BBA All Star Ballot

I-70 Baseball is a proud member of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance in both the Kansas City and St. Louis Chapters.

As members of the BBA, we are all asked to compile All Star Ballots once a year. The BBA compiles all of the ballots and announces the All Star Teams as picked by the group of almost 300 baseball writers.

As the midsummer classic converges on Arizona, the lineups that I would suggest are reflected as follows (editor’s note: Angela Weinhold selected the National League squad):

American League		National League
Starting Pitcher
Justin Verlander – Detroit Tigers		Roy Halladay – Philadelphia Phillies
Verlander is silencing critics on his path to super stardom. One of the American League’s first ten game winners and is dominating the strike zone. Hitters are reaching at a paltry .178 average against him and a 0.84 WHIP makes him a hands down favorite to star in the mid-summer classic.		Ten game winners are not growing on trees around the majors this year, but Doc Halladay has laid claim to his first ten victories. Not as dominant as his American League counterpart, he has held hitters to a .241 average and holds a 1.03 WHIP.
Catcher
Alex Avila – Detroit Tigers		Yadier Molina – St. Louis Cardinals
Let’s give the Tigers the starting battery on the idea that this young backstop has earned hit. Throwing out over 63% of would be base stealers he has been a force at the plate as well. He is hitting .303 with 10 home runs and 45 runs batted in.		Yadi’s production behind the plate has declined drastically this season seeing him catch less than a third of baserunners. His production in the lineup, however, has found a surge. The Cardinals field general is hitting .294 on the season with four home runs and 29 runs batted in. He deserves a starting nod.
First Base
Adrian Gonzalez – Boston Red Sox		Joey Votto – Cincinnati Reds
The big offseason pickup for the Red Sox has not disappointed at all. With Most Valuable Player type numbers, Gonzalez is putting together one of the best seasons in either league. A .361 average, 1.026 OPS, 16 home runs and 71 runs batted in makes this pick the easiest of the ballot.		The strangest feeling of the All Star voting process in 2011 is the absence of Albert Pujols’ name. Votto is putting together a respectable season while the annual appearance of Albert is more than a bit absent. Votto’s .318 batting average, 11 home runs, .950 OPS, and 49 runs batted in make him the NL choice on this ballot.
Second Base
Robinson Cano – New York Yankees		Rickie Weeks – Milwaukee Brewers
Speaking of players that have their names show up on these types of lists constantly, meet Yankee second baseman Robinson Cano. He hits .290, boasts an .836 OPS, has hit 14 home runs and driven in 48. He strikes out a bit, but every general manager in baseball would choose him over their own second baseman given the option.		The man at second in the frozen north has established himself as one of the premier at that position everywhere. A leadoff man with some pop, Weeks brings a .360 OBP with his .290 average and compliments it with 14 home runs. A strong defender as well, he is easily the best in the National League.
Third Base
Adrian Beltre – Texas Rangers		Chase Headley – San Diego Padres
Beltre went to Texas to prove that he could still hit, and hit he has. With 14 home runs, 56 runs batted in, a .263 average and .769 OPS, the Rangers have a third baseman in the middle of their order that pitchers fear. His potent bat, strong arm, and solid glove will serve the American League squad well.		There is no clear cut choice at the hot corner in the National League, so let’s go out on a limb with a Padre here. Headley plays in the pitcher friendly Petco Park and is finding it more than double friendly, posting 21 two-baggers already this season. A .296 average and .793 OPS is worth giving him a solid look at an all star appearance.
Shortstop
Asdrubal Cabrera – Cleveland Indians		Jose Reyes – New York Mets
Is this a changing of the guard or just a good season for the Indians’ shortstop? Time will tell, but Cabrera is putting up a season that does not need to be ignored. A .293 average, 12 home runs, 44 runs batted in and .833 OPS puts him high on every chart at his position.		The most pure lead off hitter in the game today, Jose Reyes has spent 2011 proving that he is worth a look as the starting shortstop in this game. His average is .341, he has a .385 on base percentage, an .899 OPS and has stolen 28 bases while only being caught five times.
Outfielder
Alex Gordon – Kansas City Royals		Ryan Braun – Milwaukee Brewers
Gordon promised before this year that he would dominate. That may have been a stretch, but he certainly has arrived as a key part of the Royals’ bright future. His hot start has cooled a bit, but he is still hitting .293 with a .844 OPS. Nine home runs and 44 runs batted in put him in the conversation for the All Star Game.		Ryan Braun has made his way into this lineup and the hearts of many fans in Milwaukee. Most players that hit .308 with a .943 OPS, 16 home runs, 59 runs batted in, and 17 stolen bases will do that for a fan base, though, and Braun is just that guy.
Outfielder
Curtis Granderson – New York Yankees		Matt Kemp – Los Angeles Dodgers
Curtis Granderson might be the most impressive Yankee so far in 2011. Of course, 21 home runs, 56 runs batted in, .933 OPS and 12 stolen bases might just make Granderson one of the most impressive players in baseball, period.		Kemp is taking his place at the top of the outfield conversation in the National League and he deserves it. His glove work is stellar and his bat is impressive. With 21 home runs and 60 runs batted in, the team may be going bankrupt but he is trying to win some games. No slouch on the basepaths, 21 stolen bases make him that much more of a threat.
Outfielder
Jacoby Ellsbury – Boston Red Sox		Hunter Pence – Houston Astros
The speedy young outfielder from Boston gets the nod in the outfield here for his impressive work on the basepaths and solid bat. A .303 average, .827 OPS, and 25 stolen bases are enough but add in nine home runs and 39 runs batted in and you have got an All Star.		Hunter Pence has played himself into this conversation despite his team’s inability to play themselves into any conversation. Nine home runs, 52 runs batted in, and a .315 average will most likely land him Houston’s loan spot in the mid summer classic.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball as well as the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com.
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