MLB Final Vote: Breaking down the American League

Who is going to win the last American League spot in the MLB Final Vote?

It’s hard to believe, but we are just one week away from another All Star Game. Next Tuesday night in San Diego, the 2016 All-Star game will be played. The teams have been selected and the fans have spoken in terms of the starters. (Well, at least fans in Boston and Chicago certainly have).

The fans have one more job though. They have to pick who the final All-Star will be in the American and National Leagues. You have until Friday, July 8 at 4pm eastern to make your selection.

Today, we are going to break down the players in the American League who were selected to be a part of the final vote.

This isn’t about who should win it. This is about who I think will win it. It’s a power rank of each player’s chances to earn that last spot on that AL All-Star team.

All numbers used are going into last night’s game and are per Baseball Reference. So let’s dive in. Who is going to win the final spot on the All-Star team? Here are the five.

Next: A leader in the sunshine state

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.

Next: Houston Igniter

4. OF- George Springer  Houston Astros

.263/.360/.481 19 homers 50 RBI six steals 3.5 WAR

George Springer has been a huge part of the Astros resurgence, as once they put him in the leadoff spot, the team began to flourish. As a leadoff hitter, he is hitting .265 with an .867 OPS. He may not your classic leadoff hitter, but the Astros and the Indians with Carlos Santana are proving maybe you don’t need that prototypical guy at the top of the order.

Springer is already just one home run and one RBI short of tying a career high in homers and RBI, set in his rookie season two years ago. He’s posted his best defensive WAR of his career at 0.8 so far this season.

He’s starting to become part of the conversation in regards to the best outfielders in the American League and is certainly deserving of All-Star consideration, but I don’t think he is going to win the final spot.

Houston is certainly the darling of sabermatricians everywhere, but I’m not sure that George Springer has the national profile of his teammates Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa. Springer is getting there, though I’m not quite sure he’s there quite yet.

Next: Motown's second sacker

3. 2B Ian Kinsler Detroit Tigers

.290/.348/.496 16 homers 52 RBI eight steals 3.0 WAR

Ian Kinsler is one of the most consistent and underrated players in all of baseball. He’s posted a WAR above four every year of his career except for two. He’s had double digits in homers every year except for one. He’s had double digit steals every year of his career. He can hit anywhere in the order and he won’t hurt you in the field either.

Kinsler came to Detroit in the trade for Prince Fielder before the 2014 season as the Tigers re-tooled their infield to make sure Miguel Cabrera would play first instead of third. All he has done is produced since then.

The thing is in terms of winning the final vote is that I don’t think Kinsler is going to get enough national attention to win this because of the fact that he is so underrated. I think your average baseball fans knows and appreciates his game, but I don’t think the average fan is going to look at the names and pick Kinsler in this final vote.

He has the numbers to be a part of this game, however, I don’t believe the fans will end up picking him.

Next: Another Red Sox

2. 2B Dustin Pedroia– Boston Red Sox

.306/.368/.445  eight homers 45 RBI 2,9 WAR

Red Sox Nation certainly know how to get the vote out. They got their DH, shortstop and two outfielders into the AL starting lineup. Now it’s their turn to get one of their team leaders into the All-Star game with the last vote.

Pedroia has made the All-Star game four times in his careers, won a couple rings and an AL MVP back in 2008. He’s rebounding nicely from a injury plagued 2014 season and is posting his highest OPS since 2011.

The 32 year old has proven he certainly has something left in the tank and the Sox have to hope so since he is signed through the 2021 season.

Pedroia is probably among the more popular players in the game. David Ortiz has been the face of the franchise, but I’ve always felt that Pedroia has been their leader and in a lot of ways the Red Sox go as he goes.

I think if it wasn’t for our last player that Pedroia would be the likely guy to win the fan vote. I think our next player will just have too much backing.

Next: Toronto's slugger