MLB All-Star Game 2016: National League Deserving Starters/Actual Starters

            Major League Baseball fans did a tremendous job voting in the most worthy players to start for the American League in the 2016 All-Star Game at Petco Park in San Diego. The starting infield features undoubtedly the AL's best players at each position—Baltimore Orioles’ Manny Machado (third base), Boston Red Sox’s Xander Bogaerts (shortstop), Houston Astros’ Jose Altuve (second base) and Kansas City Royals’ Eric Hosmer (first base). 2015 World Series MVP Salvador Perez (Royals) led all players in voting and will rightfully spearhead the backstop duties for the AL, while Boston's David Ortiz—posting another superb season in his final year in MLB—will be the AL’s starting designated hitter. The face of baseball and arguably the AL’s most dominant hitter, Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels will be one of the AL's outfielders for the Midsummer Classic. Joining him will be a pair of young Red Sox’s: Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr. An argument could made for Texas Rangers outfielder Ian Desmond to start over Bradley Jr.—though voters were likely swayed by Bradley Jr.’s 29-game hit streak, the longest of the 2016 MLB season.

            The NL did not have the same luck putting forth the players whom most warranted starting jobs. And considering the All-Star Game decides home-field advantage in the World Series, it’s worth griping about the screw-ups caused by fan selection (many blame the overzealous Cubs' fans for skewing the voting tallies). Of the eight fan-picked players (the designated hitter slot will be determined in the coming days by NL Manager Terry Collins), only three should actually be starting the Midsummer Classic based off their performances thus far in 2016. A position-by-position look at the deserving starters versus the actual starters:

*Stats accurate as of 7/6/2016

Catcher

Deserving Starter: Wilson Ramos, Washington Nationals

The 28-year-old Venezuelan, Wilson Ramos leads National League catchers in home runs (13), RBIs (46), batting average (.335), on-base percentage (.390) and slugging percentage (.554).

Actual Starter: Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants

A three-time World Series champion and one-time MVP, Buster Posey is set to start behind the plate for the NL All-Star squad. Posey is hitting .289, with 10 home runs and 40 RBIs in 277 at-bats for the NL West-leading Giants this season. Posey has registered a 2.4 WAR (wins above replacement), the highest mark among NL catchers in 2016. Posey merits All-Star recognition, but Ramos has outplayed Posey and should be the NL's backstop come first pitch of the Midsummer Classic.

Fans likely voted Buster Posey to start the All-Star Game because of his career success. (Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)

First Base

Deserving and Actual Starter: Anthony Rizzo, Chicago Cubs

The power hitting lefty in the Cubs’ lethal offensive attack, Anthony Rizzo is on pace for his best season to date of his young career. Rizzo ranks first among NL first basemen in WAR (3.2), OBS (.964), SLG (.563) and RBIs (61). The cleanup hitter of the Cubs, currently holding the best record (52-31) in MLB, Rizzo has mashed 20 homers—tied with Milwaukee’s first baseman Chris Carter for fifth-most across the NL.

Second Base

Deserving Starter: Daniel Murphy, Washington Nationals

Daniel Murphy, who signed with the Nationals in free agency after his breakout postseason performance in the New York Mets’ run to the World Series, sports the highest batting average (.349) in the NL. The NL East-leading Nationals’ best hitter at the season’s midpoint, Murphy leads all NL second basemen in WAR (2.7), OPS (.969), SLG (.581), hits (110), RBIs (56), doubles (23), and places second in home runs (14), behind the Mets’ Neil Walker (15).

Actual Starter: Ben Zobrist, Chicago Cubs

Ben Zobrist joined the Cubs this offseason, reuniting with former Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon. Zobrist has been critical to the Cubs’ success with his batting and fielding prowess. He is batting .291 with a .398 OBP to go along with 11 dingers and 43 RBIs. He leads all NL second basemen with 55 runs scored. He also ranks second in field percentage (.993), trailing only Arizona’s Jean Segura (.994). Zobrist has maintained these fielding numbers—committing just two errors on the year—despite being called upon to start contests in right and left field. Zobrist has played commendably, but Murphy has been on another level this season.

Shortstop

Deserving Starter: Corey Seager, Los Angeles Dodgers

One of three Dodgers’ All-Stars (Cy Young candidate Clayton Kershaw, closer Kenley Jensen), first-year pro Corey Seager is riding a 18-game hit streak and is batting .304 with 17 homers and 41 RBIs on the season. At 22 years and 69 days old, Seager is the youngest All-Star position player in Dodgers franchise history.

Actual Starter: Addison Russell, Chicago Cubs

Russell has no business representing the National League in the All-Star Game—let alone starting the Midsummer Classic. His fielding numbers are down from a season ago and the 22-year-old is batting just .242 with 11 homers and a mere .338 OBP (90^th among MLB players). Seager and Colorado’s Trevor Story, a pair of rookie sensations, have significantly outplayed Russell. The list goes on for NL shortstops with far better 2016 campaigns than Russell—most notably Washington’s Danny Espinosa, St. Louis Cardinals’ rookie Aldemys Diaz, San Francisco’s Brandon Crawford and Milwaukee’s Jonathan Villar.

Third Base

Deserving and Actual Starter: Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs

Kris Bryant became the first player in MLB history to hit three homers and two doubles in the same game in a victory over the Cincinnati Reds in late June. He has belted a MLB-best 25 home runs this season with 64 RBIs—the second-most in the NL.

Outfield

Deserving and Actual Starter: Yoenis Cespedes, New York Mets

Acquired days before the 2015 trade deadline, Yoenis Cespedes has been masterful in his short time in New York. He carried the once-anemic Mets’ offense to a division title, and later—behind timely home runs from former Met Daniel Murphy—helped the club win its first pennant since 1986. Though the Mets, owners of the second wild-card playoff spot at the moment, have had their share of struggles from the plate, Cespedes has produced all season long, batting .299, with 21 homers and 51 RBIs.

Deserving Starters: Marcell Ozuna, Miami Marlins and Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado Rockies

Following a dismal 2015 campaign, Marlins centerfielder Marcell Ozuna is now on pace for a career season. Ozuna has a slash-line of 310/.363/.540 with 17 home runs and 47 runs batted in to keep the Marlins afloat in the NL Wild Card race.

Marcell Ozuna earned his first trip to the All-Star Game—but not in a starting role.
(Sam Mitchell/USA Today Sports)

Carlos Gonzalez has hit for power and average in 2016. He leads NL outfielders in hits (110), ranks third in batting (.316), fourth in homers (18) and tied for fifth in RBIs (51).

Actual Starters: Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals and 
Dexter Fowler, Cubs

Bryce Harper is the reigning MVP, but the upcoming All-Star Game at Petco is supposed to represent the best performers of the 2016 season. Aside from smacking 18 homers, Harper’s numbers are down in almost every hitting category. He is batting .258 and slugging only .487 (27^th among NL position players). And despite being on the team with the third-best record in the NL, Harper posts a measly 1.8 WAR (41^st among NL position players).

Dexter Fowler hasn’t played since being placed on the disabled list on June 18 with a right hamstring injury, putting his status for the All-Star Game in jeopardy. Manager Joe Maddon wants Fowler—a first-time All-Star—to play in the game but has emphasized that his outfielder’s long-term health is most important. At the start of the season, Fowler went neck-and-neck with Murphy for the league-lead in batting as he hit .347 in April. Fowler batted .295 in the month of May, before a June slump (.207) brought his season average down to .290. His low RBI total (29) further represents why the Cubs’ switch-hitting outfielder is not starting-caliber material.