MLB: Six Unlikely Players That Are All-Star Worthy
Believe it or not, the MLB season is almost 1/4 of the way over. With teams ramping up their marketing efforts to promote All-Star Game voting, Call To The Pen looks at some unlikely names that should warrant strong consideration for a spot in the Midsummer Classic.
In just under two months, the brightest stars in Major League Baseball will take the field at Petco Park in San Diego for the All-Star Game. Though it may seem like the season just got started, the 2016 campaign has reached the quarter mark, and there have been some breakout players that deserve a good long look for All-Star recognition.
One of the beautiful things about baseball is that new stars emerge every year, and this season has been no exception. The Midsummer Classic is shaping up to have a few surprises on its rosters. While big names like Mike Trout and Bryce Harper will undoubtedly be making the trip to Southern California in July, who are some of the unlikely players that are making a case to be joining them?
Next: A whole lot of Trumbombs
Mark Trumbo – Baltimore Orioles
Of all of the surprises in baseball thus far in 2016, Mark Trumbo may be the biggest. An all-star in 2012 with the Los Angeles Angels, the big slugger looked like a bona fide middle of the order mainstay through his first three full big league seasons before falling off a cliff.
From 2011-2013, Trumbo averaged 31 home runs, 94 runs batted in, and 2.2 fWAR. After being traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks, and then the Seattle Mariners, those numbers dipped to 13 homers, 51 RBIs, and -0.5 fWAR the past two seasons.
But the Anaheim native has found new life with the O’s. Through the team’s first 38 games, Trumbo is slashing .304/.356/.595, is tied for the American League lead with 12 homers, and places in the top ten in RBIs, wOBA, and wRC+. That’s been good for a 1.2 fWAR already, and is certainly deserving of a spot on AL squad.
Next: AL third base is getting crowded
Nick Castellanos – Detroit Tigers
Now in his third full season in Motown, Nick Castellanos leads the American League with a .350 batting average through his first 38 games, and is in the top six in slugging, wOBA, and wRC+. While third base is a crowded position in the AL with the likes of Manny Machado, Josh Donaldson, and Travis Shaw all in the mix, Castellanos should merit all-star consideration.
In his first two years with the Tigers, Castellanos was worth -0.6 fWAR and was such a defensive liability that he was often pulled from games in the late innings. His glove is still a work in progress, as he rates at or near the bottom of nearly every defensive metric in the AL, but his bat has been lethal in the middle of a Detroit lineup that has had its fair share of struggles in 2016 (looking at you, Justin Upton).
Next: The catalyst to the Red Sox resurgence
Jackie Bradley, Jr. – Boston Red Sox
Jackie Bradley, Jr. may as well be the poster child for not giving up on prospects if they struggle in the initial stint in the big leagues. The Red Sox center fielder, who bounced back and forth between the majors and minors the past two seasons and struggled to stay above the Mendoza line, has been the hottest hitter in baseball for the past month.
Bradley’s 24-game hitting streak entering play on Thursday has him slashing .338/.390/.607 through his first 40 games, with a .420 wOBA that trails only Jose Altuve and David Ortiz in the American League.
With dramatic improvements in strikeout rate and batting average on balls in play, and 32 RBIs that put him third in the AL behind Robinson Cano and Ortiz, Bradley is rewarding the patience Boston has shown him, and making a case to be standing next to Trout in the outfield at Petco Park in July.
Next: NL Rookie of the Year frontrunner
Aledmys Diaz – St. Louis Cardinals
The torrid start of Aledmys Diaz in the first month of the season was overshadowed a bit by Trevor Story’s home run assault and the ridiculousness that is the Chicago Cubs. But Diaz, who found his way into playing time only because of an injury to Jhonny Peralta, flirted with a .500 batting average throughout April, and enters play on Thursday leading the National League in wRC+ and second in wOBA, batting average, and slugging.
Diaz had zero major league experience coming into the season, yet his .376/.403/.643 slash line, has been worth 1.5 fWAR to the Cards. Like Castellanos, though, there have been issues with the glovework, as his 10 errors leads all big league shortstops.
Among a score of promising young shortstops in the National League that includes Corey Seager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Zack Cozart of the Cincinnati Reds, and Jonathan Villar of the Milwaukee Brewers, and Story, Diaz has been the most impressive in 2016. There is no one even close to more deserving of an all-star nod in the NL.
Next: A power surge for the Mets
Neil Walker – New York Mets
Neil Walker’s success this season and going forward into the future is likely going to be compared to that of the man he replaced at second base with the New York Mets. While Daniel Murphy is currently leading all of Major League Baseball with a .395 batting average for the Washington Nationals, Walker has proven himself a more than adequate replacement through the first quarter of the season.
Through his first 37 games, Walker’s 10 home runs trail only Cano among big league second baseman, and his .254/.306/.493 slash line has been worth 0.8 fWAR. He is also among the best in the league at his position defensively according to most metrics.
With the Mets and Nats looking like they’ll be waging battle for the NL East crown throughout the summer, comparisons of Walker to Murphy aren’t likely to go away anytime soon. And the two could very well be teammates at the Midsummer Classic.
Next: Greinke's battery mate can hit, too
Welington Castillo – Washington Nationals
Yadier Molina and Buster Posey are the standard bearers among National League catchers, but the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Wellington Castillo is making a compelling case to be named to the all-star team through his first 32 games in 2016.
Castillo is slashing .290/.328/.508, his seven home runs the most among major league backstops. His slugging, wOBA, and wRC+ all rank in the top four, and he has been very solid defensively, even coming in ahead of Molina in FanGraphs’ defensive rating.
Next: Sonny Gray making adjustments after rough start
The offensive breakout should maybe not be surprising, as Castillo hit well after being dealt to the Dbacks last summer. If he continues at this pace while catching the likes of Zach Greinke, he could be one of the NL’s signal callers in San Diego come July.