By Andrew Lipsett
On Wednesday, I shared my picks for the American League All-Star team. Today, I want to do the same for the Senior Circuit; it’s a bit more of a challenge, as I don’t see these players as much and am slightly more unfamiliar, but I can certainly take a stab at it, and you can certainly tell me I’m wrong.
Catcher: Brian McCann
The young catchers are taking over. Of the top 20 catchers in OPS in the majors this year, a tremendous number are under 30 – over half, by my estimates. A significant chunk of those are not yet 27. In the AL, Minnesota catcher Joe Mauer (23) is leading the way; in the NL, that position belongs to Atlanta catcher Brian McCann. McCann, just 22, broke into the majors last year as a replacement for Johnny Estrada and hasn’t stopped hitting since; in 153 AB’s in 2006, he’s got numbers that very closely resemble Mauer’s (.359 BA, .414 OBP, .526 SLG, 5 HR) and has a similar reputation as a solid defensive backstop who can develop a good rapport with pitchers. At 22, his ceiling remains exceptionally high. McCann – along with Mauer, Josh Willingham, Victor Martinez, and LA’s Russ Martin – are the future of catching in the Majors. For McCann, the future starts now.
Runners-up: David Ross, Michael Barrett, Russell Martin
Current leader: Paul LoDuca
First Base: Albert Pujols
So what if he’s injured? Pujols had such an incredible start to his season that he’s still, after having been on the shelf for nearly three weeks, tied for first in the Majors with 25 HR. Pujols’ 2006 season was shaping up to be one of the five or six greatest of all-time, just as Pujols himself is shaping up to be among the very highest echelon of players in baseball history; he deserves to have a starting spot reserved for him in every All-Star Game for the next 5 years.
Runners-up: Ryan Howard, Nomar Garciaparra, Lance Berkman, Nick Johnson
Current Leader: Albert Pujols
Second Base: Dan Uggla
Going into the season, most people – including myself, for the most part – wrote off Florida due to the extreme number of rookies on the club. Of those rookies, Uggla was widely considered the least interesting, but he has turned out – through nearly half the season – to be perhaps the most impressive. He leads all NL 2B’s in OPS, SLG, and HR, he’s third in OBP, second in BA. Though other young 2B’s – and the NL is full of them – have had excellent seasons so far, Uggla is pretty much the clearest choice.
Runners-up: Chase Utley, Brandon Phillips, Jose Castillo, Rickie Weeks
Current Leader: Chase Utley
Third Base: David Wright
With Pujols injured, most of the MVP focus has turned to Queens, where David Wright is putting up some truly monster numbers and establishing himself as perhaps the best 3B in the game – A-Rod included. His 1.006 OPS is best among all MLB 3B’s, and ranks 7th among all MLB players, while his .601 SLG leads MLB 3B and is 6th in the NL. He’s batting .338 and getting on base at a .405 clip; he’s also smashed 17 homers, many of them at game-changing moments. He’s a gritty defender, and one of the game’s brightest young stars. He could be an establishment at 3rd in the Summer Classic for a very very long time.
Runners-up: Miguel Cabrera, Morgan Ensberg, Scott Rolen, Freddy Sanchez
Current leader: David Wright
Shortstop: Bill Hall
Bill Hall, Milwaukee’s super-sub and now everyday SS, has been on the verge of a breakout year for some time; not yet 27, Hall has been unable to establish himself as a starter in Milwaukee’s often-crowded infield. This year, however, it’s been impossible to keep him out of the lineup. His 15 homers are nearly double the next highest mark (9, shared by Jimmy Rollins and Khalil Greene). His .898 OPS is easily the best of the position, and he’s slugged over .100 better than the competition. Though his on-base skills remain iffy at best, his power has more than made up for the high number of outs, and his defensive reputation is well-deserved. There’s also no chance he’ll get voted on to anything, and a better than even chance he’ll be completely overlooked come early July.
Runners-up: Edgar Renteria, Jose Reyes
Current leader: Jose Reyes
Outfield: Carlos Beltran, Bobby Abreu, Matt Holliday
Remember last year, when Mets fans thought the Beltran signing was the worst thing they’d ever seen? Well guess what? Beltran has been absolutely destroying NL pitching this year, pulling down a 1.019 OPS and 19 HR while getting on base slightly better than 40% of the time. He’s been the leading force – along with Wright – of the juggernaut Met offense, and is a very legitimate MVP candidate from center field (and certainly the best CF in the game right now).
Abreu may not have numbers as gaudy as Beltran’s – just 8 homers and a .483 SLG to this point in the season – but what has made Abreu truly great in 06 is his patience. The Phillies RF leads the majors in walks and is second in OBP only to Barry Bonds. His OBP powers his .931 OPS, which is in the top 6 among NL OF’s.
The third name on this list was tough for me, as I can’t quite deal with judging Colorado players on their batting stats, but Matt Holliday has been a legitimate star-caliber player in 2006 and deserves the nod. With a .998 OPS (still .956 on the road) and 15 HR, not to mention an impressive .345 BA, Holliday has been one of the main reasons the Rockies have remained somewhat competitive in the NL West this season.
Runners-up: Jason Bay, Pat Burrell, Alfonso Soriano, Adam Dunn, Carlos Lee
Current leaders: Carlos Beltran, Alfonso Soriano, Jason Bay
There you have it; my NL ballot. And yes, I’m already arguing with myself that Jason Bay should be on there, but feel free to chime in.
