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Thursday, June 6, 2013

Tulo on Cargo and Gold? Nope, Just Wright...

All-Star voting doesn't close for another month. That being said, it's never too early to unveil my All-Star team for the National League.

First Base - Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks
The D'backs have a two and a half game lead in the NL West and Goldschmidt, along with 9-0 Patrick Corbin, is the reason San Francisco and Los Angeles are chasing Arizona. He leads his team in virtually every major offensive category: batting average, homeruns, RBIs and runs. Furthermore, he leads all National League first basemen in the first three categories (not to mention stolen bases) and trails only Joey Votto in runs scored. Just like Goldmember, Paul is solid gold.


Second Base - Brandon Phillips, Cincinnati Reds
The Redan High School legend has helped guide the Reds to the third best record in the National League with his clutch hitting (45 RBI) and strong defensive play (3 errors). His .989 fielding percentage is good for fourth among eligible NL second basemen. St. Louis' utility man Matt Carpenter has had quite a year as well; while he is unlikely to win the popular vote, I expect him to make the roster.

Third Base - David Wright, New York Mets
Along with rookie ace Matt Harvey and a four-game sweep of the Yankees, Wright's performance this season has been one of the few positive aspects of the Mets' season. At what is arguably the weakest position in the NL, this six-time All Star has put up first half stats worthy of a seventh appearance. While his .276, 8 HR, 32 RBI line is nothing to gawk at (11 SB isn't half bad), it's the best the NL can do at third.

Shortstop - Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies
Tulowitzki's offensive production and nearly perfect defensive play (1 error) are a few reasons for the Rockies' surprising start. While their pitching has mildly improved from last year's train wreck (you may remember the 75-pitch limit imposed on all starting pitchers by ex-manager Jim Tracy), offense will always be the centerpiece of the Rockies. Tulo leads National League shortstops in more than half of the major offensive categories (HR, RBI, R, SLG to name a few) and is on pace for a .332, 35 HR and 120 RBI season, all of which would be career highs.  Milwaukee's Jean Segura and San Diego's Everth Cabrera have had good seasons as well.

Catcher - Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals
Whoa there. Before you get all up in arms about missing Atlanta rookie sensation Evan Gattis, hear me out:
1. Evan Gattis isn't even on the ballot, so he won't get nearly enough write-in votes.
2. Yadier Molina leads the National League with a .348 average, which is quite an achievement for a catcher.
3. Molina has made 2 errors in 55 games and has erased 42% of stolen base threats, good for third in the National League.
4. He plays with heart. A lot of heart.


I wouldn't be surprised if the Giants' Buster Posey wins the starting job, but Molina's superior average, fielding and baseball IQ gets him the nod in my boat.

Outfield - Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh Pirates
While his line isn't overly impressive (.284, 7 HR, 30 RBI, 14 SB), McCutchen is quite a ballplayer. His five assists lead all NL centerfielders and has committed only one error. He is the glue that holds the young Pirates roster together. His numbers haven't been quite as impressive as his 31 homer campaign last year, but he still gets one of my three votes.

Outfield - Justin Upton, Atlanta Braves
.298 AVG/.402 OBP/.734 SLG, 12 HR, 19 RBI, 3 SB. Upton's April was perhaps the greatest in the history of the Braves and helped his team fire out to a 12-1 start. His May was mediocre and his defense hasn't been anything to brag about, but he's been a huge addition to Atlanta. Need proof? How's this?


Or this?


One more time, with a cameo from his big brother:



Upton's 427.4 foot average HR distance leads the league (Justin Upton Hits The Ball A Long Way); with a 14 homerun sample size, that is a staggering distance.

Outfield - Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado Rockies
CarGo is a specimen. He hit 3 homeruns tonight. The second one went very, very far. CarGo's Second Homerun. As of now, he's hitting .313 with 17 HRs and 42 driven in. Throw in his 12 stolen bases and you've got an offensive force on your hands.

Starting Pitcher - Matt Harvey, New York Mets
For the most part, the Mets are not good at baseball. They have staggered out of the gate to a 23-33 start on the season. Unlike a majority of his teammates, Matt Harvey is good at baseball. When he starts, the Mets are 8-4. When other pitchers start, the Mets are 15-29. 

I could go on for days about his stats. He's 5th in the NL in ERA (he led the league before his last start), 3rd in WHIP, 3rd in K/9IP, leads in opponents' BAA, SLG and OPS. and has the highest "average game score" of all NL pitchers. I'm not sure what that means, but it looks good as I'm arguing his case.

In four of his best games on the season, which occurred against the Yankees, Nationals, Phillies and White Sox, his combined stats are scary: 31 IP, 3 ER (0.87 ERA), 31 K. But he only got 2 wins for those gems. 

Is his stuff overly flashy? I wouldn't say so. Sure, his fastball averages 95.3 MPH; but, he has no looping curve like Kershaw, no 99 MPH heat like Strasburg. He does throw his slider almost 21% of the time. Wondering why he throws his slider so often? I think this'll tell you:

 
If you are still unsure, see below:


Matt Harvey (who happens to be a rookie, mind you) is nasty - he should be rewarded for winning so many games with such a putrid offense. Not to mention, the All Star Game is at Citi Field this year. Bochy, give the people what they want.

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