jackky: Picking the All-Stars- NL Edition

jackky

Yesterday, we tackled the American League. Today, we all do the NL. If you read the intro to yesterdays post, you can easily skip on right down to the picks, as the next few paragraphs overlap with these were in the AL post. If you didnt read that Adidas Yeezy Boost 350 Shoes post, keep reading.

The All-Star Game isnt for another 35 days, however with the voting under way and an adequate amount of the season under our belts, I figure its time for you to weigh in about how Id complete the roster basically were Grand Poobah and had the ultimate say on all 34 players. I will note in advance which i believe the All-Star Game is definitely an annual affair, and we shouldnt simply have exactly the same collection of players every year simply because these are the true stars. The All-Star Game is best when it can serve as both a platform for that games greatest players and recognition when you have earned their way in. I will not be putting players around the roster who have not performed well in 2013, even if they are bonafide stars.

As an indication, the rosters now comprise 34 players, which Ill be splitting as 21 position players and 13 pitchers, as that's been the final tally for the game most of the recent years. And, yes, were honoring the rule requiring every team to become represented. Ill list each player through the tier of how they got selected, then place the final roster down below. On towards the picks.

The Game Will be a Farce Without Them

These players would be the epitome of All-Stars; great players having great seasons. I imagine there will be little disagreement about any of these 14 selections. Its difficult to make a reasonable case for excluding these players, a suming they stay healthy for the next few weeks anyway.

Troy Tulowitzki, COL, SS: +4.0 WARJoey Votto, CIN, 1B: +3.0 WARCarlos Gonzalez, COL, OF: +3.0 WARYadier Molina, STL, C: +2.6 WARAndrew McCutchen, PIT, OF: +2.5 WARDavid Wright, NYM, 3B: +2.5 WARBuster Posey, SFG, C: +2.1 WARBrandon Phillips, CIN, 2B: +2.0 WARRyan Braun, MIL, OF: +1.8 WAR

Adam Wainwright, STL, SP: +3.8 WARCliff Lee, PHI, SP: +2.8 WARClayton Kershaw, LAD, SP: +2.8 WARJordan Zimmermann, WAS, SP: +2.2 WARCraig Kimbrel, ATL, RP: +0.6 WAR

Theyve Earned It

You wouldnt have nece sarily pegged these guys as All-Stars headed in to the season, however their 2013 performance continues to be so stellar that they need to exist. You might have a different line for how great a performance needs to Adidas Climacool Boat Lace Shoes be to beat a lack of a history, however these nine players should clear most peoples bar and get in based on their performance to date.

Carlos Gomez, MIL, OF: +3.9 WARMatt Carpenter, STL, 2B/3B: +3.4 WAREverth Cabrera, SD, SS: +3.2 WARJean Segura, MIL, SS: +2.9 WARPaul Goldschmidt, ARI, 1B: +2.8 WARDexter Fowler, COL, OF: +2.5 WARShin-Soo Choo, CIN, OF: +2.2 WAR

Matt Harvey, NYM, SP: +3.0 WARShelby Miller, STL, SP: +2.3 WAR

The Team Representative

These guys are mostly worthy candidates anyway, but they're even the best option to represent the 2 franchises that did not have a player in the above list.

Jeff Samardzija, CHC, SP: +2.0 WARJose Fernandez, MIA, SP: +1.0 WAR

The Reserves

With 16 hitters and nine pitchers already around the roster, that leaves us nine spots to fill, so its time for you to begin looking at in which the holes are. Weve already covered most of the spots in the game using the position players above, speculate of the DH, we probably need to take an additional bat oriented player and then complete the roster with deserving players. Here are the nine guys who both fit the All-Star criteria and fill the present openings.

Ru sell Martin, PIT, C: +2.0 WARMarco Scutaro, SFG, 2B: +2.0 WAREvan Gattis, ATL, C/OF: +1.9 WARJedd Gyorko, SD, 2B/3B: +1.8 WARBryce Harper, WAS, OF: +1.7 WAR

Pat Corbin, ARI, SP: +1.9 WARJason Adidas Nmd Human Race Shoes Grilli, PIT, RP: +1.7 WARMark Melancon, PIT, RP: +1.0 WARAroldis Chapman, CIN, RP: +0.8 WAR

The Final Roster

That leaves us using these 34 players. The starters are listed first and therefore are in bold, with the reserves afterwards. Because I know its going to show up, Carpenter is listed as the backup third baseman to Wright because there are no other viable All-Star third baseman within the NL this season, therefore i took extra second baseman and shifted Carpenter back to third. While he probably has earned a starting spot according to his play, theres no shame in backing up Wright, and if he soon started at second base, hed have to take part in the whole game. So, Phillips gets the start at second and Carpenter is Wrights reserve.

NameTeamPositionPAAVGOBPSLGwOBAwRC+FldBsRWARYadier MolinaCardinalsC2460.3510.3900.4870.3781451.1-1.32.6Buster PoseyGiantsC2400.2970.3750.4930.371142-1.6-0.62.1Ru sell MartinPiratesC1980.2510.3380.4340.3401194.40.42.0Joey VottoReds1B2980.3280.4460.5200.4131650.81.73.0Paul GoldschmidtDiamondbacks1B2760.3130. Adidas Springblade Drive Shoes 3890.5710.4071573.61.12.8Brandon PhillipsReds2B2650.2920.3450.4750.3501213.9-0.22.0Marco ScutaroGiants2B2580.3320.3880.4440.365137-1.10.32.0Jedd GyorkoPadres2B2550.2840.3410.4610.347128-0.80.61.8Troy TulowitzkiRockiesSS2450.3530.4200.6510.4501796.2-1.14.0Everth CabreraPadresSS3010.2940.3690.4120.3461273.55.03.2Jean SeguraBrewersSS2680.3400.3730.5380.390150-1.22.62.9David WrightMets3B2530.2750.3720.4590.362134-0.15.12.5Matt CarpenterCardinals3B2810.3270.4090.4730.3861505.70.83.4Carlos GomezBrewersOF2520.3160.3570.5730.39315211.61.73.9Carlos GonzalezRockiesOF2810.3000.3770.6150.4181571.02.93.0Andrew McCutchenPiratesOF2590.2900.3590.4550.3501255.22.32.5Dexter FowlerRockiesOF2710.3030.3970.4980.389137-0.43.62.5Shin-Soo ChooRedsOF3000.2800.4300.4830.400155-9.11.02.2Ryan BraunBrewersOF2420.3040.3800.5090.3761400.60.21.8Bryce HarperNationalsOF1780.2870.3860.5870.411165-0.2-0.31.7Evan GattisBravesDH1750.2630.3260.6030.3861481.70.31.9NameTeamPositionIPBB%K%HR/9ERA-FIP-xFIP-WARRA9WARClayton KershawDodgersSP100.17%25%0.455171832.63.6Adam WainwrightCardinalsSP96.02%24%0.196346653.83.1Matt HarveyMetsSP90.06%28%0.405758743.03.4Cliff LeePhilliesSP95.14%22%0.476665852.82.7Shelby MillerCardinalsSP75.16%28%0.485163812.32.8Jordan ZimmermannNationalsSP94.24%17%0.575280912.23.5Jeff SamardzijaCubsSP85.08%28%0.858077782.01.6Pat CorbinDiamondbacksSP81.27%20%0.444976991.93.4Jose FernandezMarlinsSP65.19%25%0.838289901.01.2Jason GrilliPiratesRP27.26%44%0.002612441.71.5Mark MelanconPiratesRP31.13%27%0.293147501.01.6Aroldis ChapmanRedsRP28.011%42%0.965761620.81.0Craig KimbrelBravesRP24.16%35%1.114874580.61.1

And, finally, the starting line-up.

1. Andrew McCutchen, CF2. Joey Votto, 1B3. David Wright, 3B4. Troy Tulowitzki, SS5. Carlos Gonzalez, LF6. Bryce Harper, DH7. Carlos Gomez, RF8. Yadier Molina, C9. Brandon Phillips, 2B

Based on both career track record and 2013 performance, this is the way Adidas Springblade Drive Shoes Id complete the NL All-Star roster. There are a lot of great players who didnt result in the cut, and you will find certainly judgment calls here that may have gone another direction, but overall, I think this is a very good group of players who'd represent the nation's League quite well.