My All Star Ballot 2011

With just over a week left to cast ballots for the 2011 All Star teams, it's time to carefully look at stats and fill out my 25 ballots (per email address!).  My process is to look at a wide range of stats from this season, and then consider peripheral things like career stats and the role they fill on their team.  Lastly, I have an unbreakable personal law that prohibits me from ever voting for dodgers.  It's right up there with my "no rental footwear" law.  I guess I hope that someday, nobody will vote for any dodger players, and the NL manager will just forget about them and I won't have to see that uniform in the mid-summer classic.

American League

First Base: Paul Konerko

Also considered: Adrian Gonzalez, Miguel Cabrera

This is probably the closest call for me in either league. It comes down to Konerko having a few more home runs, a slightly higher SLG, and the fact that his lineup isn't as strong as Boston's. On some subconscious level, I may have also factored in which 1B had the most DUI arrests.  It's kind of a thing for me.

Second Base: Robinson Cano

Also considered: Dustin Pedroia, Howie Kendrick

Cano has the most hits, most home runs, and highest SLG of any AL second baseman.  Pedroia is also having a great season, and I was pretty surprised by the excellent numbers being put up by Kendrick.

Shortstop: Johnny Peralta

Also considered: Alexei Ramirez, Yunel Escobar, Asdrubal Cabrera, Elvis Andrus

This one was really close between Peralta and Cabrera.  In fact, if I hadn't used up all my ballots yet, I might switch.  But Peralta does have the slight edge in AVG/OBP/SLG, and that tipped it for me. You can make a solid case for any of the 5 shortstops listed here.

Third Base: Alex Rodriguez

Also considered: Kevin Youkilis

I'm as surprised as you are that I'm voting for A-Rod, but the guy has the numbers and star power to be there.  He and Youk are the only AL 3B's slugging over .500.  Youkilis has a slightly higher OBP, while A-Rod has a slightly higher average, and 2 more home runs.  Coming into play today (June 22), they have an identical .506 SLG.  

Catcher: Alex Avila

Also considered: AJ Pierzynski, Matt Wieters

Avila leads all AL catchers in OBP and SLG, tied for fifth in home runs, and has been steady all year.  Plus, he's been a tremendous asset on one of my fantasy teams.  And I definitely went into this looking for reasons to not vote for Pierzynski, which makes me like Avila even more.

Outfield: Jose Bautista, Curtis Granderson, Jacoby Ellsbury

Also considered: Carlos Quentin, Brennan Boesch, Matt Joyce, Adam Jones, Nelson Cruz, Melky Cabrera (I know, right?)

Bautista is probably the easiest call in either league.  The guy is just unreal.  Granderson is having the season the Tigers were dreaming of when they drafted him (too bad he's having it with the Yankees).  Ellsbury is having a tremendous season after everyone assumed he would be supplanted at the top of the Red Sox lineup by Carl Crawford.

Designated Hitter: David Ortiz

Also considered: no one

This one isn't even close.  Ortiz is having one of the best offensive seasons of anyone in the American League, regardless of position.  He's everything Ron Blomberg hoped to be as a DH.

National League

First Base: Prince Fielder

Also considered: Joey Votto, Gaby Sanchez, Ryan Howard, Michael Morse

With Pujols out with an injury, this one becomes a lot easier.  Fielder's OPS is over 1.000, and he leads NL first basemen in home runs, RBI, and doubles.  Sanchez is probably next, with Votto, Howard, and Morse all having excellent seasons.  Yes.  Michael Morse.  Who knew?

Second Base: Rickie Weeks

Also considered: Brandon Phillips

Weeks is the only NL second baseman with an OBP over .350 and SLG over .500, and he's the leader in home runs.  He also has more steals and a higher batting average than Brandon Phillips.  It's hard to believe this guy was losing playing time to Ray Durham just a couple of years ago.

Shortstop:  Jose Reyes

Also considered: Troy Tulowitzki, Starlin Castro

It's amazing that there's a runaway winner at this position and it's not Tulowitzki or Hanley Ramirez.  Reyes is second in the majors in hits, has an OPS just shy of .900, and is 26-for-31 in stolen base attempts.  This may go down as the new definition of "walk year."

Third Base: Chipper Jones

Also considered: Ryan Roberts, Chase Headley

No NL third baseman is having a truly great season so far, and two of the best young 3B's, Ryan Zimmerman and Pablo Sandoval, missed significant time with injuries.  It's a very close call here between Jones and Roberts, and so I employ my secondary criteria of career success and who I'd rather watch in the game, and Chipper clearly wins in both of those categories.  Plus, maybe Adam will buy coffee next time because I'm advocating voting for his guy.

Catcher:  Brian McCann

Also considered:  Yadier Molina, Miguel Montero

Molina and Montero are both having nice seasons, but let's be honest.  The only real competition McCann had is out for the season with a broken leg.  I look forward to many years of the McCann/Posey NL All Star catching tandem.  

Outfield: Ryan Braun, Lance Berkman, Justin Upton

Also considered: Hunter Pence, Mike Stanton, Andrew McCutchen, Michael Bourn, Shane Victorino, Jay Bruce

Obviously there's a glaring omission here because of my "no dodgers" policy.  Still, Braun, Berkman, and Upton are all having amazing offensive seasons and definitely deserve to be on the team.  The runners-up included a couple of surprises, like Hunter Pence leading NL outfielders in hits (93), and Shane Victorino having a SLG of .507.

Okay, that's my ballot.  Feel free to use it for reference, or just copy the whole dang thing when you cast your votes.

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