MLB All-Star Game: Race for Final AL Outfield Spot
By David Dickey
Undeserving players in top 15 of voting
#5 Lorenzo Cain: .288/.338/.420; 1.7 WAR (0.2/7.2 Off/Def)
#7 Alex Gordon: .211/.319/.331; 0.1 WAR (-2.9/-0.8 Off/Def)
#8 Paulo Orlando: .353/.380/.460; 0.6 WAR (5.6/-5.6 Off/Def)
#13 Adam Jones: .244/.293/.434; 0.2 WAR (-4.2/-3.1 Off/Def)
#14 Melky Cabrera: .284/.342/.432; 0.7 WAR (1.8/-4.8 Off/Def)
#15 J.D. Martinez: .286/.358/.520; 0.7 WAR (9.1/-12.0 Off/Def)
So, let’s just start with the whole Kansas City thing. The only potentially justifiable reasoning for the Royals’ entire starting outfield to be among the top eight AL vote-getters at the position is the Royals’ fans desire to have their own players have the most say as to which league will get home field in this year’s World Series. I’m going to give the benefit of the doubt to their fan base and tell myself that this is the meaning behind their votes.
It still doesn’t really make any sense, because if they really wanted the Royals to have the best chance at hosting a potential Game 7 they’d be smarter to tap some better players to help win that privilege for their league. Gordon was having a horrendously bad year before heading to the DL, while Orlando is essentially a platoon player. Lorenzo Cain has more or less produced like an average center fielder as opposed to the elite level guy he’d been in recent years. This is all just silly.
As for the other three, I can’t really complain too much, for while none of them are having good/healthy years, they really aren’t in contention for a spot on the team. After you get beyond the first level of guys there’s a good twenty or so AL outfielders who are relatively interchangeable.
Next: #10A-B