For the 95th year of the Midsummer Classic, baseball goes to Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. The last time the mid-summer classic was played in Atlanta was in 2000. The All-Star game should have been played in Atlanta during the 2021 season, but commissioner Rob Manfred decided to score political points and moved it Coors Field in Denver, Colorado. Now every year there is always a lot of discussion and some of it a little dated about how the teams are put together. No system will ever be perfect. Fans don’t always get it right and managers won’t either, nor the commissioner’s office. The fact that the players are able to vote for participants was a great choice and they know who is deserving. Regardless of who should or shouldn’t be in the game lets just accept that the best players will always be involved one way or another. Here are my all-stars keeping with the rules that every team be represented and a total of 32 players for each league.
Continue readingNationals
National League East
Standard* – indicates new to team
+ – indicates injury
1. Atlanta Braves
With Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider returning from season ending injuries last year this team gets a needed boost to make a Postseason run in October.
2. Philadelphia Phillies
The talent is everywhere on the roster, but time could be running out on this group with certain players having contracts coming due in the next season or two.
3. New York Mets
Signing Juan Soto to that massive deal and then bringing back Pete Alonso put the baseball world on notice that the Mets are not messing around and they want to win right now.
4. Washington Nationals
James Wood and Dylan Crews are taking their stake in the lineup, but the pitching staff still has a ways to go.
5. Miami Marlins
Lots of talented players under club control for a while, but how much longer will they hang on to former Cy Young winner Sandy Alcantara?
Player to Watch: P Zack Wheeler – Philadelphia Phillies
Best Acquisition: OF Juan Soto – New York Mets
New Kid on the Block: OF Dylan Crews – Washington Nationals
Continue reading2024 MLB All-Star Teams
StandardFor the 94th year of the Midsummer Classic, baseball goes to Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The last time the mid-summer classic was played in Arlington was in 1995. Now every year there is always a lot of discussion and some of it a little dated about how the teams are put together. No system will ever be perfect. Fans don’t always get it right and managers won’t either, nor the commissioner’s office. The fact that the players are able to vote for participants was a great choice and they know who is deserving. Regardless of who should or shouldn’t be in the game lets just accept that the best players will always be involved one way or another. Here are my all-stars keeping with the rules that every team be represented and a total of 32 players for each league.
AVG – Batting Average
ERA – Earned Run Average
HR – Home Runs
RBI – Runs Batted In
SV – Saves
BAA – Batting Average Against
WHIP – Walks/Hits Per Innings Pitched
K – Strikeouts
Stats are accurate as of July 13th
* – asterisk indicates starter
Continue reading2023 MLB All-Star Teams
StandardFor the 93rd year of the Midsummer Classic, baseball goes to T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Washington. The last time the mid-summer classic was played in Seattle was in 2001. Now every year there is always a lot of discussion and some of it a little dated about how the teams are put together. No system will ever be perfect. Fans don’t always get it right and managers won’t either, nor the commissioner’s office. The fact that the players are able to vote for participants was a great choice and they know who is deserving. Regardless of who should or shouldn’t be in the game lets just accept that the best players will always be involved one way or another. Here are my all-stars keeping with the rules that every team be represented and a total of 32 players for each league.
Continue readingNational League East
Standard* – indicates new to team
+ – indicates injury
1. Atlanta Braves
A stellar lineup that gets bolstered with the addition of Sean Murphy and a deep pitching staff bodes well for them in October.
2. Philadelphia Phillies
Losing Rhys Hoskins for the season will be noticeable, but adding Trea Turner should help offset that injury.
3. New York Mets
If their closer Edwin Diaz did not have a season ending injury in the World Baseball Classic, they would be a contender for the division. A Wild Card spot is still within reach with this group they’ve assembled.
4. Miami Marlins
Outside of Sandy Alcantara, Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Luis Arraez, there ins’t much here in terms of being contenders.
5. Washington Nationals
Yes, the return they got for Juan Soto at last years trade deadline was good, but this is going to be a rough year for this franchise.
Player to Watch: P Sandy Alcantara – Miami Marlins
Best Acquisition: SS Trea Turner – Philadelphia Phillies
New Kid on the Block: C Francisco Alvarez – New York Mets
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