MLB All-Star Game: Corey Kluber Replaces Marco Estrada

Marco Estrada was selected to participate in the MLB All-Star Game, but he is on the disabled list. Manager Ned Yost was tasked with choosing a replacement, and he picked former Cy Young winner Corey Kluber.

With Marco Estrada on the disabled list for the MLB All-Star Game, Ned Yost was forced to replace him with another pitcher. There were three pitchers that Yost was probably choosing from: Michael Fulmer, Corey Kluber and Jose Quintana. With three of the most deserving pitchers in the same division that he manages in, he has had a good look of all three of those guys throughout the first half of the season. In the end Yost went with the guy with the best reputation in Corey Kluber.

While both Fulmer and Quintana have had great seasons, Yost made a great choice in choosing Corey Kluber. Kluber is best known for his incredible 2014 season, when he won the Cy Young Award. Since winning that award, he hasn’t reached that same level, which is to be expected. Despite still not being on that same level of dominance, Kluber has had a very good 2016 season to date. So good that it is almost shocking that he wasn’t on the All-Star roster to begin with.

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In 2016 Kluber has held hitters to a .271 average, which doesn’t look great when you compare it to some of the better pitchers in the league; however, it would actually be Kluber’s lowest career mark, even lower than in the Cy Young season. Kluber’s record of 8-8 with a 3.79 ERA doesn’t look great either, but his peripheral numbers have been great this season. Those peripheral numbers show that he is having a much better season than a simple bad 8-8 record and average or below average 3.79 ERA show.

He holds a very good WHIP at 1.04, a good FIP of 2.96, and is tied with Jose Quintana for the highest fWAR with 3.1. Essentially everything other than his win-loss record and ERA says that he has pitched well.

He is giving up runs and losing games, but he has limited base runners. He also has a good strikeout rate (24.9 percent) combined with a low walk rate (5.9 percent). He’s also giving up fewer home runs per nine innings than almost anyone else in the American League; he is only behind knuckleballing All-Star Steven Wright and teammate Trevor Bauer in the category. All of these numbers combined build what should be a very good season, which would typically lead to a good ERA and therefore more wins. However, that hasn’t been the case for Kluber this season, but we should not be fooled by his basic numbers.

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His basic stat line type numbers don’t do him justice on the season he is having. A pitcher who limits walks and hits, strikes out batters at a good rate, and limits home runs like almost nobody else is certainly worth of being an All-Star. His 3.1 fWAR that leads the American League has not just appeared out of nowhere. In short, Kluber has been very good and completely deserving of this honor.

Competitors for the spot like Jose Quintana and Michael Fulmer have had impressive seasons as well; however, only one of the three could be chosen to make the roster. None of the three would have been a bad choice. Kluber is certainly a good choice for the game when one considers the impressive and underrated season he has had.

Next: Which Pitcher Should Start for the AL?

Corey Kluber will join Indians teammates Francisco Lindor and Danny Salazar on the American League All-Star roster. In the coming days we could also see a player named to replace Wade Davis on the roster. Whether Yost replaces him with a reliever or a starter remains questionable, because he seems to like sticking with five starters and eight relievers on the roster. If he decides that the spot can go to a starter we may see another AL Central starter in Jose Quintana or Michael Fulmer join the roster.

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