2018 All Star Game: The All WAR Starting Lineup

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As the 2018 All Star Game gets closer, let us take a look at who actually belongs in the starting lineup, based on WAR.

With the 2018 All Star Game rapidly approaching, the starting lineups are beginning to come into focus. There are a few positions that are still hotly contested, but for the most part, the starting lineups are close to set.

While one of the joys of the All Star Game is seeing those players voted in by the fans, they are not always the most deserving. Then, with the requirement that every team is represented, there are those players that should make the game, but are snubbed so that every fan base has that one player to root for.

But what if that requirement was not there? What if the fan vote simply did not happen, and the starters were the most deserving players based on their performance? What if WAR was the determining factor for the starting lineup? What would the starters look like then?

Let us take a look at those players who, based on WAR, should make up the starting lineups of the 2018 All Star Game. This way, a few underrated players would be able to get their due.

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How close has the fan vote come to the National League 2018 All Star infield based on WAR?

First base (vote): Freddie Freeman. WAR: Freeman

This may have been the easiest position to select. Freeman is the leader of the surprising Braves, a player who has been an early candidate for the NL MVP award. He has produced an impressive .315/.408/.544 batting line, hitting 15 homers and 21 doubles while stealing six bases. Freeman has also saved three runs defensively, showing his above average range at first. At 3.2 WAR, and the leading vote getter in the NL, Freeman certainly deserves this spot.

Second base (vote): Ozzie Albies. WAR: Scooter Gennett

Given the Braves resurgence, Albies’ status atop the vote at second makes sense. However, it is the second place Gennett who deserves the nod according to WAR, at 2.9 compares to Albies 2.4 thus far in 2018. Gennett currently leads the NL with a .327 batting average, while slugging 13 homers and 19 doubles. He is certainly showing that last year’s power surge was not a fluke.

Third base (vote): Nolan Arenado. WAR (tie): Arenado, Eugenio Suarez

Yes, according to WAR, that would make two Cincinnati Reds players that should be in the starting lineup for the 2018 All Star Game. As Suarez has played 11 fewer games than Arenado, the nod goes to the Reds infielder at third base. He would be deserving of the hypothetical start, having produced a .303/.387/.570 batting line, with 16 homers, 13 doubles, and an NL leading 60 RBI. Add in his ability to play at short if needed, and he would be quite the asset in the lineup.

Shortstop (vote): Brandon Crawford. WAR: Trea Turner

Even though he barely has over 20% of the vote total that Brandon Crawford does, it is Trea Turner that deserves to be starting the 2018 All Star Game. Although Crawford has had a fine season himself, Turner has been just a bit better. Thus far in 2018, he has produced a .270/.353/.411 batting line, hitting nine homers and stealing 22 bases. It is quite the tantalizing look into what the Nationals have in Turner if he can remain healthy.

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Catcher (vote): Buster Posey. WAR: J.T. Realmuto

Realmuto having a great season, worth a full win more than Posey. However, he is not even in the top five in the fan vote. The player that the Marlins are hoping to build around has posted a .307/.365/.544 batting line, hitting ten homers and 18 doubles. He has also improved behind the plate, having saved three runs already, while throwing out 41% of would be base stealers this year.

Outfield (vote): Nick Markakis, Matt Kemp, Bryce Harper. WAR: Lorenzo Cain, Markakis, Christian Yelich

At least the fans and WAR can agree that Markakis deserves to make his first All Star Game, leaving Joe Kuhel as the all time leader in hits without an All Star appearance. He is in the midst of an incredible season, leading the league with 102 hits while producing a .323/.389/.478 batting line, hitting eight homers and 25 doubles. He has been one of the best stories on a truly compelling Braves team.

Joining him, according to WAR, would be a pair of new teammates in Milwaukee. Lorenzo Cain leads all NL outfielders with a 3.9 WAR, more than a full win over the second place Markakis. He has produced a solid .291/.394/.438 batting line, hitting eight homers and 15 doubles while stealing 16 bases. Cain has also continued his excellent defense, saving five runs in center for the Brewers.

Meanwhile, Cain’s teammate, Christian Yelich, is also taking to his new environs quite well. Despite dealing with some back issues currently, he has been impressive this year, posting a .289/.364/.471 batting line, hitting 11 homers and 11 doubles while stealing ten bases. Yelich has also saved a combined nine runs this year, with five in left, three in right, and one in center.

Now, let us take a look at what the hypothetical AL lineup should be for the 2018 All Star Game.

First base (vote): Jose Abreu. WAR: Matt Olson

As a sign of how much better NL first basemen have been than their AL counterparts this year, Matt Olson is the only member of the AL in the top ten in WAR at the position. Olson has produced a .239/.322/.456 batting line, hitting 17 homers. Although he is not hitting like he did when he burst on the scene last year, his power and respectable defense, with three runs saved at first, have made him the most valuable first baseman in the AL.

Second base (vote): Jose Altuve. WAR: Altuve

Aside from Freddie Freeman in the NL, this may be the easiest position to find the starter for. Altuve is continuing to be phenomenal, building off of his 2017 MVP campaign. Once again, he leads the AL in hits and batting average, marking what would be his fifth consecutive season as the hits leader, and would give him four batting crowns in five years. Not only is his 340/.406/.483 batting line with seven homers and 12 steals impressive, but he has also saved six runs already at second this year.

Third base (vote): Jose Ramirez. WAR: Ramirez

A great story last year, Jose Ramirez broke out in a way that few expected. He led the AL with 56 doubles, while hitting 29 homers and stealing 17 bases en route to a third place finish in the MVP vote. He is continuing that progress this year, posting an impressive 5.3 WAR thus far in 2018. On the year, Ramirez has a .291/.397/.595 batting line, having hit 23 homers and stolen 14 bases. He is on pace to destroy the career year he had last season, and is establishing himself as one of the bright young stars in the game.

Shortstop (vote): Manny Machado. WAR: Francisco Lindor

The top five shortstops in the fan vote are all within 450,000 votes of each other, so the fans are pretty scattered on who should be there. Lindor, however, is currently fourth on that list. He has been the best shortstop in baseball by a wide margin this year, with his 4.6 WAR far outpacing the second place Andrelton Simmons. Another one of the excellent young hitters in Cleveland, Lindor has a .291/.366/.541 batting line, with 19 homers and 10 steals on the year.

Catcher (vote): Wilson Ramos. WAR: Ramos

Shockingly, a member of the Tampa Bay Rays is the leading votegetter at his position for the 2018 All Star Game. Ramos certainly deserves the nod, as he has come back from his injured knee with a vengeance. He has produced a solid .287/.332/.454 batting line, hitting 11 homers. His 120 OPS+ is his best since his breakout 2016 campaign, where he appeared to be a future star behind the plate.

Outfield (vote): Mookie Betts, Mike Trout, Aaron Judge. WAR: Trout, Betts, Judge

One has to hand it to the AL voters. Based on WAR, they nailed six of the eight places in the 2018 All Star Game lineup. Of course, given the performances this season, they had a relatively easy job.

Let us start with Trout. As great as he has been over his career, this may well be his best performance, and potentially a top three season all time in terms of WAR. He has posted a .321/.462/.648 batting line, hitting 24 homers and stealing 13 bases. Trout leads the AL in runs, walks, on base percentage, and OPS this season, while continuing to play his typically solid defense in center.

Betts, meanwhile, has been almost as good as Trout. In fact, had he not missed time earlier this season, he could be right there for the WAR lead in the AL. The Red Sox right fielder has produced an incredible .339/.426/.678 batting line, hitting 20 homers and stealing 15 bases. He has continued his excellent defensive performance as well, saving five runs in right thus far in 2018.

Rounding out the outfield is the Yankees young slugger. While Judge has not been the same power hitter he was last year, he has still been impressive. He has produced a .276/.395/.559 batting line, hitting 21 homers and 18 doubles. Judge has also been relatively impressive in right, saving six runs and ranking third in the AL with six outfield assists.

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Your starting pitchers for the 2018 All Star Game…

Even though the fans do not vote for the starting pitchers, it is interesting to see who WAR would say should toe the rubber to start the contest.

More from Call to the Pen

On the NL side, Jacob deGrom can take solace in knowing that his 2018 campaign is worthy of starting this year’s All Star Game. Even though the Mets have struggled to score runs during his starts, or to hold the lead once he has exited, deGrom has had an excellent season. His 5-3 record belies his actual performance, as he leads the league with a 1.69 ERA. Over his 101.1 innings, deGrom has struck out 126 batters while issuing only 27 walks. He has also done an impressive job of keeping the ball in the year, allowing only five home runs over the course of the season. If the Mets were not a complete dumpster fire at this point, and free falling down the standings, he would be the front runner for the NL Cy Young award.

Over on the AL side, we find another hot contest. Right now, the nod would go to Luis Severino,who is just ahead of Chris Sale. Severino hits the traditional numbers, leading the AL with 12 wins already on the season, while posting a 2.10 ERA and a 0.958 WHiP. In his 111.2 innings, he has struck out 132 batters while issuing only 26 walks. Like deGrom, he has been tremendous at keeping the ball in the yard, allowing only six home runs on the year.

Next: Tebow makes Eastern League All Star squad

The 2018 All Star Game will be an interesting event. Hopefully, we will truly get to see the best players thus far in 2018 be a part of the festivities.

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