It’s officially All-Star season in baseball. The ballot officially opened yesterday, and as usual, the fan selections will start in the yearly All-Star Game. Let’s take a few minutes and look at this year’s candidates for the Brewers.
First Base
Eric Thames | 1.8 fWAR, .341/.463/.795, 11 HR, 29 R, 20 RBI, 0 SB
I could just end the post here and say, “Go vote for Eric Thames, he’s by far the top Brewers choice and no one’s close.” Of course, there’s still more candidates to talk about. You should still go vote for Eric Thames, though. He’s tied for the league lead in home runs, fourth in .fWAR, and 2nd in SLG among qualified candidates. He’s caught the attention of all of baseball, and should hopefully be involved in the game in some capacity (whether as a player or maybe in the HR Derby), at least as long as he keeps this up a little bit.
Second Base
Jonathan Villar | -0.1 fWAR, .218/.283/.364, 4 HR, 15 R, 16 RBI, 5 SB
It’s been a slow start to the season for Jonathan Villar. While he’s improved in the last week or so, he has a ways to go until the stats improve. Despite that, you couldn’t ask for a more exciting player to put in the game. If he gets on base, he’s going to attempt to steal if he can. Why not add that bit of excitement to what can be a dull game?
Shortstop
Orlando Arcia | 0.2 fWAR, .238/.273/.417, 3 HR, 10 R, 9 RBI, 1 SB
It’s also been a rough start to the season for Orlando Arcia as well, as he’s working through some growing pains in his first full season in the majors. Of course, he’s still a highly regarded young player. Why not bring the future of the league to the All-Star Game? He’s got the speed and defense to keep the game interesting, even if the offense isn’t there. Let’s get a younger shortstop into the game this year.
Third Base
Travis Shaw | 0.4 fWAR, .263/.304/.558, 6 HR, 12 R, 21 RBI, 2 SB
The Mayor of Ding Dong City wants to make an appearance in this year’s All-Star Game, and he’s showing the power to take a shot at it. He’s third on the team with six home runs, and he’s showing plenty of promise in his first season as a Brewer. He’s got a huge hill to climb as third base is stacked in the National League, but why now bring the mayor to Miami?
Catcher
Jett Bandy | 0.5 fWAR, .327/.377/.633, 4 HR, 9 R, 8 RBI, 1 SB
The Brewers have two catchers capable of representing this position, and they decided to go with Jett Bandy on the ballot. Bandy’s a qualified candidate on his own, coming in at 10th among catchers in fWAR in MLB (minimum 50 PA), with a respectable batting line to go with it. However, the more qualified candidate may be Manny Pina. He leads all catchers in fWAR (min 50 PA), as well as in batting average (.385). If you want to see Pina on the team, he’ll have to make it as a player or coach selection, or you’ll have to write him in on your ballot. However, Jett Bandy is also a fine selection for the team. The issue here may be that, even if Brewers fans rally to vote, Pina may steal enough votes that Bandy doesn’t have a chance.
Outfielders
Ryan Braun | 0.9 fWAR, .287/.374/.586, 7 HR, 17 R, 18 RBI, 4 SB
Keon Broxton | -0.2 fWAR, .194/.275/.319, 1 HR, 11 R, 3 RBI, 6 SB
Domingo Santana | 0.2 fWAR, .211/.315/.474, 5 HR, 13 R, 12 RBI, 3 SB
Ryan Braun is playing well again, and making a case for another All-Star appearance. He’s second among full-time outfielders in fWAR in the National League. He’ll face the usual struggles in the vote as many fans still don’t like him, but if the stats are there, he’ll still get plenty of votes. What about the other two candidates, though? Well, if you like defense and speed, Keon Broxton is your guy here. He may not have the offense so far, but he still has plenty to offer. Meanwhile, Domingo Santana is starting to heat up as well, and it’s happening right as voting is beginning. A hot streak during the vote period will help bring in those votes.
There are your candidates for this year’s All-Star Ballot. The voting is now open, and will remain open until June 29. You can vote a maximum of 35 times online, as well as no more than 5 times in a 24-hour period. To make your selections, you can view the ballot here.
Let’s go rock that vote and get a few Brewers in this year’s All-Star Game.