Baseball season is finally here! Opening Day 2012 is upon us! And I know it's early, but I've already started thinking about the All-Star Game. In fact, I started thinking about the All-Star Game way back in December when Albert signed with the Angels. It's fair to say that first base in the American League isn't just loaded. It'll be the hardest position in either league at which to make the All-Star team. As for all 19 spots the fans get to vote for, here's what I'm thinking:
American League
Catcher-Alex Avila of the Tigers was the starter last season, mainly because Joe Mauer was hurt. Mauer's still a fan-favorite, so if he's healthy and putting up Mauer-like numbers, I can see him getting a lot of votes. Russell Martin plays for the Yankees and made the All-Star team last season, which means he'll also be in the running to be the starter. But I'm going to play a hunch and say Mauer gets the start in Kansas City.
1st Base-Albert Pujols. Prince Fielder. Mark Teixeira. Adrian Gonzalez. Paul Konerko. Justin Morneau. Who do you choose? My thinking is that Albert is Albert. Albert fans will vote for him and Angels fans will vote for him. That's an almost unbeatable combination for one of the best players in the game.
2nd Base-You've got three bona fide stars in Robinson Cano, Dustin Pedroia and Ian Kinsler. Personally, I love Ian Kinsler. I think he's one of the most enjoyable players in the game to watch. But Red Sox Nation loves that annoying little pipsqueak so much that he knocked Kinsler out of the start he deserved a few years ago. Regardless, Cano's the best player on the Yankees. I'd be very surprised if he's not the starter.
Shortstop-Has Derek Jeter lost any of his appeal after that All-Star no-show last year? I don't think so. Even if he has, who else are people going to vote for as the American League shortstop? I can't think of anybody who'll even be close to Jeter's vote total.
3rd Base-Alex Rodriguez definitely HAS lost his appeal. As a result, the guy that you could almost always pencil in for an All-Star Game start for years has virtually no shot of starting this year's game. I'd expect it to be Evan Longoria. He's a popular player on a good team. Adrian Beltre and Kevin Youkilis could also be in the mix.
Outfield-Last year, Ichiro didn't make the All-Star team for the first time in his career. I voted for him over and over, but that 25-vote limit on MLB.com really hampered my ability to get him on the team. Problem is, I can't think of three American League outfielders that I'd be able to say will definitely get more All-Star votes than Ichiro. Red Sox fans have soured on Carl Crawford. Was Curtis Granderson's start last season a reward for his great first half or a reflection of his popularity. Did Josh Hamilton's favorite son status take a hit with the stuff he said about the Rangers during the offseason? If it did, I don't think it was enough to knock Hamilton out of the starting lineup. Likewise, people like home runs. Even though he's incredibly overrated, Jose Bautista received an incredible number of All-Star votes last season, and he'll probably get a bunch this year, as well. With the absense of other candidates, I'll give Ichiro the third spot.
Designated Hitter-David Ortiz is probably going to win. He always does. But I'd love to see Michael Young get the nod. Young's the consummate professional, and he's made All-Star teams at three different positions. I don't think Michael Young gets anywhere near the amount of respect he deserves. That's why it would be so great to see him start the All-Star Game.
National League
Catcher-I think we can all agree that Buster Posey was going to be the National League's starting catcher in the 2011 All-Star Game before his season-ending injury. If he makes it to the All-Star Break this year, he's going to run away with the vote. Sorry Brian McCann. Sorry Yadier Molina. Buster's going to start the All-Star Game this year, and for years to come.
1st Base-No Albert. No Prince. Unlike the loaded AL, their departure leaves the NL ballot at 1st base kind of barren. I'd say it's Ryan Howard's to lose, but he's going to be out until June recovering from that Achilles injury he suffered on the final out of last season's NLDS against the Cardinals. Back before he was 85 years old, Todd Helton started some All-Star Games. Maybe he jumps into the discussion. But I'll say the vote probably goes to Joey Votto.
2nd Base-Like his Phillies teammate Howard, Chase Utley's going to be out for a while. That probably takes the really only obvious guy out of the running. If it's not Utley, I have no idea who's going to start at 2nd base for the National League. Rickie Weeks? He started last year, so maybe some of that love will carry over. Brandon Phillips maybe? I really have no idea.
Shortstop-There are two big stars who play shortstop in the National League. Troy Tulowitzki and Jose Reyes. I think one of them starts the All-Star Game. If the Mets fans still vote for him and Marlins fans actually do exist, I think Reyes starts. Otherwise, it'll be Tulo. He'll get everybody else's votes. Except for the ones from Philly. But no matter how many times Phillies fans vote for him, Jimmy Rollins isn't going to start the All-Star Game.
3rd Base-In this post-Albert world, the new face of the St. Louis Cardinals is NLCS and World Series MVP David Freese. Freese went mainstream in October of 2011. Come July 2011, he'll be making the first of what I expect to be many All-Star Game starts.
Outfield-Matt Kemp is kind of like David Freese. Nobody knew who he was before last season. Now everyone loves him. Kemp is one of the five best all-around players in baseball. He'll have crazy numbers again. And I think it's possible he'll be the leading vote-getter in the National League. Ryan Braun's squeaky clean image is gone. He got his 50-game steroid suspension overturned on a technicality. Everyone knows it. His days of regularly starting the All-Star Game are over. So who will be the other two starters? I could easily see us going back to one of those all-NL West outfields we had in the late-90s with Barry Bonds, Tony Gwynn and Larry Walker. The two guys alongside Kemp in this situation would be Colorado's Carlos Gonzalez and Arizona's Justin Upton. Or you could get a Matt Holliday. Or a Shane Victorino (who I'll probably vote for more than a few times). And who knows? Maybe Carlos Beltran has worked his way back into America's good graces. It would be cool to see Andrew McCutchen start, but I don't think there are enough Pirates fans out there.
So, here's my early-April call on who'll be in the respective starting lineups in Kansas City in mid-July:
AL: C-Joe Mauer (Twins), 1B-Albert Pujols (Angels), 2B-Robinson Cano (Yankees), SS-Derek Jeter (Yankees), 3B-Evan Longoria (Rays), OF-Jose Bautista (Blue Jays), Josh Hamilton (Rangers), Ichiro Suzuki (Mariners), DH-David Ortiz (Red Sox)
NL: C-Buster Posey (Giants), 1B-Joey Votto (Reds), 2B-Rickie Weeks (Brewers), SS-Troy Tulowitzki (Rockies), 3B-David Freese (Cardinals), OF-Matt Kemp (Dodgers), Shane Victorino (Phillies), Carlos Gonzalez (Rockies)
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