Taking a Closer Look at the AL All-Star Outfield

Jul 3, 2013; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels center fielder

(27) is unable to make a leaping catch at the outfield wall of a two-run home run by St. Louis Cardinals center fielder

(not pictured) in the second inning at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Many will argue that the fans get it wrong in each year’s all-star voting, and that could be true when talking about certain spots. Favoritism plays a role a lot of the time and the most marquee players often make the squads. This year, at least many things were voted right without such name-recognition. There’s a reason Trout, Jones and Bautista were voted to the Summer Classic, but are they the right choices?

Mike Trout: He’s one of the best young players in the league and is deserving of this honor. His play in the outfield is incredible with great closing speed and already a few robbed home runs. He’s been one of the reasons the Angels are sticking in the playoff race not just because of his legs, but his performance at the plate.

He’s hitting .322 with runners in scoring position this year with 43 RBI’s and eight extra-base hits. He doesn’t have incredible power numbers, but he’s the master of clutch hits for the Angels. He’s 2^nd in the league in triples—Expect him to get even better the second half of the season.

Adam Jones: The starting center fielder isn’t the name that you hear every night unless you live in Baltimore like me. Watching Jones every night is a treat seeing his skills on display. His spot next to Nick Markakis in the Orioles outfield has been filled every night with a guy who plays center to the best of his ability every night.

He still has struggles chasing the slider in the dirt, but that might be the only issue for Jones at the plate. Like Trout, Jones has been clutch for a team that is trying to keep up with the division’s top contenders. He’s hitting .346 with runners on and .429 with the bases loaded. Many guys are selected to this game because of flashy numbers, but Jones got this role because of his countless contributions to the team.

Jose Bautista: This is the puzzling selection that might be linked back to player popularity. As well as he has done in the past, Bautista isn’t having a shocking season season. The 6’0” outfielder is hitting under .270 with 20 home runs. It’s not that his season has been bad, but is it really all-star caliber?

Many spots in this year’s game have been selected to perfection—where does the outfield stand?