2. Mookie Betts: .290/.336/.518; 2.8 WAR (13.9/1.7 Off/Def) (#3 IN AL OUTFIELD VOTES)
His play and his profile exemplifies what the best lineup in baseball is all about. He’s young, balanced, powerful, multidimensional, and all around really, really good. You certainly wouldn’t be doing anyone a disservice by having him as an All-Star starter. There are no guarantees in life, but if he doesn’t make it this year, the odds are he won’t sweat it, because quite a few All-Star starting nods appear to loom in his very bright future.
1. Ian Desmond: .312/.362/.505; 3.1 WAR (14.5/5.2 Off/Def) (#9 IN AL OUTFIELD VOTES)
It really doesn’t make sense how you can be the best player on the best team in the AL and not get voted in as a starter. It doesn’t make any sense how you can be in the top five for both offensive and defensive value (4th and 5th respectively) while no one else is in the top ten of both, and not get voted in as a starter. Maybe some of it has to do with him coming from a less than crazed fan base.
Next: A Look into Ian Desmond's Bounce-Back Season
There’s also the possibility that his position change has meant some careless and rushed voters haven’t looked for his name in the right place, or forgotten about him all together. Or maybe they just haven’t read what I wrote about his resurgence this year. Whatever the case, this is clearly the best guy for the job, and quite frankly he should be running second only to Trout. He’s one of a handful of the top players of any position in the American League, and really all of baseball right now.