We’re still a few months away from the Midsummer Classic, but with voting already open at MLB.com, it’s never too early to take a look at which players are demanding spots at the All-Star Game.
This year’s game will take place in Miami, and there are a lot of names (both familiar and unfamiliar) who are putting up statistics worthy of MLB All-Star nominations at this point in the season. However, the online ballot can only tell you so much. If you want to go a bit below the surface – beyond the batting average and home runs – to get a feel for which players have been complete contributors in 2017, this is the article for you.
We’ll comb through total offensive value, add in some defensive metrics, and lean heavily on the wRC+, DRS, and fWAR of the world. No, these stats aren’t perfect, but they are the best metrics we have available today to measure a player’s true value. With the way All-Star Games are referenced when a player’s career is over, it’s clear that these All-Star appearances aren’t just for show, they play a key part in determining a player’s legacy long after he has been on the field.
On Monday we chose our American League roster, and today we’ll chose the National League. There are plenty of names you’ll recognize, and some of the names are the ones you’d choose with even a cursory glance at the surface statistics. But there are also a few hidden gems, and a lot more reasoning given for the top studs actually being the top studs.
Let’s get into your NL Sabermetric All-Star roster.