Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2010 23:58:46 GMT -5
NL All Stars:
Starting 1B: Albert Pujolz—St. Louis Cardinals
Why: It’s simply another monster season for Pujolz—he leads the NL in OPS, home runs, total bases and VORP, and he plays for a contending team in the St. Louis Cardinals. He’s on pace for another 40 homer, 120 RBI season, with an OPS over 1.000. Oh, and he’s the best hitter in the game. The easiest selection.
Reserve 1B: Adam Dunn—New York Mets, Ryan Howard—Philadelphia Phillies, Derek Lee—Chicago Cubs
Why: Dunn is one of four NL hitters with an OPS of 1.000, and he’s carried the Mets through an injury to David Wright. He leads the NL in RBI, and in on-base percentage, With Wright missing time with an injury, Dunn is the clear choice to be the Mets representative, and would probably be the NL’s DH.
When Ryan Howard makes contact, he simply destroys baseballs. He’s tied with Pujolz as the NL leader in home runs, he’s second in runs scored, and he’s even stolen five bases for no apparent reason.
Derek Lee is once again on pace for another .320 average, 30 home run, 100 RBI season in Chicago, keeping the Cubs contending for the NL Central. He’s well behind the other three first baseman, but is a solid choice for a fourth first baseman.
Who has a gripe: Gaby Sanchez—Florida Marlins Sanchez leads the NL in batting, and has a better OPS than Derek Lee. His box score stats fall a bit short though, and he’s playing for a team that isn’t a contender.
Starting 2B: Chase Utley—Philadelphia Phillies
Why:[/b] Utley once again leads all second basemen in home runs, walks, runs, total bases, is second in RBI’s, and stolen bases, and is and iron man, playing in 81 of a possible 82 games this season
Reserve 2B: Kelly Johnson—Arizona Diamondbacks
Why: Johnson is the leader in OPS, thanks to his penchant for hitting the gaps. He’s third in the NL in doubles, tied for second among second basemen in home runs, and third among second basemen in RBI’s.
Who has a gripe: Nobody. Brandon Phillips has the RBI’s, but his other numbers aren’t All-Star caliber. Rickie Weeks’ OPS is nearly 100 points below Utley’s.
Starting 3B: Jorge Cantu—Florida Marlins
Why:[/b] Cantu leads NL third baseman in home runs, runs, doubles, and OPS, and is second to Mark Reynolds in RBI’s. He’s been a surprising slugging machine for the Marlins.
Reserve 3B: Pedro Feliz—Houston Astros
Why: Houston has to send somebody, right? For a squad that more closely resembles a double-A team than a major league one, Feliz has been a respectable .297 with 12 home runs and zero protection in the lineup. If Feliz doesn’t float your boat, Marc Rzepczynski is 5-3 with a 3.93 ERA in 11 starts.
Who has a gripe: Mark Reynolds—Arizona Diamondbacks Reynolds leads NL third basemen in RBI’s and is second in home runs, but he strikes out a ton, is only hitting .250, and his team is going nowhere. It wasn’t too difficult giving him the boot to make room for Feliz.
Starting SS: Hanley Ramirez—Florida Marlins
Why:[/b] Ramirez is an offensive freak. He’s second in the NL in OPS and doubles and tied for third in home runs, which is ridiculous for a shortstop. He also has 15 stolen bases and a .321 average, so he hits for power, average, and runs extremely well. He’s the most complete player in the National League, and one of the game’s true superstars.
Reserve SS: Troy Tulowitzki—Colorado Rockies, Jose Reyes—New York Mets
Why: Tulowizki leads the NL in hits and doubles, and is third in RBI’s and batting average. He’s been the best hitter on a very good Colorado lineup, and plays the best shortstop in baseball. Tulowitzki will have a lot of votes for MVP after the season, particularly if Colorado can capture the best record in the National League.
Reyes’ OPS is a robust .870, which makes his small ball stats—first in batting average, third in steals, sixth in hits, and eighth in runs—look that much meatier. He gets the edge over B.J. Upton for those reasons, plus the fact that his team is slightly better.
Who has a gripe: Nobody. Jimmy Rollins and Rafael Furcal are in a battle for the fourth best shortstop in the NL, but they significantly trail the NL’s big three.
Starting LF: Manny Ramirez—Los Angeles Dodgers
Why:[/b] Ramirez missed a month, and is still two home runs away from being the NL leader in home runs. He’s been off the charts as a slugger, with only a mangled thumb keeping him from a historical season. Project his numbers over 156 games, and he’d hit 60 home runs this year.
Reserve LF: Ryan Braun—Milwaukee Brewers, Kyle Blanks—San Diego Padres
Why: Braun has been the Brewers’ best all-around player this year, with 14 home runs, 59 RBI’s, and a .278 average. It hasn’t been an awesome year by any stretch, but the Brewers need somebody to represent them.
Adrian Gonzalez has picked up his hitting, but he strikes out a ton and was AWOL when the Padres’ season spiraled out of control last month. With the glut of first basemen in the NL, Blanks becomes the pick for San Diego’s All-Star. He’s already seventh in OPS, and on pace for 30 home runs and 100 RBI’s in his first full season. He’s an elite prospect but nobody expected him to develop this quickly. He’s the future of the Padres and will be a terror for a long time.
Who has a gripe: Raul Ibanez—Philadelphia Phillies Ibanez is third in home runs for left fielders and is second in runs batted in, but his OPS is under .800. He’s been very good, but not All-Star good.
Starting CF: Matt Kemp—Los Angeles Dodgers*
Why:[/b] Center field is probably the toughest position to choose All-Star candidates from. I’m going with Kemp as the starting center fielder for his higher batting average, OPS, home run, RBI, and VORP numbers than Andrew McCutcheon, plus the fact that Kemp plays for a much better team. Fortunately for McCutcheon, Kemp won’t be able to actually play in the All-Star Game.
Reserve CF: Andrew McCutcheon—Pittsburgh Pirates, B.J. Upton—Arizona Diamondbacks#
Why: McCutcheon is the clear-cut Pirates representative, and an absolute stud. He’s first or second among center fielders in a number of key statistical categories, including average, OPS, hits, doubles, triples, total bases, and he’s only two RBI’s behind Matt Kemp for RBI’s.
B.J. Upton is an All-Star because he’s on pace for roughly 150 runs scored, an incredible number. He doesn’t hit for power, but he gets on base, steals bases—he‘s the NL leader in stolen bases—and scores runs.
Who has a gripe: Ben Francisco—Philadelphia Phillies Francisco is first in home runs, tied for second in RBI’s, and fourth in batting average among NL Center Fielders. Unfortunately, he’s still well behind the unholy trio in too many categories to be legitimately chosen as a candidate.
Starting RF: Jayson Werth—Philadelphia Phillies
Why:[/b] Werth has blown up this season, with the third best OPS in the NL. He’s hitting .289 with 20 home runs, 61 RBI’s, and a 1.023 OPS helping to power the best offense in the National League. Often overshadowed by the lefties in Philadelphia’s lineup, Werth balances the team out with his right hand hitting bat.
Reserve RF: Justin Upton—Arizona Diamondbacks*, Brad Hawpe—Colorado Rockies#
Why: He’s only hitting .239 in June with no home runs, but Upton was possessed early in the season when the Diamondbacks were actually winning games. Upton is still fourth in RBI’s, he’s well within reach of a 20-20 season, and he’s hitting over .300. He deserves an All-Star bid, though he’ll probably miss out due to injuries.
Hawpe has been the raw slugging run producer who’s making Colorado tick. He has the second most home runs of any right fielder, and the third highest OPS. He’s also been incredibly clutch, hitting .377 with three home runs in close and late situations. Of his late-game exploits, he has a walk-off two run home run off Kevin Gregg and the Blue Jays, another walk off two-run home run against Atahualpa Severino and the Nationals, and a walk-off infield single to beat the Padres.
Who has a gripe: Cody Ross—Florida Marlins Ross is tied for third in home runs for right fielders, is second in RBI’s, and has a solid .280 average, but he trails Hawpe in home runs, average, and the advanced stats categories.
Starting C: Russel Martin—Los Angeles Dodgers
Why:[/b] Martin is hitting .321 with 43 RBI’s. He’s first or second among catchers in most major stats, except home runs, plus he plays for better teams than the next highest ranked catchers.
Reserve C: Ivan Rodriguez—Washington Nationals
Why: The Nationals need a representative, and Ivan Rodriguez has been a solid catcher this season. He’s hitting .302, with six home runs, and 46 runs batted in. His competition is Jason Jaramillo in Pittsburgh, but Jaramillo plays for an awful team and hasn’t been so overwhelmingly good, where he has to be picked.
Who has a gripe: Jason Jaramillo—Pittsburgh Pirates Jaramillo is third in OPS for catchers, and first in home runs, but he plays for an awful team, and the Nationals need a representative.
Starting Pitcher: Matt Cain—San Francisco Giants
Why:[/b] No pitcher has been as consistently solid in the National League than Cain. He’s 7-4 with a 2.48 ERA that’s second in the league. He’s fourth in innings, second in opponents average, and second in VORP. In 17 starts, he’s allowed more than three earned runs only once.
He’s also pitched terrifically against some of the top teams in baseball. He allowed only two hits and one run in four and two thirds innings against Philadelphia before exiting with arm fatigue. He shut down the Red Sox to four hits in one run over eight innings, and in two starts against Colorado, he’s allowed only seven hits and one run in 13 innings.
Reserve Pitchers: Jo-Jo Reyes—Atlanta Braves*, Aaron Cook—Colorado Rockies*, Micah Owings—Cincinnati Reds, Tim Lincecum—San Francisco Giants, Josh Johnson—Florida Marlins, Brad Penny, St. Louis Cardinals, Chris Carpenter—St. Louis Cardinals, Huston Street—Colorado Rockies, Francisco Cordero—Cincinnati Reds, Brandon Lyon—Chicago Cubs, Ryan Franklin—St. Louis Cardinals, Brad Lidge—Philadelphia Phillies, Jeremy Affeldt#—San Francisco Giants, Jonathan Sanchez—San Francisco Giants#
Reyes leads the league in ERA, is second in WHIP, first in opponents average, and Atlanta’s lone All-Star candidate. It’s a shame that he won’t be able to pitch in the game.
Aaron Cook was 6-1 with a sparkling 2.32 ERA and 1.14 WHIP before his arm gave out.
Micah Owings has been one of the brightest early season stories, pitching the Cardinals to a possible postseason berth, as he’s third in ERA and first in WHIP. He’s done his best work against the rival Cubs, allowing one run and six hits over 16 innings against the team fighting the Reds for the NL Central crown.
Tim Lincecum is a nightmare for opposing hitters. He’s fourth in ERA at 3.08, first in strikeouts with 132, and if he had more than six wins, might have been chosen as the starter.
Josh Johnson has the best record in the league at 9-2, plus he has the sixth best ERA at 3.17. If he played for a better team than the scuffling Marlins, he’d be a candidate to start as well.
Brad Penny has been one of St. Louis’ workhorses at 8-5 with a 3.23 ERA. He went 5-0 in May to anchor his place on the All-Star team.
Chris Carpenter is the NL leader in innings pitched and wins. His nine wins and 121 innings top the NL, but his seven losses and comparatively high ERA of 3.57 will leave him as a reserve.
Huston Street has been a dead-end for opposing teams at the end of games. In 31 appearances, he has a 1-0 record, a 1.89 ERA, and 19 saves in 20 chances. The save total is good for fourth, and the ERA good for fifth among qualified relievers.
Francisco Cordero leads the NL in saves with 26, and he also has five wins and a 2.01 ERA to his ledger. He’s a clear cut All-Star.
Brandon Lyon is third in saves, closing 21 of 22 chances for Houston and Chicago. His miniscule ERA of 0.86, and his 4-0 record make him another easy All-Star choice.
Ryan Franklin has saved 18 of 20 games this year, good for fifth in the NL. After a disastrous opening week, he’s settled down and helped the Cardinals get back into the NL race.
Brad Lidge is always shaky, but he’s nailed down 18 of 21 save opportunities, with a hold and two blown saves. Those are better numbers than Brian Wilson who’s blown six saves.
Jeremy Affeldt has been the best left handed set up man this year in the NL, and is one of the injury replacement choices. His 1.09 ERA is third among relievers, and his 0.95 WHIP is first. He’s the setup man of choice over Aaron Heilman because the Diamondbacks stink.
Jonathan Sanchez was left off the regular team because of his sub.500 6-8 record. As an injury replacement, and with few legitimate replacement choices, his record can be excused for a very nice 1.11 WHIP and a .212 average against.
Who has a gripe: Ricky Nolasco—Florida Marlins Nolasco is third in strikeouts and seventh in ERA, but he, like Sanchez, is under .500 at 4-7. He has a terrific WHIP as well, but Florida’s shaky performance keeps Nolasco from getting wins, and keeps him out of the All-Star game in my eyes.
*=injured
#=injury replacement
Any group of GM's want to do something for the AL? I'm not going to be able to do the AL.
Starting 1B: Albert Pujolz—St. Louis Cardinals
Why: It’s simply another monster season for Pujolz—he leads the NL in OPS, home runs, total bases and VORP, and he plays for a contending team in the St. Louis Cardinals. He’s on pace for another 40 homer, 120 RBI season, with an OPS over 1.000. Oh, and he’s the best hitter in the game. The easiest selection.
Reserve 1B: Adam Dunn—New York Mets, Ryan Howard—Philadelphia Phillies, Derek Lee—Chicago Cubs
Why: Dunn is one of four NL hitters with an OPS of 1.000, and he’s carried the Mets through an injury to David Wright. He leads the NL in RBI, and in on-base percentage, With Wright missing time with an injury, Dunn is the clear choice to be the Mets representative, and would probably be the NL’s DH.
When Ryan Howard makes contact, he simply destroys baseballs. He’s tied with Pujolz as the NL leader in home runs, he’s second in runs scored, and he’s even stolen five bases for no apparent reason.
Derek Lee is once again on pace for another .320 average, 30 home run, 100 RBI season in Chicago, keeping the Cubs contending for the NL Central. He’s well behind the other three first baseman, but is a solid choice for a fourth first baseman.
Who has a gripe: Gaby Sanchez—Florida Marlins Sanchez leads the NL in batting, and has a better OPS than Derek Lee. His box score stats fall a bit short though, and he’s playing for a team that isn’t a contender.
Starting 2B: Chase Utley—Philadelphia Phillies
Why:[/b] Utley once again leads all second basemen in home runs, walks, runs, total bases, is second in RBI’s, and stolen bases, and is and iron man, playing in 81 of a possible 82 games this season
Reserve 2B: Kelly Johnson—Arizona Diamondbacks
Why: Johnson is the leader in OPS, thanks to his penchant for hitting the gaps. He’s third in the NL in doubles, tied for second among second basemen in home runs, and third among second basemen in RBI’s.
Who has a gripe: Nobody. Brandon Phillips has the RBI’s, but his other numbers aren’t All-Star caliber. Rickie Weeks’ OPS is nearly 100 points below Utley’s.
Starting 3B: Jorge Cantu—Florida Marlins
Why:[/b] Cantu leads NL third baseman in home runs, runs, doubles, and OPS, and is second to Mark Reynolds in RBI’s. He’s been a surprising slugging machine for the Marlins.
Reserve 3B: Pedro Feliz—Houston Astros
Why: Houston has to send somebody, right? For a squad that more closely resembles a double-A team than a major league one, Feliz has been a respectable .297 with 12 home runs and zero protection in the lineup. If Feliz doesn’t float your boat, Marc Rzepczynski is 5-3 with a 3.93 ERA in 11 starts.
Who has a gripe: Mark Reynolds—Arizona Diamondbacks Reynolds leads NL third basemen in RBI’s and is second in home runs, but he strikes out a ton, is only hitting .250, and his team is going nowhere. It wasn’t too difficult giving him the boot to make room for Feliz.
Starting SS: Hanley Ramirez—Florida Marlins
Why:[/b] Ramirez is an offensive freak. He’s second in the NL in OPS and doubles and tied for third in home runs, which is ridiculous for a shortstop. He also has 15 stolen bases and a .321 average, so he hits for power, average, and runs extremely well. He’s the most complete player in the National League, and one of the game’s true superstars.
Reserve SS: Troy Tulowitzki—Colorado Rockies, Jose Reyes—New York Mets
Why: Tulowizki leads the NL in hits and doubles, and is third in RBI’s and batting average. He’s been the best hitter on a very good Colorado lineup, and plays the best shortstop in baseball. Tulowitzki will have a lot of votes for MVP after the season, particularly if Colorado can capture the best record in the National League.
Reyes’ OPS is a robust .870, which makes his small ball stats—first in batting average, third in steals, sixth in hits, and eighth in runs—look that much meatier. He gets the edge over B.J. Upton for those reasons, plus the fact that his team is slightly better.
Who has a gripe: Nobody. Jimmy Rollins and Rafael Furcal are in a battle for the fourth best shortstop in the NL, but they significantly trail the NL’s big three.
Starting LF: Manny Ramirez—Los Angeles Dodgers
Why:[/b] Ramirez missed a month, and is still two home runs away from being the NL leader in home runs. He’s been off the charts as a slugger, with only a mangled thumb keeping him from a historical season. Project his numbers over 156 games, and he’d hit 60 home runs this year.
Reserve LF: Ryan Braun—Milwaukee Brewers, Kyle Blanks—San Diego Padres
Why: Braun has been the Brewers’ best all-around player this year, with 14 home runs, 59 RBI’s, and a .278 average. It hasn’t been an awesome year by any stretch, but the Brewers need somebody to represent them.
Adrian Gonzalez has picked up his hitting, but he strikes out a ton and was AWOL when the Padres’ season spiraled out of control last month. With the glut of first basemen in the NL, Blanks becomes the pick for San Diego’s All-Star. He’s already seventh in OPS, and on pace for 30 home runs and 100 RBI’s in his first full season. He’s an elite prospect but nobody expected him to develop this quickly. He’s the future of the Padres and will be a terror for a long time.
Who has a gripe: Raul Ibanez—Philadelphia Phillies Ibanez is third in home runs for left fielders and is second in runs batted in, but his OPS is under .800. He’s been very good, but not All-Star good.
Starting CF: Matt Kemp—Los Angeles Dodgers*
Why:[/b] Center field is probably the toughest position to choose All-Star candidates from. I’m going with Kemp as the starting center fielder for his higher batting average, OPS, home run, RBI, and VORP numbers than Andrew McCutcheon, plus the fact that Kemp plays for a much better team. Fortunately for McCutcheon, Kemp won’t be able to actually play in the All-Star Game.
Reserve CF: Andrew McCutcheon—Pittsburgh Pirates, B.J. Upton—Arizona Diamondbacks#
Why: McCutcheon is the clear-cut Pirates representative, and an absolute stud. He’s first or second among center fielders in a number of key statistical categories, including average, OPS, hits, doubles, triples, total bases, and he’s only two RBI’s behind Matt Kemp for RBI’s.
B.J. Upton is an All-Star because he’s on pace for roughly 150 runs scored, an incredible number. He doesn’t hit for power, but he gets on base, steals bases—he‘s the NL leader in stolen bases—and scores runs.
Who has a gripe: Ben Francisco—Philadelphia Phillies Francisco is first in home runs, tied for second in RBI’s, and fourth in batting average among NL Center Fielders. Unfortunately, he’s still well behind the unholy trio in too many categories to be legitimately chosen as a candidate.
Starting RF: Jayson Werth—Philadelphia Phillies
Why:[/b] Werth has blown up this season, with the third best OPS in the NL. He’s hitting .289 with 20 home runs, 61 RBI’s, and a 1.023 OPS helping to power the best offense in the National League. Often overshadowed by the lefties in Philadelphia’s lineup, Werth balances the team out with his right hand hitting bat.
Reserve RF: Justin Upton—Arizona Diamondbacks*, Brad Hawpe—Colorado Rockies#
Why: He’s only hitting .239 in June with no home runs, but Upton was possessed early in the season when the Diamondbacks were actually winning games. Upton is still fourth in RBI’s, he’s well within reach of a 20-20 season, and he’s hitting over .300. He deserves an All-Star bid, though he’ll probably miss out due to injuries.
Hawpe has been the raw slugging run producer who’s making Colorado tick. He has the second most home runs of any right fielder, and the third highest OPS. He’s also been incredibly clutch, hitting .377 with three home runs in close and late situations. Of his late-game exploits, he has a walk-off two run home run off Kevin Gregg and the Blue Jays, another walk off two-run home run against Atahualpa Severino and the Nationals, and a walk-off infield single to beat the Padres.
Who has a gripe: Cody Ross—Florida Marlins Ross is tied for third in home runs for right fielders, is second in RBI’s, and has a solid .280 average, but he trails Hawpe in home runs, average, and the advanced stats categories.
Starting C: Russel Martin—Los Angeles Dodgers
Why:[/b] Martin is hitting .321 with 43 RBI’s. He’s first or second among catchers in most major stats, except home runs, plus he plays for better teams than the next highest ranked catchers.
Reserve C: Ivan Rodriguez—Washington Nationals
Why: The Nationals need a representative, and Ivan Rodriguez has been a solid catcher this season. He’s hitting .302, with six home runs, and 46 runs batted in. His competition is Jason Jaramillo in Pittsburgh, but Jaramillo plays for an awful team and hasn’t been so overwhelmingly good, where he has to be picked.
Who has a gripe: Jason Jaramillo—Pittsburgh Pirates Jaramillo is third in OPS for catchers, and first in home runs, but he plays for an awful team, and the Nationals need a representative.
Starting Pitcher: Matt Cain—San Francisco Giants
Why:[/b] No pitcher has been as consistently solid in the National League than Cain. He’s 7-4 with a 2.48 ERA that’s second in the league. He’s fourth in innings, second in opponents average, and second in VORP. In 17 starts, he’s allowed more than three earned runs only once.
He’s also pitched terrifically against some of the top teams in baseball. He allowed only two hits and one run in four and two thirds innings against Philadelphia before exiting with arm fatigue. He shut down the Red Sox to four hits in one run over eight innings, and in two starts against Colorado, he’s allowed only seven hits and one run in 13 innings.
Reserve Pitchers: Jo-Jo Reyes—Atlanta Braves*, Aaron Cook—Colorado Rockies*, Micah Owings—Cincinnati Reds, Tim Lincecum—San Francisco Giants, Josh Johnson—Florida Marlins, Brad Penny, St. Louis Cardinals, Chris Carpenter—St. Louis Cardinals, Huston Street—Colorado Rockies, Francisco Cordero—Cincinnati Reds, Brandon Lyon—Chicago Cubs, Ryan Franklin—St. Louis Cardinals, Brad Lidge—Philadelphia Phillies, Jeremy Affeldt#—San Francisco Giants, Jonathan Sanchez—San Francisco Giants#
Reyes leads the league in ERA, is second in WHIP, first in opponents average, and Atlanta’s lone All-Star candidate. It’s a shame that he won’t be able to pitch in the game.
Aaron Cook was 6-1 with a sparkling 2.32 ERA and 1.14 WHIP before his arm gave out.
Micah Owings has been one of the brightest early season stories, pitching the Cardinals to a possible postseason berth, as he’s third in ERA and first in WHIP. He’s done his best work against the rival Cubs, allowing one run and six hits over 16 innings against the team fighting the Reds for the NL Central crown.
Tim Lincecum is a nightmare for opposing hitters. He’s fourth in ERA at 3.08, first in strikeouts with 132, and if he had more than six wins, might have been chosen as the starter.
Josh Johnson has the best record in the league at 9-2, plus he has the sixth best ERA at 3.17. If he played for a better team than the scuffling Marlins, he’d be a candidate to start as well.
Brad Penny has been one of St. Louis’ workhorses at 8-5 with a 3.23 ERA. He went 5-0 in May to anchor his place on the All-Star team.
Chris Carpenter is the NL leader in innings pitched and wins. His nine wins and 121 innings top the NL, but his seven losses and comparatively high ERA of 3.57 will leave him as a reserve.
Huston Street has been a dead-end for opposing teams at the end of games. In 31 appearances, he has a 1-0 record, a 1.89 ERA, and 19 saves in 20 chances. The save total is good for fourth, and the ERA good for fifth among qualified relievers.
Francisco Cordero leads the NL in saves with 26, and he also has five wins and a 2.01 ERA to his ledger. He’s a clear cut All-Star.
Brandon Lyon is third in saves, closing 21 of 22 chances for Houston and Chicago. His miniscule ERA of 0.86, and his 4-0 record make him another easy All-Star choice.
Ryan Franklin has saved 18 of 20 games this year, good for fifth in the NL. After a disastrous opening week, he’s settled down and helped the Cardinals get back into the NL race.
Brad Lidge is always shaky, but he’s nailed down 18 of 21 save opportunities, with a hold and two blown saves. Those are better numbers than Brian Wilson who’s blown six saves.
Jeremy Affeldt has been the best left handed set up man this year in the NL, and is one of the injury replacement choices. His 1.09 ERA is third among relievers, and his 0.95 WHIP is first. He’s the setup man of choice over Aaron Heilman because the Diamondbacks stink.
Jonathan Sanchez was left off the regular team because of his sub.500 6-8 record. As an injury replacement, and with few legitimate replacement choices, his record can be excused for a very nice 1.11 WHIP and a .212 average against.
Who has a gripe: Ricky Nolasco—Florida Marlins Nolasco is third in strikeouts and seventh in ERA, but he, like Sanchez, is under .500 at 4-7. He has a terrific WHIP as well, but Florida’s shaky performance keeps Nolasco from getting wins, and keeps him out of the All-Star game in my eyes.
*=injured
#=injury replacement
Any group of GM's want to do something for the AL? I'm not going to be able to do the AL.