Tonight's MLB All-Star game is being played at 8pm on FOX as the visiting American League takes on the National League at Citi Field in Flushing, NY, home of the New York Mets.
This game determines which league will have home-field advantage in this year's World Series. This game will mark the 11th year that the All-Star Game decides this and through 10 years the league that went on to win the All-Star Game is 7-3 in the World Series.
In my opinion the American League has the better hitters and the National League has the better pitchers. While I believe the NL has a better pitching staff, for this type of game I think the AL has a better chance at winning because of who they can turn to late in the game. When it comes down to it, no one in the NL wants to see #42 come in to pitch in the ninth inning. No one.
For this reason I am predicting that the AL will come out on top. My guess is that the AL will win this game 6-4 with Manny Machado winning the game's MVP. I know going with Machado is pretty random, but he will likely hit a late-inning double that will drive in a couple runs that give the AL either the lead or push them out far enough to end this game. Just seems like whichever player comes off the bench late and makes an impact is most likely to win the game's MVP.
The NL won this game last year and the two years before, while the AL won seven straight after the 2002 fiasco that ended in a tie. That tie is why the game now "matters" as Major League Baseball wanted to make this game worthwhile for the fans and make this game actually worth something.
While I like the idea of the MLB making the All-Star game determine home-field advantage, I just think one game isn't enough to decide it. The MLB season is 162 games long and they allow one game in the middle of the season to determine which league's team will have home-field advantage.
I would like to see the game actually turned into a three-game series with a slightly larger roster. The MLB could extend the All-Star week into an actual week which would help players be fresher for the second have of the season. The series would probably become something bigger than the game already is and would allow both teams to have more players on their rosters. It would also give pitchers more innings to work with and allow hitters to play more than just three innings. With players only playing as little as they are in this game, it just isn't a real game to me. (Trust me if there was something else going on with sports today I would write about it. This is the most miserable four days for any sports fan of the year.)
As for tonight's game both lineups are listed below as well as my comments on five players from each league that should have made the All-Star game as well as five that shouldn't have.
American League:
Starting Lineup:
1) LF Mike Trout (Angels) - .322 BA, 15 HR, 59 RBI
2) 2B Robinson Cano (Yankees) - .302 BA, 21 HR, 65 RBI
3) 3B Miguel Cabrera (Tigers) - .365 BA, 30 HR, 95 RBI
4) 1B Chris Davis (Orioles) - .315 BA, 37 HR, 93 RBI
5) RF Jose Bautista (Blue Jays) - .254 BA, 20 HR, 55 RBI
6) DH David Ortiz (Red Sox) - .317 BA, 19 HR, 65 RBI
7) CF Adam Jones (Orioles) - .296 BA, 19 HR, 67 RBI
8) C Joe Mauer (Twins) - .320 BA, 8 HR, 32 RBI
9) SS J.J. Hardy (Orioles) - .251 BA, 16 HR, 52 RBI
0) SP Max Scherzer (Tigers) - 13-1, 152 K, 3.19 ERA
Reserves:
C Jason Castro (Astros) - .269 BA, 12 HR, 31 RBI
C Salvador Perez (Royals) - .284 BA, 4 HR, 38 RBI
1B Prince Fielder (Tigers) - .267 BA, 16 HR, 69 RBI
2B Jason Kipnis (Indians) - .301 BA, 13 HR, 57 RBI
2B Dustin Pedroia (Red Sox) - .316 BA, 6 HR, 56 RBI
2B Ben Zobrist (Rays) - .260 BA, 6 HR, 48 RBI
3B Manny Machado (Orioles) - .310, 7 HR, 45 RBI
SS Jhonny Peralta (Tigers) - .303, 8 HR, 46 RBI
OF Nelson Cruz (Rangers) - .277, 22 HR, 69 RBI
OF Alex Gordon (Royals) - .283, 9 HR, 49 RBI
OF Torii Hunter (Tigers) - .315, 7 HR, 44 RBI
DH Edwin Encarnacion (Blue Jays) - .264, 25 HR, 72 RBI
SP Felix Hernandez (Mariners) - 10-4, 140 K, 2.53 ERA
SP Justin Masterson (Indians) - 10-7, 137 K, 3.72 ERA
SP Chris Sale (White Sox) - 6-8, 131 K, 2.85 ERA
SP Matt Moore (Rays) - 13-3, 108 K, 3.44 ERA - Replaces SP Yu Darvish (Rangers) - 8-4, 157 K, 3.02 ERA
SP Chris Tillman (Orioles) - 11-3, 89 K, 3.95 ERA - Replaces SP Justin Verlander (Tigers) - 10-6, 125 K, 3.50 ERA
RP Mariano Rivera (Yankees) - 30 SV, 32 K, 1.83 ERA
RP Joe Nathan (Rangers) - 30 SV, 42 K, 1.36 ERA
RP Steve Delabar (Blue Jays) - 5 HD, 58 K, 1.71 ERA
RP Brett Cecil (Blue Jays) - 5 HD, 55 K, 1.94 ERA
RP Glen Perkins (Twins) - 21 SV, 47 K, 1.82 ERA - Replaces SP Clay Buchholz (Red Sox) - 9-0, 81 K, 1.71 ERA
RP Greg Holland (Royals) - 22 SV, 60 K, 1.80 ERA - Replaces SP Hisashi Iwakuma (Mariners) - 8-4, 113 K, 3.02 ERA
RP Grant Balfour (Athletics) - 25 SV, 41 K, 1.63 ERA - Replaces SP Bartolo Colon (Athletics) - 12-3, 70 K, 2.70 ERA
Going to be the last time we get to see this at an MLB All-Star Game.
5 Players Who Shouldn't Have Made It:
1) C Salvador Perez (Royals) - The numbers he's putting up aren't all-star caliber. How'd he make it?
2) 2B Ben Zobrist (Rays) - The AL already 3 second basemen. Why'd they add a fourth?
3) OF Torii Hunter (Tigers) - His numbers are okay, but it seems like he got here more because of who he is.
4) SP Chris Sale (White Sox) - He's pitching well, but if you have a losing record, how are you an All-Star?
5) RP Steve Delabar/Brett Cecil (Blue Jays) - Both guys are pitching really well right now, but since when are middle relievers All-Stars, especially two from the same ball club?
5 Players Who Should Have Made It:
1) C Carlos Santana (Indians) - .275 BA, 11 HR, 43 RBI. He should have easily made this team over Perez.
2A) 3B Josh Donaldson (Athletics) - .310 BA, 16 HR, 61 RBI and he was left off the roster for some reason.
2B) 3B Adrian Beltre (Rangers) - .316 BA, 21 HR, 55 RBI. Same as Donaldson. Both should be here over Zobrist.
3) OF Jacoby Ellsbury (Red Sox) - .305 BA, 59 R, 36 SB. He's a lot more deserving and I can't stand the Red Sox.
4) SP Hiroki Kuroda (Yankees) - 8-6, 84 K, 2.65 ERA. Outside of strikeouts he has better numbers than Sale. It's not like he's getting more hitting than Sale either as the team in the Bronx isn't really Bombing lately.
5) RP David Robertson (Yankees) - 22 HD, 51 K, 2.11 ERA. Somehow lost out on the last spot to Delabar. He's the main reason the Bronx Bombers are able to get from starting pitchers to Rivera. I don't know how he was left off.
Starting Lineup:
1) 2B Brandon Phillips (Reds) - .266 BA, 12 HR, 74 RBI
2) RF Carlos Beltran (Cardinals) - .309 BA, 19 HR, 53 RBI
3) 1B Joey Votto (Reds) - .318 BA, 15 HR, 42 RBI
4) 3B David Wright (Mets) - .304 BA, 13 HR, 44 RBI
5) LF Carlos Gonzalez (Rockies) - .302 BA, 25 HR, 64 RBI
6) C Yadier Molina (Cardinals) - .341 BA, 7 HR, 49 RBI
7) SS Troy Tulowitzki (Rockies) - .332 BA, 16 HR, 52 RBI
8) DH Michael Cuddyer (Rockies) - .330 BA, 16 HR, 55 RBI
9) CF Bryce Harper (Nationals) - .264 BA, 13 HR, 29 RBI
0) SP Matt Harvey (Mets) - 7-2, 147 K, 2.35 ERA
The video below is from Late Night with Jimmy Fallon as Matt Harvey interviews Mets fans in New York City about Matt Harvey.
Reserves:
C Buster Posey (Giants) - .325 BA, 13 HR, 56 RBI
C Brian McCann (Braves) - .291 BA, 12 HR, 32 RBI - Replaces 1B Freddie Freeman (Braves) - .308 BA, 9 HR, 61 RBI
1B Allen Craig (Cardinals) - .333 BA, 10 HR, 71 RBI
1B Paul Goldschmidt (Diamondbacks) - .313 BA, 21 HR, 77 RBI
2B Matt Carpenter (Cardinals) - .321 BA, 9 HR, 45 RBI
2B Marco Scutaro (Giants) - .316 BA, 2 HR, 22 RBI
3B Pedro Alvarez (Pirates) - .250 BA, 24 HR, 62 RBI
SS Everth Cabrera (Padres) - .291 BA, 4 HR, 25 RBI
SS Jean Segura (Brewers) - .325 BA, 11 HR, 36 RBI
OF Domonic Brown (Phillies) - .273 BA, 23 HR, 67 RBI
OF Carlos Gomez (Brewers) - .295 BA, 14 HR, 45 RBI
OF Andrew McCutchen (Pirates) - .302 BA, 10 HR, 49 RBI
Pitching Staff:
SP Madison Bumgarner (Giants) - 10-5, 122 K, 3.02 ERA
SP Patrick Corbin (Diamondbacks) - 11-1, 109 K, 2.35 ERA
SP Jose Fernandez (Marlins) - 5-5, 103 K, 2.75 ERA
SP Cliff Lee (Phillies) - 10-3, 125 K, 2.86 ERA
SP Clayton Kershaw (Dodgers) - 8-6, 139 K, 1.98 ERA
SP Travis Wood (Cubs) - 6-6, 86 K, 2.79 ERA
RP Aroldis Champman (Reds) - 21 SV, 64 K, 2.79 ERA
RP Jason Grilli (Pirates) - 29 SV, 63 K, 1.99 ERA
RP Craig Kimbrel (Braves) - 26 SV, 54 K, 1.53 ERA
RP Mark Melancon (Pirates) - 25 HD, 46 K, 0.81 ERA - Replaces SP Jeff Locke (Pirates) - 8-2, 73 K, 2.15 ERA
RP Edward Mujica (Cards) - 26 SV, 34 K, 2.20 ERA - Replaces SP Adam Wainwright (Cards) - 12-5, 130 K, 2.45 ERA
RP Sergio Romo (Giants) - 21 SV, 38 K, 2.86 ERA - Replaces SP Jordan Zimmermann (Nationals) - 12-4, 95 K, 2.58 ERA
5 Players Who Shouldn't Have Made It
1) C Brian McCann (Braves) - Replaced a Brave with a Brave. Must have been that simple.
2) 2B Marco Scutaro (Giants) - He's batting over .300, but he's not scoring or hitting guys in. There's two guys more deserving.
3) OF Bryce Harper - Outside of him being a young phenom he just isn't having an all-star season. If you put his numbers up against the best five outfielders that didn't make this team they are all much more deserving. Only reason he made it was because of the fans vote. It helps when we've all known who he was since he was 16 (He shouldn't have been in last night's Derby either and he somehow almost won the thing).
4/5) SP Jose Fernandez (Marlins) & Travis Wood (Cubs) - Both guys are .500 on the year. Neither guy plays for a team that has any run support so I understand why their records are so poor. What it comes down to is that at least one player from each roster makes the all-star team and the MLB settled for these two on the Marlins and Cubs respectively. I know they are both playing well, but I think pitchers on winning teams deserve this spot more.
5 Players Who Should Have Made It
1) C Wilin Rosario (Rockies) - .276 BA, 13 HR, 46 RBI. He has been more productive than McCann.
2A) 2B Daniel Murphy (Mets) - .270 BA, 6 HR, 39 RBI, 52 R. The game is being played at Citi Field and that should have been enough to get him on this squad over Scutaro.
2B) 2B Chase Utley (Phillies) - .272 BA, 11 HR, 30 RBI. He has more power than Murphy and is a much bigger name. I'd take him or Murphy over Scutaro any day.
3A) OF Starling Marte - .291 BA, 9 HR, 28 RBI, 59 R, 28 SB. Not only is he playing phenomenally right now, but his team has the second best record in the National League.
3B) OF Shin-Soo Choo - .287 BA, 13 HR, 31 RBI, 66 R, 11 SB. I'd put Marte slightly ahead of him, but he should definitely be in tonight's game as well. Why couldn't he get all of those same votes that Yao or Ichiro used to get? (I know Yao is Chinese, Ichiro is Japanese and Choo is Korean. Just seems like every time an Asian player is playing well they make all-star games easily.)
4/5A) SP Shelby Miller (Cardinals) - 9-6, 112 K, 2.92 ERA
4/5B) SP Mike Minor (Braves) - 9-4, 115 K, 3.02 ERA
4/5C) SP Gio Gonzalez (Natonals) - 7-3, 114 K, 3.03 ERA
All three of those pitchers have a winning record, over 100 strikeouts and an ERA that is right around 3. Any two of those three guys should be in this game over Hernandez & Wood (Wood's on my fantasy team and I still don't think he deserves to be here).
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