Charlie Blackmon, KCR* (replacing Mike Trout, DET)- Trout is the best player in baseball and needs to be on the all-star team. He was averaging almost a point per game more than the next-best CF before going down with an injury. Blackmon has used the thin air at Kauffman stadium to be an effective replacement for fantasy value, leading Moneyball in CF points through the first half.
7. 3B- Travis Shaw, BOS- Shaw plays with fellow All-Star Jose Abreu in Boston and adds dual eligibility with 1B. The dual eligibility helps a lot and the added value snuck him into the starting spot over Jake Lamb. Even without the dual eligibility, Shaw has played great and is ranked 2nd (behind only Jose Ramirez) for 3B in the AL.
8. SS- Carlos Correa, TOR- Sometimes you have to force players from rebuilding teams onto an all-star roster, but that is not the case with Correa. He has outscored the field by 40 points and is outscoring all healthy SS by more than half a point per game. He has been a stub and has to start.
9. C- Salvador Perez, HOU – Perez plays a ton, which is a huge asset in a league like this. His league leading 18 home runs and 50 point lead on the second highest scoring Catcher in the AL made this an easy pick.
SP- Max Scherzer, TBR – Kershaw recently took the MVP spot for Moneyball from Scherzer with a dominating start on Sunday. Scherzer, however, has been slightly better on the season but has started one less game. The Rays are in a playoff spot largely due to Scherzer’s dominance. With only average run offensive production the Rays are 21-5 in days that Scherzer starts. Without him, I don’t know if the Rays make the playoffs. With him, they are a world series favorite.
AL Reserves
C- Yadier Molina, BOS – Yadier has stayed healthy, which has been enough to earn an All Star berth in an injury riddled AL. He has produced consistently throughout the year and has the second most overall points and points per game in the AL through the first half.
1B- Jose Abreu, BOS – Despite having on the second most amount of points for a 1B on his own team, Jose Abreu earns a deserved all-star nod for a solid and healthy first half. He’s having his best season since his rookie year and has gotten better every month, helping carry Boston to a playoff spot.
1B- Justin Smoak, NYY – One of the biggest surprises of the season, and probably one of the biggest beneficiaries of the new far flying baseballs, Smoak is a big reason why the Yankees are in a playoff spot at the break. He is only the 8th (4th in the AL) ranked 1B overall, but he is averaging over 3 ppg and 1B have more value in the UT spot with their big bats, so I want him on the team.
2B- Robinson Cano, TEX- Cano has earned his hefty contract so far this year, averaging 3.74 ppg and driving in 60 runs for the Rangers. He is a big reason why the Rangers find themselves with a 5 game cushion in the West.
2B- Jonathan Schoop, KCR - The AL has had 5 of the top 6 2B in the first half. Schoop squeezed into the final spot on the roster due mainly to his power (41 extra base hits). The Royals probably won’t make the playoffs, but their second baseman is not the problem.
3B- Jake Lamb, MIN- Less than 1 point behind Shaw, Lamb has been a stud for the Twins and has a lot to do with the Twins hanging around in the playoff hunt. He leads all NL 3B with 67 RBIs and is second with 20 homeruns. The AL will love to have that pop coming off the bench.
SS- Didi Gregorius, MIN – The SS position in the AL has been very weak so far. Outside of Correa, the AL does not have any of the top 8 at the position. Jordy mercer has the 9th most points, but I decided to go with Gregorius as he has scored almost .5 more per game than Mercer. Neither deserve to be all stars, but there are some things you cannot control.
LF/3B- Kris Bryant, SEA – Bryant has not played his best season to date, but he has still managed to put together the second best first half for a LF in the league. The added value from 3B eligibility is dampered by a stacked AL 3B contingent, but it still doesn’t hurt. I also recognize, unlike the MLB, that young starts like Bryant need to be in the game for ratings if nothing else.
CF/RF Andrew McCutchen, HOU – McCutchen was batting .200 in late May, but has completely turned his season around with a torrid June and July, forcing himself onto the playoff roster. He is the third highest scoring CF in the league at the break and has done his best to keep the Astros in the playoff hunt. McCutchen is proving that he isn’t done yet.
RF- Giancarlo Stanton, CLE – Stanton has been a consistent power source for the Indians throughout the season and a very hot start to July has earned him an all-star nod. With Judge, Harper and Stanton options to man RF, the AL is absolutely stacked with power.
LF/CF- Marcell Ozuna, BOS – With the final offensive spot, I select Marcell Ozuna of the Red Sox. It is hard to leave the league leader in RBIs home. Dual positional eligibility and the fact that he ranks in the top 4 for both CF and LF makes this an easy pick. He may be the last choice, but he has definitely earned a spot.
SP- Clayton Kershaw, TEX – Kershaw leads the league in points and finds himself coming off of the bench. He has one more start than Scherzer and Sale, and is averaging slightly less per game, so I think it is warranted. However, the Rangers have won 23 straight games in which Kershaw has pitched (24-2 overall), so maybe he should be starting…
SP- Corey Kluber, MIN- Despite missing several starts, Kluber has been a top 10 starter for the Twin and trails only the the big 3 in pps. The Twins have needed his stellar starting to hang in the wild card race and his 123 Ks in 93.1 innings have shown that Kluber can keep it up. He will need to for the Twins to make a run at a playoff spot.
SP- Chris Archer, BOS – Boston has the best record in the league and Archer has a lot to do with it. He is the 5th highest scoring starter in the league and is striking out well more than a batter per inning. He has done this despite having an ERA barely under 3.95 and a 7-5 real-life record. If luck starts going Archer’s way down the stretch, Boston could extend their lead on the rest of the league.
SP- Michael Fulmer, DET- With Trout being injured, the Tigers needed a representative, but Fulmer would be on the team regardless. He does not have the strikeout numbers of the other aces, but that has not stopped him from averaging almost 17 pps. He has done it on the strength of 15 quality starts in 17 appearances, the best ratio in the bigs.
SP- Gio Gonzalez, NYY- Gio’s resurgence has added stability to a Yankees rotation that has been rotating all year and hurt by a down year by Jon Lester. He has pitched like an ace with an ERA under 3 and is putting up his best numbers in years. It’s nice surprises like him that have the Yankees on the precipice of a playoff berth.
SP- Ivan Nova, BAL- Baltimore is the only team in the league without a real-life all-star, and that would likely be the case here if it weren’t for rules. Nova, however, has played like a borderline all-star, so it is not a big deal. He has averaged over 15 pps and thrown a shutout and two complete games. He has been the 8th best pitcher in the league so far and given the fact that the rest of the Orioles staff has been terrible, he might be the most important.
SP- Lance McCullers, Jr., CHW- The White Sox needed an all-star and their second best player is a platoon outfield, so this was a very easy and necessary choice, although Yu Darvish probably does not want to hear that. Still, McCullers has been good pitching like a top 25 SP even missing a couple starts.
RP- Kenley Jansen, BOS- I personally don’t think more than 1 or 2 relief pitchers should ever make an all-star team given that almost all relief pitchers are failed starters. However, relief pitchers have very good experience pitching in 1 inning increments, which is what happens at an all-star game, so I will have some of course. Jansen has been about as good as you can be and leads all AL relievers in points and is averaging almost 4 points per appearance. Those extra points have assuredly won Boston a game or two so far this year.
RP- Corey Knebel, CLE- Knebel has spent time closing and setting up for Cleveland this year. Like Boston, the Indians find themselves atop their division and I am sure Knebel’s breakout season and amazing 75 strikeouts (most for a reliever) have something to do with it.
RP- Andrew Miller, NYY- The Yankees have surprised me a lot this year, but Miller is the one major piece that has not surprised. His ability to go multiple innings and make batters whiff have provided the Yankees with some close wins that otherwise probably would have been losses. Knowledge that he will not pitch after his long outings also allows the Yankees to gain some extra points, so relievers like Miller have extra advantages.
RP- Brad Hand, LAA* (Replacing Dallas Keuchel, CLE)- There is a large gap between Miller and Hand, but Hand is actually the 4th best reliever so far for the AL. He doesn’t deserve to be an all-star per se, but the Angels, riddled with injuries and disappointments need a player in the game. You could make arguments for a few players, but Hand is the closest to deserving the spot based on performance. Price would be my pick for obvious reasons if I was building a roster myself. He replaces Keuchel, who despite only starting 11 games, has been a top 30 pitcher and gone 9-0.
NL Starting Lineup
1. RF- Mookie Betts, PHI- As the #1 overall pick, Betts has some large shoes to fill, and he has done a solid job doing so in the first half. He has scored the most points out of RF in the league, narrowly edging out Judge and Harper. He has been a consistent presence and producer for the best offense in Moneyball through the first half of the season.
2. 2B- Daniel Murphy, ARZ – Perhaps the easiest decision on the board as Daniel Murphy has been an absolute beast for the tanking DBacks. He leads all 2B in points (over 100 points more than the second best NL second baseman) and ppg.
3. 3B- Nolan Arenado, ATL- Arenado was an easy pick for starting 3B. He leads the entire league in points and has a near 50-point lead on the next best NL 3B. The Braves made a good pick at #2 overall.
4. 1B- Paul Goldschmidt, COL- Goldy made the starting decision easy in the NL. Outside of Votto, no 1B has provided as many total points or ppg (sans Freeman). And he did it with very little protection in the lineup! (I know that’s irrelevant).
5. DH- Anthony Rizzo, CHC – Rizzo has raked as the cornerstone of the Cubs potent offense. He has not produced quite as much as Goldschmidt, but is only 20 points behind as the clear number 3 1B to this point in the season. There is a steep dropoff after Rizzo and is nice to be able to get him into the starting lineup.
6. CF- George Springer, MIA- Springer is the obvious selection in CF for the NL with 30 points more than the closest competitor. Miami’s playoff hopes may be dwindling, but they have to love the future with Springer in the middle of their lineup.
7. C- Buster Posey, SFG- Despite being out with an injury for a little while, Posey still has the most points in the league as a Catcher. The Dual eligibility at 1B just adds to the obvious pick to start for the NL.
8. LF- Eric Thames, SFG – The NL is thin on star power in left field, so Thames will limp into the starting role. His monstrous April helped propel the Giants into the lead in their division. Since then, Thames has calmed down a lot, including an atrocious 34 point June and the Giants have fallen out of playoff contention. Still, in a year where left fielders have not been very good, Thames’ April was enough to earn him a spot.
9. SS- Elvis Andrus, SDP – With Trea Turner going down and Lindor sputtering recently, Andrus has become the obvious choice to start at SS for the NL. He has improved upon his career year last year and has suddenly made a once seemingly terrible contract look good. Steals like Andrus are why the Padres have pretty much locked up the West.
SP- Chris Sale, PIT – Kershaw, Scherzer, Sale, and then the rest. This trio has almost a 100 point lead on the rest of the SPs. Sale is in the middle, but has averaged the most ppg and has the most Ks, necessitating a start for the NL. The Pirates have apparently decided to be sellers despite being right in the thick of the wild-card race at the moment (only 1 game back). Sale helped put them there as the Pirates have gone 21-2 on days that Sale has started. Without him, the Pirates are a .500 team.
NL Reserves
C- J.T. Realmuto, STL – ABs are very important for Catchers in this league because far too few play nearly every day. Realmuto is third overall in the league in points and holds a 30 point lead over McCann, Gattis, and Gary Sanchez despite scoring less points per game. Quantity trumps quality in this league. If Sanchez was healthy to start the year, he would have this spot.
1B- Logan Morrison, SDP – LoMo may whine like a little bitch, but his surprising season has earned him a Moneyball all-star appearance. 24 home runs and well over 3 ppg have helped propel the Padres to huge NL West lead.
1B- Ryan Zimmerman, MIA – Perhaps unwisely, I went with LoMo and Zimmerman over Freddie Freeman. Freddie has been the best player in the league on a per game basis, but has only played 43 games. Zimmerman has played almost double the games and has managed to continue playing well after an otherworldly April.
2B- Jed Lowrie, STL (Replacing Trea Turner, MIL)- Despite missing about 20 games due to injury, Trea is still the second highest scoring second baseman in the NL. Turner has played very well, but that also shows that the AL has the top 2B. Lowrie is my choice as the backup 2B due to consistent solid play. Pedroia, Josh Harrison, or Starlin Castro all competed for the spot, but I took season points as the deciding factor.
3B- Anthony Rendon, CHC – Rendon was another easy pick as the backup 3B for the NL. He is 3rd in the league in points for a 3rd baseman and has 40 points more than the closest competitor in the NL. He and Rizzo have certainly given the Cubs a potent middle of the lineup in the first half. That 31.54 point performance on April 30 made a possible close call easy.
SS- Francisco Lindor, STL – Frankie has gotten progressively worse as the season has gone on, but he is still a stud and his absurdly good April cannot be ignored. He is the #2 SS in the NL in points on the season and is an anchor for the Central leading Cardinals.
SS- Andrelton Simmons, WAS – If I was taking the best player here, I would have Seager in this spot, but Simmons has been too key to the Nationals’ season to leave him off. Cozart also deserves a mention, but a recent injury clouds his per game prowess. The Nationals are hanging right around .500 in part due to Simmons who has played 90 games so far this year, the most in the league. He is also 4th in the MLB in points for a SS. For a guy that I thought would never hit, that is quite impressive.
LF/1B- Cody Bellinger, LAD- The Dodgers need a representative and only Bellinger and Benintendi have done anything to deserve one. Benintendi has been on the team the entire year and has played 12 more games than Bellinger, but has only produced 7 more points. I will go with quality over quantity in this case, especially since Bellinger has the second most ppg among all left fielders.
2B/SS/CF/RF- Chris Owings, MIA- Based on performance, Benintendi probably deserves the CF back-up spot, but I just can’t justify having 2 all-stars from the worst team in the league and Benintendi only would get the spot because CF is a very weak position this year. Owings is only 20 points behind him and has 4 positional eligibility, which is a huge asset for this league. It helps that he has helped Miami fight for a playoff spot all year.
RF- Nelson Cruz, NYM- Cruz is having a down year in the power department, but has continued to produce at a high level and is atop the leaderboard in RBIs. The Mets need a representative during a disappointing season, and Cruz has averaged almost 3 points per game, so he fits the need nicely.
1B/3B/LF – Marwin Gonzalez, MIL – The Brewers needed an all-star with Trea Turner going down and the options were limited. Marwin has missed some time, but has 3 position eligibility and has averaged over 3 ppg when he has played. Marwin should be a valuable utility player for the NL.
SP- Zack Greinke, ATL- Despite only throwing 10 quality starts in 18 outings, Greinke has pitched to the tune of the 4th best points in the first half. He has won 11 games, which certainly helps and struck out well more than a batter per inning, which helps more. He is a big reason why the Braves have the number 1 pitching staff in Moneyball.
SP- Robbie Ray, ATL- The 1-2 punch in Atlanta has been by far the best pitching duo so far. These two are the main reason behind the Braves’ huge lead in pitching points at the all-star break. Ray has actually pitched a bit better than Greinke with more Ks in less innings and very similar ERAs. No one will want to face the Braves in the playoffs with either of these guys going. The best part for Atlanta too is that they cannot overlap since both play for Arizona in real life.
SP- Stephen Strasburg, WAS- Strasburg has pitched like an ace and is a big reason why the Nats are flirting with .500. He is the 7th ranked starting pitcher in the bigs through his first 18 starts and is more than living up to the hype.
SP- Ervin Santana, PHI- Santana leads the leagues in Complete games with 4 (no one else has more than 2) and Shutouts with 3. If you had told me that before the season started, I would have called you crazy. But he is the 3rd ranked starter in the NL with 38 games left to be played and has boosted a rotation that needed it with many injuries and Teheran pitching like shit.
SP- Jason Vargas, CHC- Dafuq? The 34 year old is pitching like an ace all of a sudden and has more pps than Archer and Strasburg. I don’t expect that to continue, but he has pitched great and deserves a spot on the all-star team. The Cubs acquired him in a trade, which is rare for an all-star before the break. We will see if Vargas can replicate his success and propel the Cubs to a playoff berth.
SP- Jacob deGrom, STL – deGrom has been one of the lone bright spots for the real life Mets, but has been one of several bright spots for the Cardinals. He has pitched like a top 10 pitcher in pps with 16.87 and has been the ace of a rotation that includes Carlos Carrasco. The Cardinals are coming on strong and might just pull away in the NL Central if deGrom keeps pitching like this.
SP- Alex Wood, PHI- Wood might seem like an odd choice, but he has averaged 19.28 in 12 starts since joining the rotation for Philadelphia. Those numbers would make him the 4th highest scoring starter in the league if he had started the year in the rotation. Also, it is hard to leave someone off the roster that is 9-0 with a 1.67 ERA. Plus, he’s my player so I am going to pull a homer pick to put him on the team.
SP- Jimmy Nelson, CIN- The Reds have been very good this year so it is a bit surprising that they only get one player into my all-star team. This due to a lot of very solid players, but no huge stars (due to Freeman’s injuries). Nelson has been their best player thus far however, and has been the 15th best starter in the league so far. He is stealing a spot from Carlos Martinez who has been more deserving, but rules are rules.
RP- Craig Kimbrel, ARZ- Kimbrel has been the top RP in the league so far, narrowly edging Kenley Jansen largely due to higher strikeout totals. Arizona may have fallen out of contention, but Kimbrel certainly was not a part of the problem. Closers can only do so much.
RP- Felipe Rivero, WAS- Rivero has put up the second most amount of points surprisingly of all NL RPs with over 130 points at the break. He has done that with quantity and quality. He leads the league in appearances (44) and has put up an ERA under 1. Rivero has simply been a stud for Washington.
RP- Chris Devenski, PHI- Devenski has put up the 3rd most amount of points for a reliever thus far despite not having an elite ERA. He has done it with long outings, including a pair of 4 inning appearances to start his season. He has pitched the most innings of any reliever and has struck out the second most. It also helps a lot that he has known off-days due to long outings that maximize the relief pitcher value.
Recap
The Red Sox, with the best record in the league, unsurprisingly have the most all-stars with 6. Pittsburgh and Cincinnati find themselves with only 1 representative despite lofty records, but that can mostly be explained by a lot of solid players without studs. The Yankees with Smoak, Judge and Gio, probably have the most surprising group in the game if you look back to the start of the season. Every team with at least 3 all-stars has a winning record, so stars do matter to some extent. Below is the team rankings in terms of my Moneyball all-stars and the list of real-life all-stars, which is far less indicative of Moneyball success, follows.
Red Sox (6)- Yadier Molina, Marcell Ozuna, Kenley Jansen, Chris Archer, Travis Shaw, Jose Abreu
Cardinals (4)- Francisco Lindor, Jed Lowrie, Jacob deGrom, J.T. Realmuto
Phillies (4)- Mookie Betts, Ervin Santana, Chris Devenski, Alex Wood
Indians (4)- Joey Votto, Giancarlo Stanton, Corey Knebel, Dallas Keuchel*
Yankees (4)- Justin Smoak, Aaron Judge, Andrew Miller, Gio Gonzalez
Braves (3)– Nolan Arenado, Robbie Ray, Zack Greinke
Astros (3)- Salvador Perez, Jose Altuve, Andrew McCutchen
Twins (3)- Jake Lamb, Didi Gregorius, Corey Kluber
Cubs (3)- Jason Vargas, Anthony Rendon, Anthony Rizzo
Marlins (3)- Ryan Zimmerman, George Springer, Chris Owings
Diamondbacks (2)- Daniel Murphy, Craig Kimbrel
Nationals (2)- Stephen Strasburg, Felipe Rivero, Andrelton Simmons
Tigers (2)- Mike Trout*, Michael Fulmer
Royals (2)-Jonathan Schoop, Charlie Blackmon
Rays (2)- Jose Ramirez, Max Scherzer
Padres (2)- Elvis Andrus, Logan Morrison
Giants (2)- Buster Posey, Eric Thames
Rangers (2)- Clayton Kershaw, Robinson Cano
Brewers (2)- Trea Turner*, Marwin Gonzalez
White Sox (1)- Lance McCullers, Jr.
Reds (1)- Jimmy Nelson
Mets (1)- Nelson Cruz
Pirates (1)- Chris Sale
Angels (1)- Brad Hand
Dodgers (1)- Cody Bellinger
Rockies (1)- Paul Goldschmidt
Athletics (1)- Bryce Harper
Mariners (1)- Kris Bryant
Blue Jays (1)- Carlos Correa
Orioles (1)- Ivan Nova
Please comment with Snubs and who you think does not belong!
Real Life All-Stars Per Team
Phillies (9)- Michael Brantley, Ender Inciarte, Mookie Betts, Yonder Alonso, Greg Holland, Ervin Santana, Mike Moustakas, Chris Devenski, Alex Wood
Diamondbacks (5)- Daniel Murphy, Zack Cozart, Craig Kimbrel, Dellin Betances, Justin Upton
Braves (5)– Nolan Arenado, Starlin Castro, Robbie Ray, Zack Greinke, Roberto Osuna
Red Sox (5)- Yadier Molina, Marcell Ozuna, Kenley Jansen, Chris Archer, Brandon Kintzler
Indians (5)- Joey Votto, Giancarlo Stanton, Wade Davis, Corey Knebel, Dallas Keuchel
Twins (3)- Jake Lamb, Corey Dickerson, Corey Kluber
Yankees (3)- Justin Smoak, Aaron Judge, Andrew Miller
Rays (3)- Jose Ramirez, Yu Darvish, Max Scherzer
Cubs (2)- Jason Vargas, Luis Severino
White Sox (2)- Lance McCullers, Jr., Pat Neshek
Reds (2)- Avisail Garcia, Michael Conforto
Nationals (2)- Stephen Strasburg, Josh Harrison
Tigers (2)- Mike Trout, Michael Fulmer
Astros (2)- Salvador Perez, Jose Altuve
Royals (2)-Jonathan Schoop, Charlie Blackmon
Marlins (2)- Ryan Zimmerman, George Springer
Mets (2)- Miguel Sano, Nelson Cruz
Pirates (2)- Corey Seager, Chris Sale
Padres (2)- Gary Sanchez, Carlos Martinez
Giants (2)- Buster Posey, Justin Turner
Rangers (2)- Clayton Kershaw, Robinson Cano
Angels (1)- Brad Hand
Dodgers (1)- Cody Bellinger
Rockies (1)- Paul Goldschmidt
Athletics (1)- Bryce Harper
Mariners (1)- DJ LaMahieu
Cardinals (1)- Francisco Lindor
Blue Jays (1)- Carlos Correa
Orioles (0)
Brewers (0)
AL Starting Lineup
1. 2B- Jose Altuve, HOU – Altuve has earned his status as a top 5 pick in the draft, playing 86 games and averaging over 4 ppg. He was an easy decision to start at 2B for the AL squad.
2. 1B- Joey Votto, CLE – Votto has provided his owners with 50 more points than any other 1B and is averaging more than a half-point more than any other 1B per game (other than 43-game Freeman). He is leading all offensive players in points, by a wide margin, and needs to start.
3. RF- Aaron Judge, NYY – Harper and Judge have put up nearly identical points so far this season, although Harper has played three less games. Still, I hate watching Harper play in the OF, so he gets the DH spot to start. Judge has been amazing for the Yankees and is the main reason they are in a playoff spot with 38 games to play.
4. DH- Bryce Harper, OAK- Oakland needs a player in the all-star game, but Harper obviously deserves the nod regardless of need. Although he has spent a lot of time on the bench, he is averaging almost 4 points per game, which is damn near impossible to do for an OF in this league. Oakland clearly has a cornerstone to build around after worries of regression after a down 2016.
5. LF- Jose Ramirez, TBR – Ramirez has the ability to play three different positions, so I would rather have that flexibility off the bench, but he has been too much better than the other LFs that he has to start in left. He has outscored the second-highest scoring LF by well over 60 points and is scoring more than a half-point per game more as well. At only 24, Tampa has got to love what they are getting out of Ramirez.
6. CF- Charlie Blackmon, KCR* (replacing Mike Trout, DET)- Trout is the best player in baseball and needs to be on the all-star team. He was averaging almost a point per game more than the next-best CF before going down with an injury. Blackmon has used the thin air at Kauffman stadium to be an effective replacement for fantasy value, leading Moneyball in CF points through the first half.
7. 3B- Travis Shaw, BOS- Shaw plays with fellow All-Star Jose Abreu in Boston and adds dual eligibility with 1B. The dual eligibility helps a lot and the added value snuck him into the starting spot over Jake Lamb. Even without the dual eligibility, Shaw has played great and is ranked 2nd (behind only Jose Ramirez) for 3B in the AL.
8. SS- Carlos Correa, TOR- Sometimes you have to force players from rebuilding teams onto an all-star roster, but that is not the case with Correa. He has outscored the field by 40 points and is outscoring all healthy SS by more than half a point per game. He has been a stub and has to start.
9. C- Salvador Perez, HOU – Perez plays a ton, which is a huge asset in a league like this. His league leading 18 home runs and 50 point lead on the second highest scoring Catcher in the AL made this an easy pick.
SP- Max Scherzer, TBR – Kershaw recently took the MVP spot for Moneyball from Scherzer with a dominating start on Sunday. Scherzer, however, has been slightly better on the season but has started one less game. The Rays are in a playoff spot largely due to Scherzer’s dominance. With only average run offensive production the Rays are 21-5 in days that Scherzer starts. Without him, I don’t know if the Rays make the playoffs. With him, they are a world series favorite.
AL Reserves
C- Yadier Molina, BOS – Yadier has stayed healthy, which has been enough to earn an All Star berth in an injury riddled AL. He has produced consistently throughout the year and has the second most overall points and points per game in the AL through the first half.
1B- Jose Abreu, BOS – Despite having on the second most amount of points for a 1B on his own team, Jose Abreu earns a deserved all-star nod for a solid and healthy first half. He’s having his best season since his rookie year and has gotten better every month, helping carry Boston to a playoff spot.
1B- Justin Smoak, NYY – One of the biggest surprises of the season, and probably one of the biggest beneficiaries of the new far flying baseballs, Smoak is a big reason why the Yankees are in a playoff spot at the break. He is only the 8th (4th in the AL) ranked 1B overall, but he is averaging over 3 ppg and 1B have more value in the UT spot with their big bats, so I want him on the team.
2B- Robinson Cano, TEX- Cano has earned his hefty contract so far this year, averaging 3.74 ppg and driving in 60 runs for the Rangers. He is a big reason why the Rangers find themselves with a 5 game cushion in the West.
2B- Jonathan Schoop, KCR - The AL has had 5 of the top 6 2B in the first half. Schoop squeezed into the final spot on the roster due mainly to his power (41 extra base hits). The Royals probably won’t make the playoffs, but their second baseman is not the problem.
3B- Jake Lamb, MIN- Less than 1 point behind Shaw, Lamb has been a stud for the Twins and has a lot to do with the Twins hanging around in the playoff hunt. He leads all NL 3B with 67 RBIs and is second with 20 homeruns. The AL will love to have that pop coming off the bench.
SS- Didi Gregorius, MIN – The SS position in the AL has been very weak so far. Outside of Correa, the AL does not have any of the top 8 at the position. Jordy mercer has the 9th most points, but I decided to go with Gregorius as he has scored almost .5 more per game than Mercer. Neither deserve to be all stars, but there are some things you cannot control.
LF/3B- Kris Bryant, SEA – Bryant has not played his best season to date, but he has still managed to put together the second best first half for a LF in the league. The added value from 3B eligibility is dampered by a stacked AL 3B contingent, but it still doesn’t hurt. I also recognize, unlike the MLB, that young starts like Bryant need to be in the game for ratings if nothing else.
CF/RF Andrew McCutchen, HOU – McCutchen was batting .200 in late May, but has completely turned his season around with a torrid June and July, forcing himself onto the playoff roster. He is the third highest scoring CF in the league at the break and has done his best to keep the Astros in the playoff hunt. McCutchen is proving that he isn’t done yet.
RF- Giancarlo Stanton, CLE – Stanton has been a consistent power source for the Indians throughout the season and a very hot start to July has earned him an all-star nod. With Judge, Harper and Stanton options to man RF, the AL is absolutely stacked with power.
LF/CF- Marcell Ozuna, BOS – With the final offensive spot, I select Marcell Ozuna of the Red Sox. It is hard to leave the league leader in RBIs home. Dual positional eligibility and the fact that he ranks in the top 4 for both CF and LF makes this an easy pick. He may be the last choice, but he has definitely earned a spot.
SP- Clayton Kershaw, TEX – Kershaw leads the league in points and finds himself coming off of the bench. He has one more start than Scherzer and Sale, and is averaging slightly less per game, so I think it is warranted. However, the Rangers have won 23 straight games in which Kershaw has pitched (24-2 overall), so maybe he should be starting…
SP- Corey Kluber, MIN- Despite missing several starts, Kluber has been a top 10 starter for the Twin and trails only the the big 3 in pps. The Twins have needed his stellar starting to hang in the wild card race and his 123 Ks in 93.1 innings have shown that Kluber can keep it up. He will need to for the Twins to make a run at a playoff spot.
SP- Chris Archer, BOS – Boston has the best record in the league and Archer has a lot to do with it. He is the 5th highest scoring starter in the league and is striking out well more than a batter per inning. He has done this despite having an ERA barely under 3.95 and a 7-5 real-life record. If luck starts going Archer’s way down the stretch, Boston could extend their lead on the rest of the league.
SP- Michael Fulmer, DET- With Trout being injured, the Tigers needed a representative, but Fulmer would be on the team regardless. He does not have the strikeout numbers of the other aces, but that has not stopped him from averaging almost 17 pps. He has done it on the strength of 15 quality starts in 17 appearances, the best ratio in the bigs.
SP- Gio Gonzalez, NYY- Gio’s resurgence has added stability to a Yankees rotation that has been rotating all year and hurt by a down year by Jon Lester. He has pitched like an ace with an ERA under 3 and is putting up his best numbers in years. It’s nice surprises like him that have the Yankees on the precipice of a playoff berth.
SP- Ivan Nova, BAL- Baltimore is the only team in the league without a real-life all-star, and that would likely be the case here if it weren’t for rules. Nova, however, has played like a borderline all-star, so it is not a big deal. He has averaged over 15 pps and thrown a shutout and two complete games. He has been the 8th best pitcher in the league so far and given the fact that the rest of the Orioles staff has been terrible, he might be the most important.
SP- Lance McCullers, Jr., CHW- The White Sox needed an all-star and their second best player is a platoon outfield, so this was a very easy and necessary choice, although Yu Darvish probably does not want to hear that. Still, McCullers has been good pitching like a top 25 SP even missing a couple starts.
RP- Kenley Jansen, BOS- I personally don’t think more than 1 or 2 relief pitchers should ever make an all-star team given that almost all relief pitchers are failed starters. However, relief pitchers have very good experience pitching in 1 inning increments, which is what happens at an all-star game, so I will have some of course. Jansen has been about as good as you can be and leads all AL relievers in points and is averaging almost 4 points per appearance. Those extra points have assuredly won Boston a game or two so far this year.
RP- Corey Knebel, CLE- Knebel has spent time closing and setting up for Cleveland this year. Like Boston, the Indians find themselves atop their division and I am sure Knebel’s breakout season and amazing 75 strikeouts (most for a reliever) have something to do with it.
RP- Andrew Miller, NYY- The Yankees have surprised me a lot this year, but Miller is the one major piece that has not surprised. His ability to go multiple innings and make batters whiff have provided the Yankees with some close wins that otherwise probably would have been losses. Knowledge that he will not pitch after his long outings also allows the Yankees to gain some extra points, so relievers like Miller have extra advantages.
RP- Brad Hand, LAA* (Replacing Dallas Keuchel, CLE)- There is a large gap between Miller and Hand, but Hand is actually the 4th best reliever so far for the AL. He doesn’t deserve to be an all-star per se, but the Angels, riddled with injuries and disappointments need a player in the game. You could make arguments for a few players, but Hand is the closest to deserving the spot based on performance. Price would be my pick for obvious reasons if I was building a roster myself. He replaces Keuchel, who despite only starting 11 games, has been a top 30 pitcher and gone 9-0.
NL Starting Lineup
1. RF- Mookie Betts, PHI- As the #1 overall pick, Betts has some large shoes to fill, and he has done a solid job doing so in the first half. He has scored the most points out of RF in the league, narrowly edging out Judge and Harper. He has been a consistent presence and producer for the best offense in Moneyball through the first half of the season.
2. 2B- Daniel Murphy, ARZ – Perhaps the easiest decision on the board as Daniel Murphy has been an absolute beast for the tanking DBacks. He leads all 2B in points (over 100 points more than the second best NL second baseman) and ppg.
3. 3B- Nolan Arenado, ATL- Arenado was an easy pick for starting 3B. He leads the entire league in points and has a near 50-point lead on the next best NL 3B. The Braves made a good pick at #2 overall.
4. 1B- Paul Goldschmidt, COL- Goldy made the starting decision easy in the NL. Outside of Votto, no 1B has provided as many total points or ppg (sans Freeman). And he did it with very little protection in the lineup! (I know that’s irrelevant).
5. DH- Anthony Rizzo, CHC – Rizzo has raked as the cornerstone of the Cubs potent offense. He has not produced quite as much as Goldschmidt, but is only 20 points behind as the clear number 3 1B to this point in the season. There is a steep dropoff after Rizzo and is nice to be able to get him into the starting lineup.
6. CF- George Springer, MIA- Springer is the obvious selection in CF for the NL with 30 points more than the closest competitor. Miami’s playoff hopes may be dwindling, but they have to love the future with Springer in the middle of their lineup.
7. C- Buster Posey, SFG- Despite being out with an injury for a little while, Posey still has the most points in the league as a Catcher. The Dual eligibility at 1B just adds to the obvious pick to start for the NL.
8. LF- Eric Thames, SFG – The NL is thin on star power in left field, so Thames will limp into the starting role. His monstrous April helped propel the Giants into the lead in their division. Since then, Thames has calmed down a lot, including an atrocious 34 point June and the Giants have fallen out of playoff contention. Still, in a year where left fielders have not been very good, Thames’ April was enough to earn him a spot.
9. SS- Elvis Andrus, SDP – With Trea Turner going down and Lindor sputtering recently, Andrus has become the obvious choice to start at SS for the NL. He has improved upon his career year last year and has suddenly made a once seemingly terrible contract look good. Steals like Andrus are why the Padres have pretty much locked up the West.
SP- Chris Sale, PIT – Kershaw, Scherzer, Sale, and then the rest. This trio has almost a 100 point lead on the rest of the SPs. Sale is in the middle, but has averaged the most ppg and has the most Ks, necessitating a start for the NL. The Pirates have apparently decided to be sellers despite being right in the thick of the wild-card race at the moment (only 1 game back). Sale helped put them there as the Pirates have gone 21-2 on days that Sale has started. Without him, the Pirates are a .500 team.
NL Reserves
C- J.T. Realmuto, STL – ABs are very important for Catchers in this league because far too few play nearly every day. Realmuto is third overall in the league in points and holds a 30 point lead over McCann, Gattis, and Gary Sanchez despite scoring less points per game. Quantity trumps quality in this league. If Sanchez was healthy to start the year, he would have this spot.
1B- Logan Morrison, SDP – LoMo may whine like a little bitch, but his surprising season has earned him a Moneyball all-star appearance. 24 home runs and well over 3 ppg have helped propel the Padres to huge NL West lead.
1B- Ryan Zimmerman, MIA – Perhaps unwisely, I went with LoMo and Zimmerman over Freddie Freeman. Freddie has been the best player in the league on a per game basis, but has only played 43 games. Zimmerman has played almost double the games and has managed to continue playing well after an otherworldly April.
2B- Jed Lowrie, STL (Replacing Trea Turner, MIL)- Despite missing about 20 games due to injury, Trea is still the second highest scoring second baseman in the NL. Turner has played very well, but that also shows that the AL has the top 2B. Lowrie is my choice as the backup 2B due to consistent solid play. Pedroia, Josh Harrison, or Starlin Castro all competed for the spot, but I took season points as the deciding factor.
3B- Anthony Rendon, CHC – Rendon was another easy pick as the backup 3B for the NL. He is 3rd in the league in points for a 3rd baseman and has 40 points more than the closest competitor in the NL. He and Rizzo have certainly given the Cubs a potent middle of the lineup in the first half. That 31.54 point performance on April 30 made a possible close call easy.
SS- Francisco Lindor, STL – Frankie has gotten progressively worse as the season has gone on, but he is still a stud and his absurdly good April cannot be ignored. He is the #2 SS in the NL in points on the season and is an anchor for the Central leading Cardinals.
SS- Andrelton Simmons, WAS – If I was taking the best player here, I would have Seager in this spot, but Simmons has been too key to the Nationals’ season to leave him off. Cozart also deserves a mention, but a recent injury clouds his per game prowess. The Nationals are hanging right around .500 in part due to Simmons who has played 90 games so far this year, the most in the league. He is also 4th in the MLB in points for a SS. For a guy that I thought would never hit, that is quite impressive.
LF/1B- Cody Bellinger, LAD- The Dodgers need a representative and only Bellinger and Benintendi have done anything to deserve one. Benintendi has been on the team the entire year and has played 12 more games than Bellinger, but has only produced 7 more points. I will go with quality over quantity in this case, especially since Bellinger has the second most ppg among all left fielders.
2B/SS/CF/RF- Chris Owings, MIA- Based on performance, Benintendi probably deserves the CF back-up spot, but I just can’t justify having 2 all-stars from the worst team in the league and Benintendi only would get the spot because CF is a very weak position this year. Owings is only 20 points behind him and has 4 positional eligibility, which is a huge asset for this league. It helps that he has helped Miami fight for a playoff spot all year.
RF- Nelson Cruz, NYM- Cruz is having a down year in the power department, but has continued to produce at a high level and is atop the leaderboard in RBIs. The Mets need a representative during a disappointing season, and Cruz has averaged almost 3 points per game, so he fits the need nicely.
1B/3B/LF – Marwin Gonzalez, MIL – The Brewers needed an all-star with Trea Turner going down and the options were limited. Marwin has missed some time, but has 3 position eligibility and has averaged over 3 ppg when he has played. Marwin should be a valuable utility player for the NL.
SP- Zack Greinke, ATL- Despite only throwing 10 quality starts in 18 outings, Greinke has pitched to the tune of the 4th best points in the first half. He has won 11 games, which certainly helps and struck out well more than a batter per inning, which helps more. He is a big reason why the Braves have the number 1 pitching staff in Moneyball.
SP- Robbie Ray, ATL- The 1-2 punch in Atlanta has been by far the best pitching duo so far. These two are the main reason behind the Braves’ huge lead in pitching points at the all-star break. Ray has actually pitched a bit better than Greinke with more Ks in less innings and very similar ERAs. No one will want to face the Braves in the playoffs with either of these guys going. The best part for Atlanta too is that they cannot overlap since both play for Arizona in real life.
SP- Stephen Strasburg, WAS- Strasburg has pitched like an ace and is a big reason why the Nats are flirting with .500. He is the 7th ranked starting pitcher in the bigs through his first 18 starts and is more than living up to the hype.
SP- Ervin Santana, PHI- Santana leads the leagues in Complete games with 4 (no one else has more than 2) and Shutouts with 3. If you had told me that before the season started, I would have called you crazy. But he is the 3rd ranked starter in the NL with 38 games left to be played and has boosted a rotation that needed it with many injuries and Teheran pitching like shit.
SP- Jason Vargas, CHC- Dafuq? The 34 year old is pitching like an ace all of a sudden and has more pps than Archer and Strasburg. I don’t expect that to continue, but he has pitched great and deserves a spot on the all-star team. The Cubs acquired him in a trade, which is rare for an all-star before the break. We will see if Vargas can replicate his success and propel the Cubs to a playoff berth.
SP- Jacob deGrom, STL – deGrom has been one of the lone bright spots for the real life Mets, but has been one of several bright spots for the Cardinals. He has pitched like a top 10 pitcher in pps with 16.87 and has been the ace of a rotation that includes Carlos Carrasco. The Cardinals are coming on strong and might just pull away in the NL Central if deGrom keeps pitching like this.
SP- Alex Wood, PHI- Wood might seem like an odd choice, but he has averaged 19.28 in 12 starts since joining the rotation for Philadelphia. Those numbers would make him the 4th highest scoring starter in the league if he had started the year in the rotation. Also, it is hard to leave someone off the roster that is 9-0 with a 1.67 ERA. Plus, he’s my player so I am going to pull a homer pick to put him on the team.
SP- Jimmy Nelson, CIN- The Reds have been very good this year so it is a bit surprising that they only get one player into my all-star team. This due to a lot of very solid players, but no huge stars (due to Freeman’s injuries). Nelson has been their best player thus far however, and has been the 15th best starter in the league so far. He is stealing a spot from Carlos Martinez who has been more deserving, but rules are rules.
RP- Craig Kimbrel, ARZ- Kimbrel has been the top RP in the league so far, narrowly edging Kenley Jansen largely due to higher strikeout totals. Arizona may have fallen out of contention, but Kimbrel certainly was not a part of the problem. Closers can only do so much.
RP- Felipe Rivero, WAS- Rivero has put up the second most amount of points surprisingly of all NL RPs with over 130 points at the break. He has done that with quantity and quality. He leads the league in appearances (44) and has put up an ERA under 1. Rivero has simply been a stud for Washington.
RP- Chris Devenski, PHI- Devenski has put up the 3rd most amount of points for a reliever thus far despite not having an elite ERA. He has done it with long outings, including a pair of 4 inning appearances to start his season. He has pitched the most innings of any reliever and has struck out the second most. It also helps a lot that he has known off-days due to long outings that maximize the relief pitcher value.
Recap
The Red Sox, with the best record in the league, unsurprisingly have the most all-stars with 6. Pittsburgh and Cincinnati find themselves with only 1 representative despite lofty records, but that can mostly be explained by a lot of solid players without studs. The Yankees with Smoak, Judge and Gio, probably have the most surprising group in the game if you look back to the start of the season. Every team with at least 3 all-stars has a winning record, so stars do matter to some extent. Below is the team rankings in terms of my Moneyball all-stars and the list of real-life all-stars, which is far less indicative of Moneyball success, follows.
Red Sox (6)- Yadier Molina, Marcell Ozuna, Kenley Jansen, Chris Archer, Travis Shaw, Jose Abreu
Cardinals (4)- Francisco Lindor, Jed Lowrie, Jacob deGrom, J.T. Realmuto
Phillies (4)- Mookie Betts, Ervin Santana, Chris Devenski, Alex Wood
Indians (4)- Joey Votto, Giancarlo Stanton, Corey Knebel, Dallas Keuchel*
Yankees (4)- Justin Smoak, Aaron Judge, Andrew Miller, Gio Gonzalez
Braves (3)– Nolan Arenado, Robbie Ray, Zack Greinke
Astros (3)- Salvador Perez, Jose Altuve, Andrew McCutchen
Twins (3)- Jake Lamb, Didi Gregorius, Corey Kluber
Cubs (3)- Jason Vargas, Anthony Rendon, Anthony Rizzo
Marlins (3)- Ryan Zimmerman, George Springer, Chris Owings
Diamondbacks (2)- Daniel Murphy, Craig Kimbrel
Nationals (2)- Stephen Strasburg, Felipe Rivero, Andrelton Simmons
Tigers (2)- Mike Trout*, Michael Fulmer
Royals (2)-Jonathan Schoop, Charlie Blackmon
Rays (2)- Jose Ramirez, Max Scherzer
Padres (2)- Elvis Andrus, Logan Morrison
Giants (2)- Buster Posey, Eric Thames
Rangers (2)- Clayton Kershaw, Robinson Cano
Brewers (2)- Trea Turner*, Marwin Gonzalez
White Sox (1)- Lance McCullers, Jr.
Reds (1)- Jimmy Nelson
Mets (1)- Nelson Cruz
Pirates (1)- Chris Sale
Angels (1)- Brad Hand
Dodgers (1)- Cody Bellinger
Rockies (1)- Paul Goldschmidt
Athletics (1)- Bryce Harper
Mariners (1)- Kris Bryant
Blue Jays (1)- Carlos Correa
Orioles (1)- Ivan Nova
Please comment with Snubs and who you think does not belong!
Real Life All-Stars Per Team
Phillies (9)- Michael Brantley, Ender Inciarte, Mookie Betts, Yonder Alonso, Greg Holland, Ervin Santana, Mike Moustakas, Chris Devenski, Alex Wood
Diamondbacks (5)- Daniel Murphy, Zack Cozart, Craig Kimbrel, Dellin Betances, Justin Upton
Braves (5)– Nolan Arenado, Starlin Castro, Robbie Ray, Zack Greinke, Roberto Osuna
Red Sox (5)- Yadier Molina, Marcell Ozuna, Kenley Jansen, Chris Archer, Brandon Kintzler
Indians (5)- Joey Votto, Giancarlo Stanton, Wade Davis, Corey Knebel, Dallas Keuchel
Twins (3)- Jake Lamb, Corey Dickerson, Corey Kluber
Yankees (3)- Justin Smoak, Aaron Judge, Andrew Miller
Rays (3)- Jose Ramirez, Yu Darvish, Max Scherzer
Cubs (2)- Jason Vargas, Luis Severino
White Sox (2)- Lance McCullers, Jr., Pat Neshek
Reds (2)- Avisail Garcia, Michael Conforto
Nationals (2)- Stephen Strasburg, Josh Harrison
Tigers (2)- Mike Trout, Michael Fulmer
Astros (2)- Salvador Perez, Jose Altuve
Royals (2)-Jonathan Schoop, Charlie Blackmon
Marlins (2)- Ryan Zimmerman, George Springer
Mets (2)- Miguel Sano, Nelson Cruz
Pirates (2)- Corey Seager, Chris Sale
Padres (2)- Gary Sanchez, Carlos Martinez
Giants (2)- Buster Posey, Justin Turner
Rangers (2)- Clayton Kershaw, Robinson Cano
Angels (1)- Brad Hand
Dodgers (1)- Cody Bellinger
Rockies (1)- Paul Goldschmidt
Athletics (1)- Bryce Harper
Mariners (1)- DJ LaMahieu
Cardinals (1)- Francisco Lindor
Blue Jays (1)- Carlos Correa
Orioles (0)
Brewers (0)
