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.

My 2019 AL All-Star Starters

I'm not familiar with the ins and outs of the 2019 MLB All-Star game voting system. Apparently, changes have been implemented that affect how this year's electees will be determined, but I'm not certain as to what specific adjustments were made.

 Regardless, I've already cast a couple of ballots with the 9 players whom I believe deserve to take the field next month in Cleveland. Although I try not to let my bias interfere with the players that I select, I can't help but vote for a few Red Sox players.

However, it seems that problems arise each and every year when it comes to All-Star voting. Last year, Gary Sanchez was hitting around .190, yet he led AL catchers in votes up until a week or so before the polls closed.

Because the All-Stars are determined by the fans, the voting system, no matter how many times it has been modified, inherently favors big market teams over small market franchises. Why else would Brett Gardner even be in the conversation for an All-Star game appearance in 2019?

Recently, Rays OF Tommy Pham spoke out in opposition of the fan voting, citing similar reasons as the one above. 

The Tampa Bay Rays are currently in 1st place, yet some of their most talented and deserving players (Austin Meadows and Brandon Lowe) are being outshined and, thus, aren't receiving the votes that they deserve.

The fan voting has never worked perfectly, and it likely never will. With that being said, there's usually 1 major AS snub each year, so everything seems to work out when all is said and done.

It's evident that many of the fans who vote for the All-Stars don't take into account who actually deserves this recognition. Therefore, for the 2nd consecutive MLB season, I decided to list and explain my own AL and NL All-Star starters.

Catcher; Gary Sanchez

As much as I wanted to vote for Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez, I simply cannot ignore Gary Sanchez's substantial improvement from 2018 to the present day. After hitting just .186 last year and missing a ton of time due to injury, Sanchez seems destined for his 2nd career All-Star selection in 2019.

His .266 batting average through 200 at-bats in 2019 may not be magnificent, but it highlights how much he's improved from year to year. Moreover, he's re-established himself as one of Baseball's best sluggers, for he's already hit 21 home runs and driven in 49. 

When healthy and at his best, Sanchez is a home run machine and one of the best sluggers in Baseball. Even though he's a Yankee, I'll have no problem with Sanchez making the All-Star team so long as he retains his current stats and, if possible, slightly raises his batting average.

1st Base; Carlos Santana

Like Gary Sanchez, Carlos Santana had a rocky season in 2019, to put it kindly. He was forced to play 1st base full-time when he signed a 3-year $60 million dollar deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. As a result, he hit just .229 last year, a career low for the 33-year old.

After struggling to find his groove all season in Philadelphia, Santana returned to the Indians in a 3-team trade, and he's been sensational ever since. He's stepped up his game in the wake of Jose Ramirez's significant offensive struggles, and his .289/14/43 hit line should be enough for Santana to be elected to his 1st ever All-Star game.

2nd Base; Brandon Lowe

Here's a player that shocked virtually everyone in Baseball, both fans, and players. Tampa Bays Rays 2nd baseman Brandon Lowe seemingly came out of nowhere, and, all of a sudden, he's the front-runner for the American League's starting 2nd base spot.

In his rookie season, Lowe's putting up better numbers than phenoms like Vladimir Guerrero Jr and Eloy Jimenez. Through nearly 250 at-bats, he's hitting a respectable .280, and he also has 15 homers, the same number of doubles, and 44 RBI.

Thus far, I'm very impressed with what I've seen from the 24-year old rookie. It's nice to see players surprise us and achieve unexpected greatness, and I'd love to see him be rewarded with an ASG selection.

Shortstop; Xander Bogaerts

Simply put, Xander Bogaerts is playing at a higher level than every other American League shortstop. Unfortunately, he's not getting the recognition that he deserves, for he ranked 6th among AL shortstops as of 3 days ago.

This gets back to how unfair the fan voting system truly is, even for successful, big market teams like the Boston Red Sox. After signing a contract extension towards the very beginning of the 2019 season, Boagerts has shown consistency and has blossomed into an RBI machine for the Red Sox.

His 49 RBI leads the entire team, and his .300 batting average is something we haven't from the X-man since 2015. If he keeps these numbers up, Bogaerts is a no-brainer for the AL starting shortstop job, but clearly, my opinion isn't shared by many of the fans who are voting.

3rd Base; Rafael Devers

While I admire what some of the other AL 3rd basemen have done so far this season, especially Gio Urshella of the New York Yankees, there's no reason for him to receive more All-Star votes than Rafael Devers. 

In addition to Gary Sanchez and Carlos Santana, Rafael Devers has demonstrated tremendous improvement since his injury-plagued and slightly disappointing 2018 season. Now, Devers has eclipsed every other AL 3rd baseman with his unbelievable statistics.

His .307 batting average is the best out of every player on the Boston Red Sox, and it's something that I doubted he could pull off following his .240 average last season. Furthermore, Devers has been a valuable part of the Red Sox all season as he's hit 12 dingers and driven in 47 runs. 

Not to mention, he has 8 stolen bases as well, though he certainly makes some base-running mistakes.  He's even made significant defensive improvements, proving that Devers has truly come a long way and merits a 2019 All-Star game selection.

Outfielders; Michael Brantley, George Springer, and Mike Trout

Originally, I envisioned Mookie Betts as a shoo-in for the AL starting outfielder job, but he's had his struggles with batting average throughout the 2019 season thus far. Mike Trout, on the other hand, is a perennial All-Star starter; there was never any doubt in my mind that he'd make his 8th ASG appearance in 2019.

What I didn't expect, however, was for George Springer and Michael Brantley to emerge as starting caliber players for the AL All-Star team. Going into the 2019 season, Springer was coming off a disappointing 2018 performance, and Brantley was entering his first season with the Astros.

Nonetheless, both outfielders are hitting around .300 with Houston and have driven in around 40 runs. I'm always looking for a balance between batting average and power, and these 2 outfielders, along with Trout, perfectly fit the bill.

Even though Devers and Bogaerts aren't getting the recognition or the votes that they deserve by the general public, at least DH J.D. Martinez is. Last time I checked, he was leading all American League designated hitters with votes, and I don't expect anything to change.

His stats may not be as fantastic as they were in 2018, but his batting average is still hovering around the .300 mark, and he's recently entered a hot streak in which he's been homering quite frequently.

At this point, I don't necessarily expect Rafael Devers or Xander Bogaerts to start in the ASG, but, if nothing else, I can't say the same for J.D. Martinez.

Top 5 Cards; Jim Palmer

After I redeemed my Jim Palmer redemption auto after the Baseball card show on Sunday, Topps wasted very little time in shipping the 2018 Topps Archives card. According to the USPS tracking, the redemption is set to arrive in the mail this Thursday. 

In the meantime, it appears that I've been successful in ridding myself of my case of writer's block, thanks, in large part, to new cards coming into my collection. 

I have a team collector's package ready to recap later this week, not to mention the redemption card which will come in the mail any day now, and before I know it, I'll be right back at the Baseball card show on Monday.

Needless to say, there's a lot going on when it comes to Baseball cards, and it's forcing me to stay busy which I view as a very good thing. But before I can move on to a new package of cards, I wanted to do a top 5 cards post for Jim Palmer, inspired by the redemption card that I picked up at Sunday's show.

Palmer was undeniably one of the greatest pitchers in Baseball history, but he doesn't receive as much recognition as he should. He amassed well over 2,000 strikeouts, finished just shy of 300 wins, and maintained a 2.86 ERA while pitching in 3 different decades.

I may not be spoiled when it comes to vintage base cards of Palmer like I am for other players, but card companies like Topps and Upper Deck have helped grow my 78-card player collection over the years. Behold, my top 5 favorites.

#5 2018 Topps Big League

Even while writing this post, my choice of Palmer's 2018 Topps Big League card surprises me, yet the more I study it, the more confident I am in this choice. Topps chose to feature Palmer alongside fellow Orioles legends, Ripken Jr. and Brooks Robinson, in the 2018 Big League set, and they nailed the Palmer card, in particular, by choosing a logo appropriate to the time period in which he played.

The Big League set was a surprisingly well-received release in 2018 and one that I'm glad to see return this year, especially if retired players, like Palmer, are featured to the extent that they were in the 2018 set.

#4 1971 Topps 

I, unfortunately, do not have Palmer's base card from 1971 Topps, but this card commemorating the 1970 AL Playoffs is nevertheless a great option. While I wish the photo was in color instead, the black borders of the '71 set never fail to impress me, and this card is no exception. 

The photo choice is near-perfect for this card, and Topps was able to nail the balance between how much space the borders take up. If the postseason highlights card looks this nice, I'd love to get my hand's on Palmers base card from the 1971 Topps set.

#3 2005 Upper Deck All-Star Classics Box Scores

I have a feeling that these inserts from 2005 Upper Deck All-Star Classics are somewhat rare, for there is only 1 of them listed on the entire COMC site. The Palmer card is the only one that I have from the entire set, and the inserts themselves feature a very unique concept that we don't usually see on Baseball cards.

In the case of Palmer's card, the entire box score from the 1977 MLB All-Star game is featured with the National League on the left and the American League on the right. Moreover, you can see who played, scored, drove in runs, and got a hit, and the box score will tell you that the NL defeated the AlL this year with a final score of 7-5.

#2 1976 Topps

My other copy of this card is occupying spot #450 in the 1976 Topps set while this one is a part of my Jim Palmer player collection, and it's also my 2nd favorite Palmer card that I own. The image quality may not be stellar, but the Orioles jersey looks pretty cool on this card because of how it's practically red rather than the lighter orange we're used to seeing nowadays.

Speaking of orange, the color combination at the bottom of this '76 Topps card is the typical Orioles orange along with a lighter shade of green. In true 1976 Topps fashion, an intriguing color combination is featured, and surprisingly, it looks pretty great.

#1 1967 Topps

This time around, in regards to the choice for spot #1, it wasn't a hard decision. Frankly, there's just nothing that could beat this World Series highlights card from 1967 Topps, honoring game #2 of the 1966 Fall Classic between the Baltimore Orioles and the L.A. Dodgers.

The design reminds me of 1955 Bowman because of how it's made to look like an old-fashioned TV, equipped with "tuners" that list the game number and the final score. Better yet, the photo is in full black and white, not a sepia/yellowish color like the '71 set. This time, it's an action image in full that also happens to be in black and white as well.

I guess, when I have a card as eye-catching as this one, I don't really need any vintage Jim Palmer base cards. I'll take this World Series highlights card any day of the week.