My MLB American League All Star Ballot

Personally, I think it’s too early in the season to be voting for the All Star Game this year, but the ballots are open so I placed my first vote (of course I’ll vote again and often).

When I compared players at each position I sorted them by RBI as I find that it is the most important stat in baseball. Obviously, I didn’t pick just the RBI leaders, I took other stats in consideration too.

Here goes:

First Base: Casey Kotchman, LAA
Kotchman is tied for 2nd in RBI and has the best AVG at his position and is very good defensively. He also single-handedly killed my Tigers in the only game I got to go to this year.

Second Base: Dustin Pedroia, BOS
He’s got the most hits in baseball and is the best defensive 2nd baseman in baseball. Not bad for a midget. 

Shortstop: Edgar Renteria, DET
Probably a homer pick here, but his only negative is his range defensively at short.

Third Base: Miguel Cabrera, DET
He’s not even playing 3rd any more and usually the stacked position has no real stars this early. Alex Rodriguez is slumping and only Chone (inexplicably pronounced Sean) Figgins has a .300 AVG.  Cabrera has the most RBI and a decent average.

Catcher: Joe Mauer, MIN
He’s a team leader, good defensively and has four more RBI than my second choice, Victor Martinez.

Outfield (3): Josh Hamilton, TEX; Curtis Granderson, DET; Manny Ramirez, BOS
Josh Hamilton is having a break out season playing for a horrible team with no pitching. Curtis Granderson is a homer pick of course because his stats aren’t on par with league leaders because he missed a couple weeks due to injury, but he has come back on fire. Man-Ram is being Man-Ram and will be in the top 5 of every major hitting category at the end of the season.

Designated Hitter: Aubrey Huff, BAL
He and the Baltimore Orioles started hot and have cooled down a bit. If he cools down more, my vote could swing towards the resurgent David Ortiz who started the year injured.

May 5, 2008 – 10:13 pm -