MLB All-Star Game: Who Should Start for the National League?
Nine starting pitchers were named to the National League All-Star team ahead of the Midsummer Classic, but only one of them will be making the start for the Senior Circuit in the MLB All-Star Game.
The votes are in and the rosters are set. Major League Baseball has officially announced the majority of the players who will be representing their clubs in the 87th annual MLB All-Star Game on July 12 in San Diego, California. The best players in the league will be thrust onto one field to showcase their talents and fight for home-field advantage in the World Series.
In the National League, nine starting pitchers from seven different teams were selected to fill up the pitching staff. From three-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw to 2014 World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner to former Rookie of the Year Jose Fernandez, the roster is stacked with some of the top arms in the game.
New York Mets manager Terry Collins is tasked with tackling one of the biggest questions surrounding the Midsummer Classic: who will be the starting pitcher for the National League? While Kershaw (11-2, 1.79 ERA) appeared to be the obvious choice less than a month ago, a herniated disc in his back earned the Dodgers ace a trip to the disabled list. Now, the field is wide open for Collins to choose from.
So who will be taking the mound in the first inning of Tuesday’s exhibition game between the best squads baseball has to offer? Three candidates stand out among the rest, but only one will be given the honor.
Next: The Young Stud
Noah Syndergaard
The youngest pitcher in the group, Noah Syndergaard has taken the league by storm in his second season pitching in the big leagues. Through 17 games (16 starts), the Mets right-hander has posted a sparkling 2.41 ERA with 123 strikeouts to only 15 walks. One of the few pitchers in the game to routinely hit triple digits on the radar gun, Syndergaard has separated himself from the rest of his age group as the premiere young arm in all of baseball.
Featuring a five-pitch repertoire, Syndergaard has an arsenal of options at his disposal for inducing whiffs and weak contact. His sinker, which averages more than 98 mph, induces groundballs 13.2 percent of the time—more than double that of any other pitch. His most devastating weapon, however, is certainly his slider. Hitters swing and miss at the pitch 30.0 percent of the times he throws it.
The biggest Achilles heel in Syndergaard’s game has been holding runners on the base paths. Base runners have been successful stealing in 94 percent of opportunities (15-for-16), clearing the way for running threats such as Jose Altuve and Mike Trout to take a crack at swiping a bag. While two of the Mets’ primary catchers have caught stealing percentages below the league average, AL manager Ned Yost will put him to the test almost immediately.
Prediction: Syndergaard is one of the best pitchers in the game when it comes to keeping players off the base paths. Once they reach base, however, good base runners will have a field day against him. With such a run-heavy AL lineup, Terry Collins may opt to go with…
Next: The Cy Young Winner
Jake Arrieta
As if winning his first career Cy Young Award behind one of the most dominant second halves in the history of the sport wasn’t enough, Jake Arrieta followed up his stellar 2015 campaign with dominant performances night after night through the first two months of the season. Arrieta (12-3, 2.33) leads all qualified pitchers in keeping the ball in the yard with a miniscule 0.42 HR/9.
The AL is stacked with six right-handed hitters in the starting lineup. According to Fangraphs, only Fernandez and Max Scherzer have a better BAA (.169) than Arrieta against righties. The Cubs ace has one of the most elite sliders in the game, and right-handers in particular struggle with the pitch (thrown for a strike 29.8 percent of the time).
Recently, however, Arrieta has been off his game. Over his last six starts, he has gone 3-3 with a 4.05 ERA, returning to earth after pitching at an unbelievable pace over the last calendar year. Can he return to form in time to make the start in the All-Game?
Prediction: With Arrieta’s recent struggles, Collins has all the reason to be skeptical about how reliable the reigning NL Cy Young winner will be. Rather, he should hand the ball to…
Next: The Undefeated
Stephen Strasburg
Stephen Strasburg may never be able to shake the injury-prone label, but when the Nats right-hander has made it onto the field, he’s been a force to be reckoned with. 11-0 with a 2.71 ERA and 123 strikeouts, he is the final remaining undefeated qualified pitcher in the majors. Washington has won 14 of the 15 games he’s taken the mound this season, including his most recent start when he carried a no-hitter into the seventh.
With Strasburg’s strikeout percentage at the highest it’s been since his rookie season (31.2 percent), he is stranding runners at the highest rate of his career (82.4 percent). He still occasionally struggles with the home run—his 0.90 HR/9 is right around his career average—but he has been brilliant off the stretch.
Overall, the Nats ace is living up to the hype he earned during his days at San Diego State. With the All-Star Game being held right in his hometown, Strasburg should feel right at home pitching at Petco Park.
Prediction: Strasburg is still undefeated for a reason, and it’s not just because of the Nats’ offense. The former No. 1 overall pick is the midst of the best season of his young career, and he deserves the nod to make the start for the National League at this season’s All-Star Game.
Next: All-Star Game's Top 6 Snubs
Note: For those wondering how Bumgarner could have possibly not made this list—the Giants left-hander is currently in line to start on the Sunday prior to the All-Star Game, making him ineligible to pitch in the contest. If rested, Bumgarner would have been a serious contender.