In the 82 MLB All-Star games played since 1933, the AL has a losing record of 38-42-2. However, the American League has been dominate in the game in the past 24 years. Since 1988, the AL has had a record of 18-5-1 in the game and they were unbeaten in the Midsummer Classic from 1997 to 2009. Here are my selections from the American League All-Star team:
AL Catching Front-Runner: A.J. Pierzynski of the Chicago White Sox
AL Catching Contenders: Joe Mauer of the Minnesota Twins, Mike Napoli of the Texas Rangers
With none of the American League catchers having great seasons, A.J. Pierzynski is a solid choice to represent the AL behind the plate on July 10th. The 14-year veteran catcher has shown how effective he can be at the dish when he remains healthy and off the DL. Pierzynski, who leads all MLB catchers with 41 RBI's, has been one of the main cogs in the middle of the White Sox line-up and is a big reason that the team is 7th in the MLB in run scoring.
In all offensive categories, Pierzynski is having a career year. He already has 12 home runs, which is tied for the 2nd most amongst MLB catchers, and he is on pace to smash his previous season home run high, which he set in 2005 when he hit 18 long balls with the White Sox. A.J. is also 2nd in the MLB amongst catchers in slugging percentage at .493, which is 29 points higher than his previous season best mark in the category, which he set in 2003 with the Minnesota Twins when he had a slugging percentage of .464.
As always, A.J. has been very good defensively for the South Chicago team as well. He has started in 59 of the White Sox 73 games and has made just 2 errors all season, which is tied for the fewest amongst AL catchers.
In all offensive categories, Pierzynski is having a career year. He already has 12 home runs, which is tied for the 2nd most amongst MLB catchers, and he is on pace to smash his previous season home run high, which he set in 2005 when he hit 18 long balls with the White Sox. A.J. is also 2nd in the MLB amongst catchers in slugging percentage at .493, which is 29 points higher than his previous season best mark in the category, which he set in 2003 with the Minnesota Twins when he had a slugging percentage of .464.
As always, A.J. has been very good defensively for the South Chicago team as well. He has started in 59 of the White Sox 73 games and has made just 2 errors all season, which is tied for the fewest amongst AL catchers.
Joe Mauer is also having a pretty good season behind the plate with the Minnesota Twins but his power numbers are way down this year. Although Mauer is batting an impressive .323, he has hit just 3 home runs all season, which is tied for the 2nd least amongst the 21 MLB catchers that have had at least 150 at-bats on the year.
It has been the opposite story for Texas Rangers catcher Mike Napoli. Although Napoli has hit 12 home runs, he leads all MLB catchers with 74 strikeouts and his average, which was a career high .320 last year, has dipped way down to .245.
Pierzynski is obviously not a run away chose to start the All-Star game, but his production has been good enough to get a nod for the AL. If Pierzynski is selected for the All-Star game, it would be his 3rd appearance (2002, 2006). It would be Mauer's 5th All-Star Game appearance (2006, 2008-2010) if he were picked for the AL. If Napoli is selected to the prestigious game, it would be his first Midsummer Classic.
AL First Base Front-Runner: Paul Konerko of the Chicago White Sox
AL First Base Contender: Prince Fielder of the Detroit Tigers
After finishing 4 games under .500 last season, the Chicago White Sox should be well represented in this year's All-Star game. Like the aging A.J. Pierzynski, Paul Konerko is on pace to have the best year of his career in his 16th year in the league.
Konerko, whose .337 batting average is the 2nd best in the American League, has shown that he is not yet out of his prime. In an age with a ton of quality AL first basemen like Albert Pujols, Mark Teixeira, Justin Morneau, Adrian Gonzelez, and Prince Fielder, the 36-year old Konerko is showing no signs of slowing down. The White Sox slugger is 2nd in the AL with a .415 on base percentage and his .979 OPS is the 4th best in the AL. Despite the fact that Konerko has had fewer at-bats than most other first basemen due to the fact that he needs some more rests than younger guys like Pujols and Gonzalez, who both have had more than 280 at-bats compared to Konerko's 243, the White Sox captain leads all AL first basemen in home runs with 13.
Although Mark Teixeira has his batting average up 6 points from when it was .248 last season, the only other real threat for the AL first base spot is Prince Fielder. Fielder, who signed a 9-year, 214 million dollar contract with the Tigers during the off-season, is having another very impressive year. He leads all AL first basemen in RBI's with 46 and is the only first basemen other than Konerko in the AL that is batting above .300. It is really splitting hairs between selecting Konerko and Fielder for the first base spot in the All-Star Game.
Konerko, who is having another great season, has been an underrated star ever since he came to the White Sox 13 years ago in 1999, but his really impressive season this year should not go without an All-Star Game nod. If Konerko is selected as an All-Star, it would be his 6th appearance in the Midsummer Classic (2002, 2005-2006, 2010-2011) and his 3rd straight year appearing in the game. Prince Fielder is aiming to make his 4th All-Star Game appearance (2007, 2009, 2011) and his 1st representing the American League.
AL Second Base Front-Runner: Robinson Cano of the New York Yankees
AL Second Base Contenders: Jason Kipnis of the Cleveland Indians
As a Red Sox fan, the guy that I have feared the most in the Yankee line-up for years has been the smooth left handed swinging Robinson Cano. Although Cano has really struggled this year in terms of driving guys in with runners in scoring position, he is still hitting for a lot of power. Cano, who has hit at least 25 home runs for the past three seasons, has been using the long ball to pace the Yankee offense. Cano leads all second basemen with 17 home runs and his 40 extra base hits are the 2nd most in the MLB. Although Cano has had so much success with the long ball, which has always impressed me about him is that he still gets on base a lot and he is not a big hit or miss guy. Cano leads all AL second basemen with a .302 batting average and his .369 on base percentage is also the best among AL second basemen.
Jason Kipnis, the Indians 2010 Minor League Player of the Year, is not yet a household commodity, but the everyday Indians second baseman has been very good this year. Although Cano is having another solid year, the Indians youngster should not be overlooked. Kipnis leads all AL second basemen with 42 RBI's and he has also cased havoc on the base paths, as he has stolen 17 bases and only been caught stealing one.
If Cano is selected to the All-Star Game, it would be his 4th All-Star appearance (2006, 2010-2011) and the 3rd straight year that he would be starting at 2nd base for the AL. Kipnis is aiming to become the first Indians second basemen to appear in the All-Star game since Ronnie Belliard participated in the 2004 Midsummer Classic.
AL Shortstop Front-Runner: Elvis Andrus of the Texas Rangers
AL Shortstop Contender: Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees, Asdrubal Cabrera of the Cleveland Indians
Don't get me wrong, Derek Jeter has been unbelievable this season for the Bronx Bombers. The 38-year old shortstop, who batted .270 in 2010 and hit just 6 home runs last season, both of which were the lowest of his career (not including 1995 when he played just 15 games), has turned it around in his 18th year in the league. The Yankee captain leads all MLB shortstops with a .304 average and leads the entire American League with 93 hits.
Although the beloved Jeter is probably going to get the most votes of any AL shortstop, Elvis Andrus deserves to start the game at short for the American League. The Texas Rangers offense has been the most dominate attack in baseball, as the team leads the league in run scoring (388), hits (732), average (.282), on base percentage (.343), slugging percentage (.456), and on base plus slugging percentage (.800). Much of the attention surrounding the Rangers line-up goes to the middle of their order, where Josh Hamilton, Adrian Beltre, Nelson Cruz, and Mike Napoli are all big time power hitters.
However, Elvis Andrus should get a ton of credit for the Rangers offensive explosion this year because game after game he is the table setter for the teams big bats. Andrus is 1 of only 4 shortstops that is batting at least .300 and he has the 2nd highest on base percentage among middle infielders. Andrus has constantly been getting on base for the Rangers and he is a big reason for their offensive success.
We can't go through the American League shortstops without mentioning Asdrubal Cabrera. The Cleveland Indians young star, who emerged last year after 4 straight mediocre seasons, is showing once again this year why he is the next up and coming shortstop. Cabrera leads all AL shortstops with a .486 slugging percentage and a .869 on base plus slugging percentage. Despite being a shortstop, Cabrera can hit for power and he has shown that once again this year.
Andrus is looking to make his second All-Star appearance (2010) and Cabrera is attempting to appear in his 2nd straight Midsummer Classic (2011). If Derek Jeter, an All-Star regular, is selected to the game, he would be making his 13th All-Star appearance (1998-2002, 2004, 2006-2011) and his 6th straight.
AL Third Base Front-Runner: Adrian Beltre of the Texas Rangers
AL Third Base Contender: Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers, Mark Trumbo of the Los Angeles Angels
Of all the choices for the American League All-Star starters, the decision between Adrian Beltre, Miguel Cabrera, and Mark Trumbo at third base is by fair the toughest. To look at the pure numbers that these three guys have put up so far this year is incredible. Beltre is 3rd in the AL with a .328 batting average, while Trumbo ranks 6th in the AL with a .316 average. Miguel Cabrera is no slouch either, as he is the only other AL 3rd basemen batting over .300. Cabrera is 2nd in the league with 59 RBI's, while Trumbo and Beltre are the only other MLB 3rd basemen with at least 46 RBI's.
Cabrera, who has batted at least. 290 with at least 25 home runs and 100 RBI's in his last 8 seasons, is once again on pace for another fabulous season with those type of numbers. The Tigers slugger, who has finished in the top 5 of MVP voting 5 times since 2005, has made the transition over to third base much better than people expected as well. His .963 fielding percentage is the best among all AL third basemen. Despite the fact that Trumbo has been getting most of his starts for the Angels in the outfield at right or left field, he is qualified on the All-Star ballot as a third basemen.
Although Cabrera and Trumbo are having phenomenal years, Beltre should have the slightest of edges to start at third base for the American League. Along with Josh Hamilton, Beltre has been the biggest threat on the best line-up in the majors. The three-time Gold Glover and three-time Silver Slugger is killing right handed pitching, as he is batting .361 with 11 home runs and 40 RBI's against righties.
If Beltre is selected to the All-Star Game, he would be playing in the Midsummer Classic for a third straight time (2010-2011). Miguel Cabrera is hoping to make his 7th All-Star Game (2004-2007, 2010-2011) and his 3rd straight. Trumbo is looking to make his first ever All-Star appearance.
AL Outfield Front-Runners: Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers, Adam Jones of the Baltimore Orioles, Jose Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays
AL Outfield Contenders: Josh Reddick of the Oakland Athletics, Curtis Granderson of the New York Yankees, Josh Willingham of the Minnesota Twins
The easiest choice in the entire All-Star Game is selecting Josh Hamilton as one of the three outfielders for the American League. Hamilton, who has received over 7.3 million votes, which is already just shy of the record for the most votes for a player in a single year that was set by Jose Bautista last year, has been on a torrid pace this year.
Hamilton is tied for 2nd in the league with 23 home runs and leads the MLB with 66 RBI's and that includes an 8 game stretch in May where he hit 9 home runs and had 19 RBI's. With his unbelievably light hands, Josh has been able to maintain the 5th best average in the AL at .318. Although Hamilton has cooled off a little bit in the month of June, his slugging percentage is still tremendously high as he leads the league in the category. If Hamilton keeps up his pace, he would become just the 10th player in the last 10 years since 2003 to have a single-season slugging percentage of at least. 650.
The other two choices for the outfield spots were obviously much harder to pick, but the slight nods should go to Adam Jones and Jose Bautista.
In an offense that doesn't really have a lot of weapons, Adam Jones has been one of the most consistent contributors in the entire American League, as he is batting .300, has hit 19 home runs, and has driven in 40 runs. Jones, whose 6-year, 85.5 million dollar contract extension was the largest in Orioles history, is on pace to become the 2nd Orioles player and first since Frank Robinson in 1966 to hit at least 40 home runs and bat at least .300 in a season.
After two straight years of 40 plus home runs and 100 plus RBI's, Jose Bautista began the 2012 season very slowly. His numbers at the end of April were a .181 batting average to go along with just 3 home run and 10 RBI's.
However, since his early season slump, Joey Bats has returned to his normal power hitting self. Bautista has hit 12 home runs in his last 21 games in June and he now leads the league with 24 long balls and is in top three with 57 RBI's. Although Bautista is obviously a big time power guy, he has stuck out just 49 times, while other power hitters like Curtis Granderson, Nelson Cruz, and Josh Willingham have all stuck out at least 69 times. In fact, Bautista has batted above .255 in the last two months and has gotten his average up to a little under .240.
The other three guys that I think are in the mix for the outfield spots, Reddick, Granderson, and Willingham, have all had solid years, but none of them have been up to the standard of Hamilton, Jones, and Bautista.
After being a part-time outfielder last year with the Boston Red Sox, Josh Reddick has been a really nice pleasant surprise for the Oakland A's. Reddick, who has already had more at-bats this season than he did all of last year, is showing big time power, as he has hit 17 home runs including a 21 game stretch in May when he hit 10 long balls. However, Reddick's 70 strikeouts are the 3rd most in the AL and his .344 on base percentage doesn't even rank inside the top 60 in the league.
Although Curtis Granderson is just 6-1 and 185 pounds, his numbers look like that of a typical power hitter. The Grandy Man is in the top 4 in the league in home runs with 21 and his isolated power ranks 10th in the AL, but his batting average is just .243 including .230 against right-handed pitchers.
Finally, Josh Willingham, who has hit at least 20 home runs 4 times in the last 6 years, has shown his power once again this season, and he is also getting on base much more often this year. Willingham, like Adam Jones, has been really consistent across the board, as he is batting .275 to go along with 15 home runs and 49 RBI's.
Josh Hamilton is vying to make his 5th straight All-Star Game (2008-2011), while Jose Bautista is trying to appear in his 3rd straight Midsummer Classic (2010-2011). Adam Jones hopes to make his 2nd All-Star Game (2009) and become the first Orioles outfielder since Brady Anderson (1992, 1996-1997) to appear multiple times in the prestigious game.
If Curtis Granderson is selected to the game, he would be making his 3rd All-Star appearance (2009, 2011). Josh Reddick and Josh Willingham are both vying to appear in their first ever Midsummer Classic. If Reddick is selected to the game, he would be the first A's All-Star outfielder in 14 years since Ben Grieve in 1998.
AL Designated Hitter Front-Runner: David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox
AL Designated Hitter Contender: Edwin Encarnacion of the Toronto Blue Jays
Remember back in 2008 and 2009 when David Ortiz began both years awfully slowly and people left and right were wondering if the Red Sox slugger's career was coming to an end? Well, that seems like a distant memory now because Big Papi is on pace to have one of the best years of his career in his 16th year in the league at the age of 36.
The Sox designated hitter ranks in the top 3 in the league in runs scored, 6th in the AL with 20 home runs, 8th in the AL with 52 RBI's, 5th in the AL in OBS, 3rd in the league in slugging, and 4th in the MLB in OPS. Ortiz doesn't look like he is slowing down anytime soon and he has been the only consistent bat in a line-up without Jacoby Ellisbury and Carl Crawford due to injury and where perennial All-Stars Dustin Pedroia and Adrian Gonzalez have mightily struggled. Papi is seeing the ball so well right now and he is hitting anything in the strike zone. Ortiz is now just 2 long balls away from 400 home runs, and if he continues his current pace, he will become the first Red Sox to ever hit 40 home runs after the age of 36.
Although Ortiz should definitely get the nod at the DH spot for the AL, Edwin Encarnacion's impressive season should not go without notice. Encarnacion, who could not play another game for the rest of the year and still have the best numbers of his entire 8-year career, has been on a tare up in Toronto. The Blue Jays DH is in the top 4 in the league with 21 home runs and he has accounted for 51 RBI's. His .575 slugging percentage is the 4th best in the AL as well.
Ortiz is looking to make his 8th All-Star game at the DH position for the AL (2004-2008, 2010-2011). If Encarnacion is selected to the Midsummer Classic, he would become the 4th ever Blue Jay to appear in the prestigious game as a DH joining Paul Molitor (1993-1994) and Shea Hillenbrand (2005).
It has been the opposite story for Texas Rangers catcher Mike Napoli. Although Napoli has hit 12 home runs, he leads all MLB catchers with 74 strikeouts and his average, which was a career high .320 last year, has dipped way down to .245.
Pierzynski is obviously not a run away chose to start the All-Star game, but his production has been good enough to get a nod for the AL. If Pierzynski is selected for the All-Star game, it would be his 3rd appearance (2002, 2006). It would be Mauer's 5th All-Star Game appearance (2006, 2008-2010) if he were picked for the AL. If Napoli is selected to the prestigious game, it would be his first Midsummer Classic.
AL First Base Front-Runner: Paul Konerko of the Chicago White Sox
AL First Base Contender: Prince Fielder of the Detroit Tigers
After finishing 4 games under .500 last season, the Chicago White Sox should be well represented in this year's All-Star game. Like the aging A.J. Pierzynski, Paul Konerko is on pace to have the best year of his career in his 16th year in the league.
Konerko, whose .337 batting average is the 2nd best in the American League, has shown that he is not yet out of his prime. In an age with a ton of quality AL first basemen like Albert Pujols, Mark Teixeira, Justin Morneau, Adrian Gonzelez, and Prince Fielder, the 36-year old Konerko is showing no signs of slowing down. The White Sox slugger is 2nd in the AL with a .415 on base percentage and his .979 OPS is the 4th best in the AL. Despite the fact that Konerko has had fewer at-bats than most other first basemen due to the fact that he needs some more rests than younger guys like Pujols and Gonzalez, who both have had more than 280 at-bats compared to Konerko's 243, the White Sox captain leads all AL first basemen in home runs with 13.
Although Mark Teixeira has his batting average up 6 points from when it was .248 last season, the only other real threat for the AL first base spot is Prince Fielder. Fielder, who signed a 9-year, 214 million dollar contract with the Tigers during the off-season, is having another very impressive year. He leads all AL first basemen in RBI's with 46 and is the only first basemen other than Konerko in the AL that is batting above .300. It is really splitting hairs between selecting Konerko and Fielder for the first base spot in the All-Star Game.
Konerko, who is having another great season, has been an underrated star ever since he came to the White Sox 13 years ago in 1999, but his really impressive season this year should not go without an All-Star Game nod. If Konerko is selected as an All-Star, it would be his 6th appearance in the Midsummer Classic (2002, 2005-2006, 2010-2011) and his 3rd straight year appearing in the game. Prince Fielder is aiming to make his 4th All-Star Game appearance (2007, 2009, 2011) and his 1st representing the American League.
AL Second Base Front-Runner: Robinson Cano of the New York Yankees
AL Second Base Contenders: Jason Kipnis of the Cleveland Indians
As a Red Sox fan, the guy that I have feared the most in the Yankee line-up for years has been the smooth left handed swinging Robinson Cano. Although Cano has really struggled this year in terms of driving guys in with runners in scoring position, he is still hitting for a lot of power. Cano, who has hit at least 25 home runs for the past three seasons, has been using the long ball to pace the Yankee offense. Cano leads all second basemen with 17 home runs and his 40 extra base hits are the 2nd most in the MLB. Although Cano has had so much success with the long ball, which has always impressed me about him is that he still gets on base a lot and he is not a big hit or miss guy. Cano leads all AL second basemen with a .302 batting average and his .369 on base percentage is also the best among AL second basemen.
Jason Kipnis, the Indians 2010 Minor League Player of the Year, is not yet a household commodity, but the everyday Indians second baseman has been very good this year. Although Cano is having another solid year, the Indians youngster should not be overlooked. Kipnis leads all AL second basemen with 42 RBI's and he has also cased havoc on the base paths, as he has stolen 17 bases and only been caught stealing one.
If Cano is selected to the All-Star Game, it would be his 4th All-Star appearance (2006, 2010-2011) and the 3rd straight year that he would be starting at 2nd base for the AL. Kipnis is aiming to become the first Indians second basemen to appear in the All-Star game since Ronnie Belliard participated in the 2004 Midsummer Classic.
AL Shortstop Front-Runner: Elvis Andrus of the Texas Rangers
AL Shortstop Contender: Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees, Asdrubal Cabrera of the Cleveland Indians
Don't get me wrong, Derek Jeter has been unbelievable this season for the Bronx Bombers. The 38-year old shortstop, who batted .270 in 2010 and hit just 6 home runs last season, both of which were the lowest of his career (not including 1995 when he played just 15 games), has turned it around in his 18th year in the league. The Yankee captain leads all MLB shortstops with a .304 average and leads the entire American League with 93 hits.
Although the beloved Jeter is probably going to get the most votes of any AL shortstop, Elvis Andrus deserves to start the game at short for the American League. The Texas Rangers offense has been the most dominate attack in baseball, as the team leads the league in run scoring (388), hits (732), average (.282), on base percentage (.343), slugging percentage (.456), and on base plus slugging percentage (.800). Much of the attention surrounding the Rangers line-up goes to the middle of their order, where Josh Hamilton, Adrian Beltre, Nelson Cruz, and Mike Napoli are all big time power hitters.
However, Elvis Andrus should get a ton of credit for the Rangers offensive explosion this year because game after game he is the table setter for the teams big bats. Andrus is 1 of only 4 shortstops that is batting at least .300 and he has the 2nd highest on base percentage among middle infielders. Andrus has constantly been getting on base for the Rangers and he is a big reason for their offensive success.
We can't go through the American League shortstops without mentioning Asdrubal Cabrera. The Cleveland Indians young star, who emerged last year after 4 straight mediocre seasons, is showing once again this year why he is the next up and coming shortstop. Cabrera leads all AL shortstops with a .486 slugging percentage and a .869 on base plus slugging percentage. Despite being a shortstop, Cabrera can hit for power and he has shown that once again this year.
Andrus is looking to make his second All-Star appearance (2010) and Cabrera is attempting to appear in his 2nd straight Midsummer Classic (2011). If Derek Jeter, an All-Star regular, is selected to the game, he would be making his 13th All-Star appearance (1998-2002, 2004, 2006-2011) and his 6th straight.
AL Third Base Front-Runner: Adrian Beltre of the Texas Rangers
AL Third Base Contender: Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers, Mark Trumbo of the Los Angeles Angels
Of all the choices for the American League All-Star starters, the decision between Adrian Beltre, Miguel Cabrera, and Mark Trumbo at third base is by fair the toughest. To look at the pure numbers that these three guys have put up so far this year is incredible. Beltre is 3rd in the AL with a .328 batting average, while Trumbo ranks 6th in the AL with a .316 average. Miguel Cabrera is no slouch either, as he is the only other AL 3rd basemen batting over .300. Cabrera is 2nd in the league with 59 RBI's, while Trumbo and Beltre are the only other MLB 3rd basemen with at least 46 RBI's.
Cabrera, who has batted at least. 290 with at least 25 home runs and 100 RBI's in his last 8 seasons, is once again on pace for another fabulous season with those type of numbers. The Tigers slugger, who has finished in the top 5 of MVP voting 5 times since 2005, has made the transition over to third base much better than people expected as well. His .963 fielding percentage is the best among all AL third basemen. Despite the fact that Trumbo has been getting most of his starts for the Angels in the outfield at right or left field, he is qualified on the All-Star ballot as a third basemen.
Although Cabrera and Trumbo are having phenomenal years, Beltre should have the slightest of edges to start at third base for the American League. Along with Josh Hamilton, Beltre has been the biggest threat on the best line-up in the majors. The three-time Gold Glover and three-time Silver Slugger is killing right handed pitching, as he is batting .361 with 11 home runs and 40 RBI's against righties.
If Beltre is selected to the All-Star Game, he would be playing in the Midsummer Classic for a third straight time (2010-2011). Miguel Cabrera is hoping to make his 7th All-Star Game (2004-2007, 2010-2011) and his 3rd straight. Trumbo is looking to make his first ever All-Star appearance.
AL Outfield Front-Runners: Josh Hamilton of the Texas Rangers, Adam Jones of the Baltimore Orioles, Jose Bautista of the Toronto Blue Jays
AL Outfield Contenders: Josh Reddick of the Oakland Athletics, Curtis Granderson of the New York Yankees, Josh Willingham of the Minnesota Twins
The easiest choice in the entire All-Star Game is selecting Josh Hamilton as one of the three outfielders for the American League. Hamilton, who has received over 7.3 million votes, which is already just shy of the record for the most votes for a player in a single year that was set by Jose Bautista last year, has been on a torrid pace this year.
Hamilton is tied for 2nd in the league with 23 home runs and leads the MLB with 66 RBI's and that includes an 8 game stretch in May where he hit 9 home runs and had 19 RBI's. With his unbelievably light hands, Josh has been able to maintain the 5th best average in the AL at .318. Although Hamilton has cooled off a little bit in the month of June, his slugging percentage is still tremendously high as he leads the league in the category. If Hamilton keeps up his pace, he would become just the 10th player in the last 10 years since 2003 to have a single-season slugging percentage of at least. 650.
The other two choices for the outfield spots were obviously much harder to pick, but the slight nods should go to Adam Jones and Jose Bautista.
In an offense that doesn't really have a lot of weapons, Adam Jones has been one of the most consistent contributors in the entire American League, as he is batting .300, has hit 19 home runs, and has driven in 40 runs. Jones, whose 6-year, 85.5 million dollar contract extension was the largest in Orioles history, is on pace to become the 2nd Orioles player and first since Frank Robinson in 1966 to hit at least 40 home runs and bat at least .300 in a season.
After two straight years of 40 plus home runs and 100 plus RBI's, Jose Bautista began the 2012 season very slowly. His numbers at the end of April were a .181 batting average to go along with just 3 home run and 10 RBI's.
However, since his early season slump, Joey Bats has returned to his normal power hitting self. Bautista has hit 12 home runs in his last 21 games in June and he now leads the league with 24 long balls and is in top three with 57 RBI's. Although Bautista is obviously a big time power guy, he has stuck out just 49 times, while other power hitters like Curtis Granderson, Nelson Cruz, and Josh Willingham have all stuck out at least 69 times. In fact, Bautista has batted above .255 in the last two months and has gotten his average up to a little under .240.
The other three guys that I think are in the mix for the outfield spots, Reddick, Granderson, and Willingham, have all had solid years, but none of them have been up to the standard of Hamilton, Jones, and Bautista.
After being a part-time outfielder last year with the Boston Red Sox, Josh Reddick has been a really nice pleasant surprise for the Oakland A's. Reddick, who has already had more at-bats this season than he did all of last year, is showing big time power, as he has hit 17 home runs including a 21 game stretch in May when he hit 10 long balls. However, Reddick's 70 strikeouts are the 3rd most in the AL and his .344 on base percentage doesn't even rank inside the top 60 in the league.
Although Curtis Granderson is just 6-1 and 185 pounds, his numbers look like that of a typical power hitter. The Grandy Man is in the top 4 in the league in home runs with 21 and his isolated power ranks 10th in the AL, but his batting average is just .243 including .230 against right-handed pitchers.
Finally, Josh Willingham, who has hit at least 20 home runs 4 times in the last 6 years, has shown his power once again this season, and he is also getting on base much more often this year. Willingham, like Adam Jones, has been really consistent across the board, as he is batting .275 to go along with 15 home runs and 49 RBI's.
Josh Hamilton is vying to make his 5th straight All-Star Game (2008-2011), while Jose Bautista is trying to appear in his 3rd straight Midsummer Classic (2010-2011). Adam Jones hopes to make his 2nd All-Star Game (2009) and become the first Orioles outfielder since Brady Anderson (1992, 1996-1997) to appear multiple times in the prestigious game.
If Curtis Granderson is selected to the game, he would be making his 3rd All-Star appearance (2009, 2011). Josh Reddick and Josh Willingham are both vying to appear in their first ever Midsummer Classic. If Reddick is selected to the game, he would be the first A's All-Star outfielder in 14 years since Ben Grieve in 1998.
AL Designated Hitter Front-Runner: David Ortiz of the Boston Red Sox
AL Designated Hitter Contender: Edwin Encarnacion of the Toronto Blue Jays
Remember back in 2008 and 2009 when David Ortiz began both years awfully slowly and people left and right were wondering if the Red Sox slugger's career was coming to an end? Well, that seems like a distant memory now because Big Papi is on pace to have one of the best years of his career in his 16th year in the league at the age of 36.
The Sox designated hitter ranks in the top 3 in the league in runs scored, 6th in the AL with 20 home runs, 8th in the AL with 52 RBI's, 5th in the AL in OBS, 3rd in the league in slugging, and 4th in the MLB in OPS. Ortiz doesn't look like he is slowing down anytime soon and he has been the only consistent bat in a line-up without Jacoby Ellisbury and Carl Crawford due to injury and where perennial All-Stars Dustin Pedroia and Adrian Gonzalez have mightily struggled. Papi is seeing the ball so well right now and he is hitting anything in the strike zone. Ortiz is now just 2 long balls away from 400 home runs, and if he continues his current pace, he will become the first Red Sox to ever hit 40 home runs after the age of 36.
Although Ortiz should definitely get the nod at the DH spot for the AL, Edwin Encarnacion's impressive season should not go without notice. Encarnacion, who could not play another game for the rest of the year and still have the best numbers of his entire 8-year career, has been on a tare up in Toronto. The Blue Jays DH is in the top 4 in the league with 21 home runs and he has accounted for 51 RBI's. His .575 slugging percentage is the 4th best in the AL as well.
Ortiz is looking to make his 8th All-Star game at the DH position for the AL (2004-2008, 2010-2011). If Encarnacion is selected to the Midsummer Classic, he would become the 4th ever Blue Jay to appear in the prestigious game as a DH joining Paul Molitor (1993-1994) and Shea Hillenbrand (2005).
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