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MLB All-Star Game: Who Gets in from the National League?

With the All-Star game less than one month away, I wanted to break down each team in the National League and list the possible All-Star selections.

We all know that every team has to have at least one representative. This rule may not be the most popular, but at least it gives the game some diversitya dozen Yankees and Red Sox players doesn't appeal to everyone.

The National League looks to break the stranglehold that the American League has had on it for the last decade or so. 

Would you have thought that an "All-Star" team could be winless since 1996? 

No matter—here are the teams and their players on the bubble for All-Star inclusion.

 

Central

St. Louis Cardinals

Candidates: Albert Pujols, Skip Schumaker, Yadier Molina, Chris Carpenter, Ryan Franklin, Adam Wainwright

Pujols is the best hitter in baseball, and Carpenter, when healthy, is one of the best pitchers in baseball. Molina currently is the leading vote-getter among NL catchers, while Franklin has 17 saves. Both could get in. 

Schumaker doesn't have eye-popping numbers, while Wainwright might be a victim of his own numbers game, as in being the odd man out on the roster. The host Cardinals figure to be well represented all the same, however.

IN: Pujols, Molina, Carpenter, Franklin

OUT: Schumaker, Wainwright

 

Milwaukee Brewers

Candidates: Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, Yovani Gallardo, Trevor Hoffman

All four look good to get in. Braun and Fielder are legitimate sluggers in the game, and Gallardo (7-4, 3.00 ERA, 93 Ks) has been the savior of the Brewers' staff. Hoffman is up to his old tricks as well (16 saves).

IN: Braun, Fielder, Gallardo, Hoffman

 

Chicago Cubs

Candidates: Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee, Ryan Theriot, Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly

Lee has come on strong in the month of June but is in a league with Adrian Gonzalez, Albert Pujols, Prince Fielder, Joey Votto, and Adam Dunn. There simply is no room on the roster for Lee.

Theriot has modest numbers that don't merit much consideration. Soriano is only on this list because he is currently fourth in votinghe is no All-Star.

Look for Lilly to get in, as teammate Zambrano looks about 50/50.

IN: Lilly

OUT: Soriano, Lee, Theriot, Zambrano

 

Cincinnati Reds

Candidates: Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, Francisco Cordero, Jay Bruce, Johnny Cueto

Votto has the numbers, but his at-bats are down due to his long stay on the disabled list. Phillips likely is behind Orlando Hudson and Chase Utley, both in numbers and in popularity.

Cordero looks like an All-Star closer (17 saves, 2.10 ERA), and Cueto has super numbers as well (2.55 ERA in over 90 innings). Bruce has a batting average just above the Mendoza line. Wait 'til next year, Jay.

IN: Votto, Cordero

OUT: Phillips, Bruce, Cueto

 

Houston Astros

Candidates: Miguel Tejada, Carlos Lee, Lance Berkman, Hunter Pence, Michael Bourn, Wandy Rodriguez, Ivan Rodriguez

Too many candidates for a team currently four games under .500. Tejada and Pence are both hitting well above .300, and Lee seems to be an All-Star regular. 

Berkman has struggled somewhat, and Pudge Rodriguez really is only being considered because the fans could sneak him in. Bourn will not crack the top tier of outfielders.

Wandy Rodriguez (6-6, 3.18 ERA) has almost as many strikeouts as innings pitched, a good gauge of what an All-Star pitcher should look like.

IN: Wandy Rodriguez, Tejada, Lee

OUT: Berkman, Pence, Bourn, Ivan Rodriguez

 

Pittsburgh Pirates

Candidates: Freddy Sanchez, Zach Duke

Duke is in, Sanchez is out. Sorry Pirates fans, not much debate here.

IN: Duke

OUT: Sanchez

 

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East

Philadelphia Phillies

Candidates: Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Raul Ibanez, Shane Victorino

Utley and Ibanez figure to be in because of the fan voting. Howard has a much tougher road to climb with the star power of National League first basemen going against him.

Rollins doesn't have the numbers, but the fan vote could sneak him in (currently second). Victorino has nice numbers and can move up from fifth to fourth in the fan voting because of Carlos Beltran's recent injury. If it's between Victorino and Alfonso Soriano, it could be down to the wire.

IN: Utley, Ibanez, Victorino

OUT: Howard, Rollins

 

New York Mets

Candidates: David Wright, Carlos Beltran, Johan Santana, Francisco Rodriguez

Wright has the bat and legs to start, and he will. Beltran will get in despite his recent trip to the disabled list. 

Simply put, Santana is good at baseball. So is K-Rod. Both are All-Stars for sure.

IN: Wright, Beltran, Santana, Rodriguez

 

Florida Marlins

Candidates: Hanley Ramirez, Dan Uggla, Cody Ross, Josh Johnson

Ramirez remains the class of the National League shortstops, and Johnson needs to be on this roster. His numbers (7-1, 2.66, 1.05 WHIP) scream "All-Star."

Uggla's batting average is ugly (no pun intended), and Ross is too much of an unknown player to merit any All-Star consideration.

IN: Ramirez, Johnson

OUT: Uggla, Ross

 

Atlanta Braves

Candidates: Chipper Jones, Brian McCann, Nate McLouth, Yunel Escobar, Javier Vazquez, Derek Lowe, Jair Jurrjens

Lots of talent to show for a team without a lot of wins. McCann might get the fan vote, but his numbers should at least warrant a backup role. Chipper still can hit, but his numbers right now don't jump out at anyone.

McLouth doesn't figure to make the roster; same for Escobar.

Vazquez and Lowe should sneak in, though Jurrjens needs to continue his good season to have a chance.

IN: McCann, Lowe, Vazquez

OUT: Jones, McLouth, Escobar, Jurrjens

 

Washington Nationals

Candidates: Adam Dunn, Ryan Zimmerman, Cristian Guzman, John Lannan

For a team this bad, they actually have some nice pieces to build around. Zimmerman should make the team as the top reserve for starter David Wright.

Dunn has the power (18 HR, 50 RBI) but could be another player to have his bubble burst. Guzman knows how to hit (.335 average) and could sneak in.

Lannan is a pitcher on the Nationals, so that automatically disqualifies him from consideration.

IN: Zimmerman

OUT: Dunn, Guzman, Lannan

 

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West

Los Angeles Dodgers

Candidates: Orlando Hudson, Matt Kemp, Russell Martin, Manny Ramirez, Casey Blake, Chad Billingsley, Jonathan Broxton, Randy Wolf

Lots of possibles for the best team in baseball. Hudson gets in to back up Chase Utley, while Martin could sneak in at the thin catcher position. 

Kemp and Blake likely are on the outside looking in at this point. Manny is only listed here because the fans could carelessly vote him in.

Billingsley (96 Ks in 98 innings) and Broxton (57 Ks in 35 innings) give the National League some serious strikeout ability. Wolf can howl all he wants, but there won't be room for him.

IN: Hudson, Billingsley, Broxton

OUT: Kemp, Martin, Ramirez, Blake, Wolf

 

San Francisco Giants

Candidates: Pablo Sandoval, Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Brian Wilson

The Giants won't get a bat, but they'll get as many as three arms on this roster.

Lincecum and Cain are a combined 16-3 with an ERA in the mid-twos. Both are in.

Wilson is probably behind Hoffman, K-Rod, Broxton, and Heath Bell, so he'll likely be out of luck for a spot in the bullpen.

IN: Lincecum, Cain

OUT: Sandoval, Wilson

 

Colorado Rockies

Candidates: Todd Helton, Brad Hawpe, Troy Tulowitzki, Huston Street, Jason Marquis

The hot Rockies might get snubbed by only getting one representative. Hawpe is certainly going to represent his team, but will he be the only one?

Helton won't crack the Pujols/Fielder/Gonzalez trio, so he's out. Tulowitzki started too cold this year; he is out.

Marquis is not as good as his 9-4 record might indicate, and Street is a good closer in a league filled with great closers.

IN: Hawpe

OUT: Helton, Tulowitzki, Street, Marquis

 

San Diego Padres

Candidates: Adrian Gonzalez, Heath Bell, Scott Hairston

The Pads get a bat and an arm. Gonzalez and Bell will be on the roster.

Hairston's injury cost him his already slim chance.

IN: Gonzalez, Bell

OUT: Hairston

 

Arizona Diamondbacks

Candidates: Mark Reynolds, Justin Upton, Dan Haren, Max Scherzer

Reynolds has good power and speed numbers (19 HR and 13 steals), and Upton has similar stats (14 HR, nine steals), but both are on a bad team and may not have enough exposure to make the roster.

Haren is in with his 2.23 ERA and 0.82 WHIP, but Scherzer needs to wait another year.

IN: Haren

OUT: Reynolds, Upton, Scherzer

 

A lot could still change, obviously, with injuries and cold streaks for players, but that's how I see it as of now. 

I hope this league can at least field a competitive team to play, and hopefully beat, the American League.

Poll

Best of the American League
Tampa Bay
19%
Boston
19%
Chicago
7%
Minnesota
10%
Los Angeles
17%
Texas
27%
Total votes: 270

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