All-Stros.... oh right, I mean All-Star Voting.

Taking a look at the team and how they stack up for chances of making the All-Stros game!

By Brian Cohn Jun 7, 2019, 2:51pm CDT

Fixed the MLB’s Banner for the All-Star Game

With the new and improved logo for the All-Star game, I figured it was worth taking a minute for us to review where each of our players stand and if there’s a legitimate case for them to be voted into the All-Star game. I’ll try to avoid using the logic that since it’s now called the All-Stros game we should be at every spot. I encourage all of you to go vote for our guys!

Catcher - Robinson Chirinos

When the Astros signed Robinson Chirinos, I doubt even the most optimistic of us were clamoring that he should be an easy nomination to the All-Star game. I was optimistic and in my bold predictions for the easy put in that he’d take advantage of MMP’s dimensions to the tune of .240+/.350+/.520+ for a wRC+ of 120 or better. So far this season, that’s been under rating him.

Chirinos is tied for 1st in fWAR, His 144 wRC+ is due to a .247/.383/.521 triple slash and his defense has made a marked improvement this year. Ultimately, he’s going to have a very large uphill battle with Gary Sanchez having a similar quality year and playing in pinstripes. James McCann is also deserving, and with each team needing a representative may take the spot by default as Tim Anderson and Yoan Moncada would have some steep battles at 2B and SS where both seem outmatched.

Without the name recognition and the competition at Catcher, we will need a lot of support to get Chirinos into the running.

1st Base - Yuli Gurriel

Well honestly, I don’t have a case to make here. Yuli has been a below average hitter (83 RC+) at a position generally known for it’s offense. There are a few contenders for this spot and still some time for movement. Edwin Encarnacion and Trey Mancini both could make plays being the sole representatives from struggling teams, or Carlos Santana who is the current WAR leader could take it. Of course, Luke Voit’s breakout season and being in pin stripes can never be counted out either.

2nd Base - Jose Altuve

Altuve has been hurt and struggled a bit to start the year, “only” hitting 17% above league average. Truthfully, without a quick return and bounce back stats, Altuve is not deserving of a spot this year. With that said, Altuve is one of the most beloved players in baseball and may have a stronger chance at the All Star Game than you may expect. Him getting in at this point is more of a recognition of who he’s been over the past few years, and it’s tough for ANY fan to hate how contagious his enthusiasm for the game is.

Tommy La Stella has a narrow lead over DJ LaMahieu currently in the WAR rankings. I don’t see a clear front runner.

Short Stop - Carlos Correa

It’s a shame before the infamous massage incident, Correa was having an All-Star caliber year. His injury likely puts him out of the running even if he were elected, and truthfully Semien, Polanco, and Bogaerts especially would have been tough competition. Currently Xander Bogaerts has the lead from a WAR perspective but there are legitimate arguments for each of the top players. Polanco has lead a dominant Twins offense coming behind only Mitch Garver in wRC+ but with twice the number of PA.

3rd Base - Alex Bregman

This is the largest no brainer. In the season so far, Bregman has a dominant hold on the top WAR spot for 3rd Basemen. His 3.0 WAR is the highest by 0.5, he leads in wRC+ by a narrow margin over Hunter Dozier of the Royals but his defense scores have boosted him well ahead of the Royals 3rd Baseman. It’s still astonishing to me that Bregman’s .281/.396/.567 line has occurred while he has a .257 BABIP. Bregman is off to another MVP caliber start to the season, and should be the easiest of the Astros to get elected. He has become a household name, though with mixed reviews based on his “arrogance” and trash talk.

Outfield - George Springer

MLB: Chicago White Sox at Houston Astros

George Springer was a slam dunk candidate, and even with his injury he should still be well in the running. With a charming smile and a youthful exuberance for the game, Springer is easy for fans to root for. As a two-time All-Star and a World Series MVP, Springer’s name should hold up in getting him some votes. Essentially, you have to figure there are 2 starting spots that don’t have Mike Trout’s name permanently engraved on them. Currently his 2.8 WAR ranks 3rd overall, making an easy case for him.

Outfield - Michael Brantley

MLB: Houston Astros at Oakland Athletics

Brantley has had a phenomenal start to year, and one of the best of his career. His .329/.387/.532 line leaves little to be desired from an offensive perspective, bring him to a cumulative 148 wRC+. There is some tough competition in the outfield this year, with him currently ranking 5th overall in WAR at 2.2. I do think he will need a lot of support from the Astros fan base to have a legitimate shot at getting the call. With names such as Aaron Judge and Mookie Betts, who have statistically performed worse than him but realistically will gain traction on namesake alone. Joey Gallo, Austin Meadows, and others have had surprisingly good years - so we will need to make sure to get him on the ballot as much as possible.

Outfield - Josh Reddick

After struggling in his 2018 season, you’d be hard pressed to find many beating his drum as a potential 2019 All-Star. He’s rebounded nicely this year, actually coming in at #23 in WAR narrowly edging out the short-season that Judge has had so far this year. His .307/.350/.449 (115 wRC+) season is everything we could have asked for and although he is not ranked overly well defensively, has provided us with some consistent web gems to save a few games. It’d be tough for Wooston to get Reddick in as he does fall short in a star studded outfield competition, but I have to take a moment to recognize how truly great he is.

Designated Hitter - Aledmys Diaz

I was surprised to see that Diaz actually is the Astros DH representative for the Astros. Obviously, he’s out playing Tyler White by a wide margin which would give him a much more realistic chance. Diaz checks off neither the known quantity nor the domination to put him truly in the running. It would be tough for the average voter to take his positional flexibility into account, but regardless, Diaz is now at .286/.321/.510 (118 wRC+) while playing all around the diamond.

The contestants at DH are a bit mixed. Vogelbach and Cruz lead the way at 150 wRC+ and Avisail Garcia is leading the way from a WAR perspective. My personal vote would probably be for Vogelbach.

Summary

tell em skip

Hinch makes an ASG case for a bunch of our guys in the latest #AstrosAllAccess, presented by @StubHub.

Make it an #AllStrosGame: https://t.co/bus5cMQJE8 pic.twitter.com/DGXNt6wHV0
— Houston Astros (@astros) June 7, 2019

The only positions that I feel like the Astros SHOULD be no-brainers at is 3rd base and OF (Springer). I do believe there are legitimate potential nominations (from either performance or name recognition) at Catcher and 2B, but they will need Astros fans support to gain the nomination. Correa and Brantley have outside shots but I believe both would require the Astros stuffing the box and campaigning for both players to make it there.

I may do an article on Chirinos to try to help raise awareness of the year he is having.

Let me know, do you agree with my assessments? Any changes you would make?

Get out, Vote Early, Vote Often, VOTE STROS!