The way-too-early NL MLB All-Star Team starting lineup
With more than a quarter of the season done, let’s look at the prospective NL starters for the MLB All-Star Team .
On Monday, I wrote about the way-too-early AL MLB All-Star Team starting lineup. This time it’s the National League’s turn. The most difficult position to choose an all-star starter in the AL was shortstop, where Francisco Lindor, Manny Machado, Andrelton Simmons and Carlos Correa are all having good years. In April, it looked like Didi Gregorius was the best shortstop on the planet, but he’s gone ice cold lately.
The National League doesn’t have a position as deep as shortstop in the AL when it comes to all-star worthy players, but the three outfield spots will be a thought-provoking choice when the time comes. Longtime baseball fans have to wonder if Nick Markakis can keep up his hot start and make the all-star team for the first time in his 14th year in the big leagues.
I won’t spoil the anticipation, but the starting pitcher for the NL should be very comfortable on the mound of the ballpark where the game is being played. When it comes to relief pitchers, though, some of the best in the NL are not traditional closers, including the amazing Josh Hader and his 59 percent strikeout rate.
As I mentioned yesterday, I’ll give three picks for each position. The first is the traditional pick, which is the player I think would be most likely to start based on their current statistics and level of fame or popularity.
The second pick is the leader in an average of Fangraphs WAR and Baseball-Reference WAR. The third pick is the player at each position who leads the league in Fangraphs WAR over the last calendar year. Here is the NL squad (all stats through Sunday).