Ranking American League All Star Finalists from Most-to-Least Deserving

by Julian Spivey
Major League Baseball changed up the way of selecting the starting lineups for the All Star Game this season. Fans still get to choose which eight position players make the midsummer classic, but there are now two types of fan-voting. The first, which has already taken place, eliminated most of the field down to three finalists (nine for the outfield), of which the fans will vote from to select the eventual starter. This run-off for the starting lineup will begin on Wednesday, June 26 at 11 a.m. (central standard time) and last only 28 hours with the winners announced on ESPN on Thursday, June 27 at 6 p.m.  ​

Catcher

Robinson Chirinos (Houston Astros): .234 BA, 12 HR, 38 RBI, .368 OBP, 2.6 WAR
James McCann (Chicago White Sox): .319 BA, 7 HR, 21 RBI, .380 OBP, 2.5 WAR
Gary Sanchez (New York Yankees): .274 BA, 23 HR, 52 RBI, .340 OBP, 2.7 WAR
 

1. Gary Sanchez – New York Yankees backstop Gary Sanchez doesn’t get on base as often as his fellow American League catcher finalists but check out all those other numbers. The fact that Sanchez is batting as high as .274 is pretty impressive too as he hit a measly .186 last season. Sanchez is back to showing what he can do.
   
   
2. James McCann – James McCann’s .319 batting average is the highest of any catcher in Major League Baseball this season and more than 70 points higher than his career average. I’m not sure if he has the recognition among his fellow players to be voted in as the reserve by the players if he doesn’t get this fan vote, but he deserves it.
   
   
3. Robinson Chirinos – The Houston Astros fan-base seems to be as voracious of All Star voters as the Chicago Cubs fans in the National League. Chirinos’ on-base percentage and WAR is impressive, but I don’t see much need for him to be in the starting catcher conversation. 

First Base

C.J. Cron (Minnesota Twins): .285 BA, 17 HR, 50 RBI, .349 OBP, 2.1 WAR
Carlos Santana (Cleveland Indians): .292 BA, 16 HR, 46 RBI, .415 OBP, 2.6 WAR
Luke Voit (New York Yankees): .268 BA, 17 HR, 46 RBI, .388 OBP, 1.5 WAR

1. Carlos Santana – Carlos Santana appears to be thrilled to be back with his original team the Cleveland Indians after struggling with the Philadelphia Phillies for a season. He’s hitting more than 60 points higher than he did with the Phils and should be the favorite to start the All Star game at first base if those pesky New York Yankees fans don’t vote their guy Luke Voit in instead.
   
   
2. C.J. Cron – I didn’t understand it one bit, but the Tampa Bay Rays released C.J. Cron after last season despite a 30 homer season, which allowed the vast improved Minnesota Twins to pick him up and his All Star worthy first half is part of the Twins being on pace to set the season record for most home runs by a team. Cron is one of the feel-good stories of the season.
   
   
3. Luke Voit – Luke Voit has power like just about everybody else on that powerful New York Yankees team and being a part of the most popular franchise in baseball could get him a starting spot in the American League lineup, but I’d rather see him in the Home Run Derby than taking a spot from Santana or Cron in the midsummer classic. 

Second Base

Jose Altuve (Houston Astros): .247 BA, 9 HR, 21 RBI, .328 OBP, 0.3 WAR
Tommy La Stella (Los Angeles Angels): .295 BA, 15 HR, 41 RBI, .349 OBP, 1.6 WAR
D.J. LeMahieu (New York Yankees): .316 BA, 9 HR, 48 RBI, .365 OBP, 2.8 WAR
 

1. D.J. LeMahieu – Honestly, I voted mostly for Tommy La Stella of the Los Angeles Angels on the All Star ballot because he’s such a great feel good story, but D.J. LeMahieu has the best all-around numbers of any American League second baseman this season.
   
   
2. Tommy La Stella – Angels second baseman Tommy La Stella has five more homes so far this season than the first five seasons of his career where he was mostly a replacement player for the Chicago Cubs. La Stella is showing exactly what he’s capable of this season when given a chance every day.
   
   
3. Jose Altuve – Jose Altuve has been the best second baseman in baseball over the last decade for the Houston Astros, but he just hasn’t been right this season. He’s here because of name recognition and it could get him an All Star start, but he’s not deserving this season.

Third Base

Alex Bregman (Houston Astros): .263 BA, 21 HR, 51 RBI, .391 OBP, 3.8 WAR
Hunter Dozier (Kansas City Royals): .307 BA, 11 HR, 35 RBI, .396 OBP, 2.1 WAR
Gio Urshela (New York Yankees): .306 BA, 6 HR, 36 RBI, .358 OBP, 0.8 WAR
 

1. Alex Bregman – I think Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers should be starting at the hot corner for the American League in the All Star game, but he didn’t garner enough votes to be a finalist. Of the three finalists Houston Astros’ Alex Bregman has the best complete numbers, despite having a batting average quite a bit below the other two guys.
   
   
2. Hunter Dozier – If you had told be a Dozier would be an All Star in 2019, I would’ve assumed you were talking about Brian Dozier of the Washington Nationals. Coming into this season I don’t believed I’d ever heard the name Hunter Dozier, but he’s been a bright spot for the lowly Kansas City Royals in the first half hitting over .300 with an on-base percentage of nearly .400.
   
   
3. Gio Urshela – Things looked a bit bleak for the New York Yankees early this season when their starting third baseman Miguel Andujar went down for the year with injury, but in stepped Gio Urshela, who hadn’t done much at all in his career thus far playing in just 167 games over three seasons, and has put up impressive numbers in that Bronx Bombers lineup. 

Shortstop 

Carlos Correa (Houston Astros): .295 BA, 11 HR, 35 RBI, .360 OBP, 1.8 WAR
Jorge Polanco (Minnesota Twins): .324 BA, 11 HR, 38 RBI, .383 OBP, 3.8 WAR
Gleyber Torres (New York Yankees): .287 BA, 18 HR, 45 RBI, .347 OBP, 2.2 WAR
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1. Jorge Polanco – Jorge Polanco has been a sparkplug player for the hot Minnesota Twins team this season leading the American League with a .324 batting average. Polanco also has a WAR of more than a win higher than Gleyber Torres of the New York Yankees and two wins higher than Carlos Correa of the Houston Astros. What could hurt Polanco in the voting is that he doesn’t quite have the name recognition on powerhouse fan-base of those other two.
   
   
2. Gleyber Torres – Yankees shortstop Gleyber Torres has the best power numbers of the shortstop finalists, which could help sway the voters, and also plays for arguably the most popular (albeit also most hated) fan-base in the game. I wouldn’t be surprised if he wins the vote.
   
   
3. Carlos Correa – Carlos Correa is on pace to eclipse his numbers from last season’s disappointing campaign, but still doesn’t quite seem to be living up to his potential for the Houston Astros. 

Outfield

Mookie Betts (Boston Red Sox): .264 BA, 12 HR, 35 RBI, .387 OBP, 3.2 WAR
Michael Brantley (Houston Astros): .320 BA, 11 HR, 42 RBI, .378 OBP, 2.4 WAR
Joey Gallo (Texas Rangers): .276 BA, 17 HR, 41 RBI, .421 OBP, 3.1 WAR
Aaron Judge (New York Yankees): .266 BA, 5 HR, 11 RBI, .385 OBP, 1.1 WAR
Austin Meadows (Tampa Bay Rays): .301 BA, 12 HR, 38 RBI, .373 OBP, 1.9 WAR
Josh Reddick (Houston Astros): .293 BA, 9 HR, 28 RBI, .335 OBP, 0.9 WAR
Eddie Rosario (Minnesota Twins): .269 BA, 19 HR, 56 RBI, .300 OBP, 1.8 WAR
George Springer (Houston Astros): .308 BA, 17 HR, 43 RBI, .389 OBP, 2.6 WAR
Mike Trout (Los Angeles Angels): .307 BA, 22 HR, 56 RBI, .468 OBP, 5.4 WAR
 

1. Mike Trout – Mike Trout is the best player in baseball. He has been for the last decade (it’s hard to believe he’s already in his eighth full-time season and he’s made the All Star game every year) and he’ll likely be the best player in the game for another decade to come.
   
   
2. Michael Brantley – Michael Brantley was one of the most underappreciated and underrated hitters in baseball for years with the Cleveland Indians and he’s continuing to be such this season with the Houston Astros. His .320 batting average is just behind Jorge Polanco of the Minnesota Twins for the league.
   
   
3. George Springer – Houston Astros outfielder George Springer has not played in a game in more than a month with a hamstring injury and his statistics are still better than most of his fellow outfielders in the American League. Springer had 17 homers before going on the injured list and he’d likely be the major league leader had he played the last month.
   
   
4. Austin Meadows – In his first full-time season Austin Meadows has been the best player on the Tampa Bay Rays and is likely to make the All Star game as their representative whether or not the fans vote him in, and given his lack of name recognition compared to other finalists I’d be shocked to see him voted in.
   
   
5. Joey Gallo – Texas Rangers outfielder Joey Gallo has driven me nuts over the last few seasons as a guy who only seems to hit homers or strike out, but one of the biggest surprises in all of baseball for me this season is that Gallo, a career .213 hitter, is hitting .276. His .421 on-base percentage is second to only Mike Trout of A.L. outfield finalists and his 3.1 WAR is third behind Trout and Mookie Betts.
   
   
6. Eddie Rosario – Eddie Rosario is one of the big boppers in the middle of the Minnesota Twins lineup raking homers left and right that has the team on pace to set the MLB record for most home runs in a season. Rosario has 19 bombs and 56 RBI thus far.
   
   
7. Mookie Betts – The reigning American League MVP for the Boston Red Sox Mookie Betts hasn’t been quite a fearsome this season, but still has the second highest WAR at 3.2 of any of the nine A.L. outfield finalists, despite seeing his batting average drop 80 points from his batting title number last year and his power numbers drop a bit, as well.
   
   
8. Josh Reddick – Josh Reddick’s overall statistics are quite a bit lower than any of the other finalists who’ve played most of the first half of the season. He shouldn’t be here.
   
   
9. Aaron Judge – Aaron Judge has only played in 23 games this season due to injury and because of that belongs nowhere near this finalists list, but he’s a popular guy on a team with a large fan-base. 

Designated Hitter

Nelson Cruz (Minnesota Twins): .266 BA, 13 HR, 36 RBI, .357 OBP, 1.2 WAR
J.D. Martinez (Boston Red Sox): .288 BA, 16 HR, 42 RBI, .365 OBP, 1.4 WAR
Hunter Pence (Texas Rangers): .294 BA, 15 HR, 48 RBI, .353 OBP, 1.4 WAR
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1. J.D. Martinez – J.D. Martinez is simply one of the best hitters in baseball and believe it or not him hitting .288 this season is actually a slump for him. Martinez has hit .300 or higher in the four previous seasons, including a career high .330 last year.
   
   
2. Hunter Pence – It’s nice to see a late career rejuvenation for Hunter Pence with the Texas Rangers after previously thinking his career was pretty much over. Pence’s numbers are pretty much even with J.D. Martinez’s, so either pick is really OK with me.
   
   
3. Nelson Cruz – I don’t believe any player that has ever tested positive for performance enhancing drugs should be eligible to play in the All Star Game.