2013 MLB All-Star Speculation

So, as baseball season gradually ramps up, I thought I'd indulge in some rampant speculation about who'll be the starting position players for the All-Star Game. Obviously there's a pretty high margin of error on these predictions, but I think for the starting lineups there's a fair degree that can be said well in advance.


National League

Catcher
Buster Posey, SFG or Yadier Molina, STL. Pretty simple here; I'd be shocked if it isn't one of these two.

First Base
Joey Votto, CIN is the heavy favorite. Behind Votto's a pretty crowded first tier, so to speak (Votto being above all the tiers, by himself): I could see any of Ike Davis, NYM, Ryan Howard, PHI, Adam LaRoche, WSN, Anthony Rizzo, CHC, or Adrian Gonzalez, LAD performing at All-Star level.

Second Base
Honestly, pretty wide open here. Chase Utley, PHI; Dan Uggla, ATL; Brandon Phillips, CIN; and maybe Marco Scutaro, SFG come to mind. If Utley's performing in a remotely Utlesque fashion, he'll get it, easily. Otherwise, I guess I'd make Phillips the favorite?

Shortstop
Hanley Ramirez, LAD and Troy Tulowitzki, COL are the favorites. Jimmy Rollins, PHI and Ian Desmond, WSN could be in the mix.

Third Base
A somewhat loaded position. I'd have to give David Wright, NYM the edge, especially given the way he's tearing the cover off the ball at the World Baseball Classic at present. But he'll need to perform to get it, with Ryan Zimmerman, WSN, David Freese, STL, Chase Headley, SDP, and Pablo Sandoval, SFG hot on his heels.

Outfield
I'd call Ryan Braun, MIL, Matt Kemp, LAD, and Giancarlo Stanton, MIA the favorites to land starting spots. Other contenders for the always-volatile part of the lineup include the likes of: Bryce Harper, WSN; Justin Upton, ATL; Matt Holliday, STL; B.J. Upton, ATL; Andrew McCutchen, PIT; Jason Heyward, ATL; Carlos Beltran, STL. Yeah, that's all three from the Braves lineup. They're kind of scary.


American League

Catcher
If he's healthy, gotta go with Joe Mauer, MIN. Otherwise it could be someone like Matt Wieters, BAL, Carlos Santana, CLE, or Alex Avila, DET.

First Base
Just a wee bit stacked here. Gotta figure Albert Pujols, LAA has the inside track if he performs. If he doesn't, though, Prince Fielder, DET becomes the favorite. Actually, the two of them are pretty far ahead of everyone else.

Second Base
Robinson Cano, NYY is the favorite, with Dustin Pedroia, BOS and Ian Kinsler, TEX the main competition, I'd say.

Shortstop
It's tough to beat Derek Jeter, NYY at the fan-voting thing, but if a miracle occurs and they actually award it on the merits, I really like Jose Reyes, TOR for it. Asdrubal Cabrera, CLE, Jhonny Peralta, DET, and Elvis Andrus, TEX would seem to be the next tier.

Third Base
A seriously stacked position, with MVP Miguel Cabrera, DET, Evan Longoria, TBR, and Adrian Beltre, TEX all in the mix. It's tough to bet against MVP and Triple Crown here.

Outfield
The injury to Curtis Granderson, NYY affects the race a wee bit. Excluding him, I think it's probably safe to say that Mike Trout, LAA will be in the lineup, probably batting first; Jacoby Ellsbury, BOS or Michael Bourn, CLE are good picks to start in center field; and Jose Bautista, TOR should be the starting right fielder. Yoenis Cespedes, OAK, Adam Jones, BAL, Josh Hamilton, LAA, and Ben Zobrist, TBR are also in the mix. Zobrist will almost certainly be in as a reserve, for his utility-role qualities.

Designated Hitter
There'll be a DH for the NL, too, but speculation is most relevant for the league that'll be picking from those who play the position every day. If he's remotely healthy, you'd kind of expect David Ortiz, BOS to have this locked up as he always does. Obviously the list of starting DH's is a list of flawed players, specifically in that they can't play the field. I could see any of Edwin Encarnacion, TOR, Mark Reynolds, CLE, Victor Martinez, DET, Adam Dunn, CHW, Billy Butler, KCR, Carlos Pena, HOU, Lance Berkman, TEX, or Mark Trumbo, LAA being in the mix if Ortiz isn't: in other words, it's Big Papi or it's wide open.


One thing I note as I look over my projections and think about the possible lineups is that the N.L. really isn't looking to have any lead-off types starting the game. As most likely picks, I've got Posey, Votto, Phillips, Tulo, Wright, Braun (as DH), Harper, Kemp, and Stanton. Who, exactly, bats first there? An awful lot of middle-of-the-order power bats, as usual at one of these things, but not a lot of the on-base-and-speed types. I guess if Hanley makes it over Tulo, he'd lead off? The American League, on the other hand, could have a whole bunch of speedsters, with Reyes, Trout, and Ellsbury or Bourn all in there. (A lot of power, too, obviously, with Pujols, Cano, Cabrera, Joey Bats, and Papi.)

I think the lesson is that this could be a very fun All-Star Game. And hey, it'll be in Queens!