The starting pitchers for the 2013 All-Star game have not yet been announced, but it's clear that there are a few pitchers who deserve to start.
Pitchers who deserve to start are not only having great years, but stand out in one or more particular categories.
Which pitchers deserve to start? Read on to find out.
Patrick Corbin
Corbin is not a household name, but he still deserves a chance to start. The 23-year-old has a 10-1 record, with a 2.40 ERA and a dazzling 0.98 WHIP.
He has the best winning percentage in the NL, while also boasting the fifth-best ERA.
He's unheralded to be sure, and he made his debut a little over a year ago. But he has four elite pitches and has been the most consistent pitcher in the NL.
The country needs to be introduced to Corbin, and there is no better place than on the mound in the first inning of the All-Star game.
Clayton Kershaw
Kershaw is leading the NL in most major pitching categories. He has the best ERA at 1.89, and has pitched the most innings, at 138.1.
He is second in the league in strikeouts with 129 and has the best WHIP, at 0.90.
The 8-5 record isn't pretty, but that's mostly due to a lack of run support.
On pure numbers, Kershaw is the best pitcher in baseball. That fact alone is enough to give him the starting gig.
Kershaw has said all the right things about the starting job, including telling FoxSports.com that Matt Harvey deserves the start: "There’s no reason, especially if it’s in New York, that he shouldn’t start. That’s what the fans will want. I’ve got no problem with that."
While the humility is endearing, Kershaw is the one who deserves the start. He simply has the best numbers.
Max Scherzer
Scherzer is putting up terrific numbers this year. He has a 13-0 record, with a 3.06 ERA, 146 strikeouts and a batting average against of .200.
The fact that he hasn't lost all year makes him worthy of taking the hill as the starter. It also doesn't hurt that his every day manager, Jim Leyland, will be coaching the AL squad.
Scherzer's fantastic start deserves to be rewarded. It's not often that a pitcher logs so many important innings for a contender and simply does not lose.
He's one of the most valuable pitchers in baseball and should be rewarded with the start.
Yes, choosing Mariano Rivera would be an unconventional choice. The legendary closer is used to starting the ninth inning, not the first.
But Rivera is retiring at the end of the season, and the greatest closer who ever lived deserves a fitting send-off.
If he is installed as the AL closer, there is no guarantee that he pitches in the bottom of the ninth. Jim Leyland will give him every chance to pitch, but if the American League is losing badly in the eighth, his appearance will lose its luster.
Starting him is undoubtedly sentimental, but it ensures the legend can end his All-Star career with the pomp and circumstance it deserves.
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