My 2019 NL All-Star Starters

Earlier today at 4pm EST, the first round of the 2019 MLB All-Star game fan voting came to a close. At this point, while we don't know the exact results, the votes for round #1 are in.

Throughout the last couple of weeks, I took the time to vote for the players who I believed deserved to be All-Stars. I tried to remain as fair as possible, even if that meant voting for Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez for the AL team. Simply put, he deserves the spot, so I gave him my votes.

However, the end of the first round voting definitely snuck up on me. Even after casting my ballots on numerous days, I didn't even realize until today that the voting was scheduled to end at 4pm. Otherwise, I would've written a blog post for my NL All-Star ballot earlier in the week. 

It doesn't do a whole lot of good for me to explain my NL All-Star starters today considering that round #1 voting is already over, but I, nevertheless, wanted to publically announce and justify my picks.

Like the AL All-Star starters post from yesterday, I doubt that all the players featured in this post will actually make the All-Star game. However, my main objective with this post is to get my choices out there and possibly proving how the voting system, even with these new adjustments, is flawed.

I explained yesterday how Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers, although deserving of an All-Star selection, likely won't receive enough votes. While I don't follow the National League quite as closely as the American League, I'm certain that something similar will occur.

Catcher; Willson Contreras

Since his call-up towards the beginning of 2016, Willson Contreras has struggled to put in a full season due to injuries as well as the position that he plays. Now, at 27 years of age, Contreras is having the best season of his career, and he's remained healthy for the entire season as well.

With over 200 at-bats already under his belt, Contreras is hitting .292 with 15 homers and 42 RBI. At this point, the World Series Champion seems destined to have his best season yet in 2019, for it appears that he'll surpass his previous career-highs in numerous stat categories.

Buster Posey usually makes a strong case for an All-Star selection, but his .246 batting average in 2019 simply isn't cutting it. For me, Contreras is the no-brainer for the NL starting catcher position.

1st Base; Josh Bell

I don't think anybody saw this coming, yet Josh Bell is not only making a strong argument to be the NL All-Star team's starting 1st baseman, but he's also making a case for the NL MVP award as well.

Despite competition from guys like Pete Alonso, Bell is having a breakout season at the age of 26. His 27 doubles and 66 RBI lead all of the MLB, and his 20 home runs aren't too shabby either. After struggling to find a balance between power and contact for the first few years of his career, Bell seems to have pieced it all together in 2019. 

Thus, it would stand to reason that he would be rewarded with his 1st ever All-Star selection in 2019.

2nd Base; Max Muncy

After struggling to make it in the MLB for a few years with the Oakland Athletics, Max Muncy emerged as a power hitter for the 2018 Los Angeles Dodgers and helped turn their season from a disaster into a 2nd straight NL pennant. 

Now, after garnering MVP votes in 2018, Muncy is the clear choice for the NL All-Star team in 2019. He, like Josh Bell, has achieved a balance between power hitting (17 home runs) and contact hitting (.283 batting average) so far in 2019. 

It should also be noted that Muncy has come a long way from his days in Oakland when he was a below-average bench player. Now, he's won an NL pennant with the Los Angeles Dodgers and appears destined for the 2019 NL All-Star team.

Shortstop; Javier Baez

There's always been something special about Javier Baez since his rookie season back in 2015. However, it took him a few years before emerging as one of Baseball's brightest stars last season. Now, at age 26, there's no turning back for the 2018 NL MVP runner-up.

It'll be challenging for Baez to match his sensational stats from the 2018 season, but he's on track to come close so far in 2019. Baez's .286 batting average, 18 homers, and 48 RBI make a powerful case as to why he should be an All-Star for the 2nd straight season. 

Even though some of his success is due to the number of at-bats that he has (294), there's no denying how talented Javier Baez is, both defensively and offensively. He's one of the most well-rounded players in Baseball, and I'll be shocked if he doesn't end up as an NL All-Star starter.

3rd Base; Nolan Arenado

At this point, Nolan Arenado isn't only proving that he deserves to be an All-Star for the 5th time in his career. Rather, he's also establishing himself as one of Baseball's most consistent and greatest players, someone who could end up in Cooperstown when all is said and done.

From 2015-2018, Arenado was elected to the All-Star team, won the NL Gold Glove and Silver Slugger for his position, and received MVP votes. Given his current stat line in 2019 (.328/18/60), I don't see why anything should change.

Arenado also leads the NL in hits with 94, and he could have the greatest season of his career in 2019 which, by his standards, is a phenomenal accomplishment.

Outfielders; Cody Bellinger, Christian Yelich, and Charlie Blackmon

While there's an argument to be made for other position players to be starters for the NL All-Star team, there simply is not another NL outfielder more deserving of the starting spot than Christian Yelich, Charlie Blackmon, and Cody Bellinger.

These 3 outfielders all rank in the top 4 in Baseball when it comes to batting average, and that's just one reason why these 3 need to take the field in Cleveland next month. They each have at least 17 homers with Yelich leading all of Baseball with 28. As far as RBI are concerned, Bellinger leads the pack with 60.

If you take an in-depth look at these 3 superstars' stats, you'll get a better idea as to why these 3 are the best choice for the NL All-Star starting lineup. 

As much as Ronald Acuna Jr and Juan Soto have been impressing me in their 2nd respective MLB seasons, they simply cannot match what Yelich, Blackmon, and Bellinger have done.