MLB Final Vote: Breaking down the American League
By Jason Evans
5. 3B- Evan Longoria
.278/.329/.521 18 homers 45 RBI 2.3 WAR
Longoria has rebounded in a big way this year for the Tampa Bay Rays. Last season, he hit .270 with .764 OPS with 21 homers and 73 RBI in 160 games. Part of that low RBI total was due to the Rays anemic offense.
Longoria has re-emerged as a force at the hot corner this season with his numbers, even though his team has struggled this season.
He also hasn’t made an All-Star team since 2010.
The thing that makes these votes tricky is that a good part of it is a popularity contest and where your team is in the standings. You could make the argument that out of all five candidates he’s probably on the least popular team of the five and the team that is furthest out in the standings.
Longoria has had an excellent season, but the AL has so many good third baseman, like Josh Donaldson, Adrian Beltre and Manny Machado, that it’s extremely hard to fit everyone into the game.
I don’t think the fans are going to put Longoria on the team. I think if he makes it, it will be as an injury (legitimate or otherwise replacement) but it wouldn’t shock me if he ends up in San Diego, playing in front of his home town in the All Star Game.
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