Can Mike Trout make it three All-Star Game MVP awards in a row?
That's the question for the Los Angeles Angels phenom as he was once again voted into the starting lineup for the American League Tuesday night. The All-Star Game will be played July 12 in San Diego, California.
The American League has won three games in a row, and catcher Salvador Perez of the Kansas City Royals secured the highest vote total of any player in either league. The Royals catcher is becoming a dominant player.
Perez's teammate, Eric Hosmer, will join him in the American League starting lineup, starting at first base. Jose Altuve, a legitimate American League MVP candidate, will start at second base. The Houston Astros star is hitting a league-best .353 and he has also bashed 14 home runs and 49 RBI.
Shortstop Xander Bogaerts of the Boston Red Sox has plenty of company in the starting lineup. In addition to slugging designated hitter David Ortiz, outfielders Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr. will also start for the American League. Bradley had a 29-game hitting streak earlier this year, and he is one of the best defensive outfielders in either league.
Manny Machado of the Baltimore Orioles, another legitimate MVP candidate with a .325 batting average along with 18 home runs and 50 RBI, will start at third base even though he has played most of the season at shortstop.
On the National League side, the Senior Circuit has a distinctly Chicago Cub flavor. Anthony Rizzo will start at first base, Ben Zobrist was voted in as a starter at second base along with Addison Russell at shortstop and MVP candidate Kris Bryant is at third base.
Zobrist edged out Daniel Murphy of the Washington Nationals by 88 votes, according to ESPN Stats & Info, and while that's a difficult reality for the Washington second baseman, he did make the team as a reserve.
Buster Posey edged out Yadier Molina and will start behind the plate for the National League. However, a good case can be made that Wilson Ramos of the Washington Nationals deserved to start as a result of his superb first half.
Ramos made the All-Star team as a reserve, and teammate Bryce Harper will start in the outfield along with Yoenis Cespedes of the New York Mets and Dexter Fowler of the Cubs.
Other National League key reserves Paul Goldschmidt of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Matt Carpenter of the St. Louis Cardinals, Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies and Corey Seager of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Seager has been impressive throughout the year. He is hitting .305 with 17 homers and 41 RBI, and his performance has been more consistent than Russell's. The Chicago shortstop hit two home runs Tuesday and now has 11 for the season
American League reserves include Mark Trumbo of the Baltimore Orioles, who has 24 home runs, along with Robinson Cano, who is hitting .303 with 19 home runs for the Seattle Mariners. Ian Desmond, an MVP candidate for the Texas Rangers, made the American League team at shortstop. He is hitting .321 with 15 home runs and 52 RBI.
Clayton Kershaw was named to the National League pitching staff and almost certainly would have been the starter if he had not been put on the disabled list recently with a back issue. That honor could fall to Stephen Strasburg of the Washington Nationals, Jake Arrieta of the Chicago Cubs or Noah Syndergaard of the New York Mets.
Chris Sale of the Chicago White Sox could start for the American League, although that honor could go to Cole Hamels of the Texas Rangers or perhaps Danny Salazar of the Cleveland Indians. The American League has nine relief pitchers and just five starters.
There are significant snubs on both sides. Brandon Crawford (.270, 8 HR, 53 RBI) has been a mainstay for the San Francisco Giants at shortstop and he won't be in San Diego, and neither will Freddie Freeman (.292, 14 HR, 31 RBI) of the Atlanta Braves or Gregory Polanco (.297, 12 HR, 50 RBI) of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Ian Kinsler did not get named to the American League team, even though he is on pace to score 123 runs and drive in 100. Power hitter Chris Davis of the Orioles was left off the American League team despite bashing 21 home runs and driving in 56 runs. Red Sox star second baseman Dustin Pedroia was not named to the American League team, either.
All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.
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