You all did a great job of picking, or did you?
Just a mere two weeks into the season, I entertained you all with my outlook on voting for All-Stars so early. Now we have the pleasure of knowing who will be representing the fans in the Mid-Summer Classic and more importantly we can analyze their deserv-ed All-Star title with their Fantasy Value.
Below you’ll find the list of American League Players who were voted by the fans to play in the 2007 All-Star Game. Next to that list of players you’ll see their average draft ranking at their position (according to NFBC, with only AL players considered), what other players are ranked ahead of them at this point in the season and my commentary.
Pos. Name ADP Players – R/HR/RBI/SB/AVG
R/HR/RBI/SB/AVG
C Ivan Rodriguez 3 Posada – 45/9/48/1/.330
35/8/46/0/.289 Martinez – 44/16/68/0/.328
Commentary:
Yes, I’m a Yankee Fan, but when it comes to fantasy baseball, I’m a fan of every player who brings my team value. Clearly, up to this point in the season, both Victor Martinez and Jorge Posada have had better seasons. I would think that the New York fanbase would have outvoted Rodriguez in favor of Hip, Hip, Jorge–but apparently that wasn’t the case.
1B David Ortiz 1 Sheffield – 76/20/56/12/.297
55/14/51/1/.317 Morneau – 56/23/72/0/.292
Commentary:
Anyone who wouldn’t want David Ortiz on their team would be crazy. I for one love Papi’s attitude toward the game and ability to win big games in big spots, but being as the All-Star Game is in a National League park this year, I would have preferred to see Morneau get the nod.
2B Placido Polanco 9 B. Roberts – 55/5/27/26/.320
62/3/38/3/.335
Commentary:
Personally, I think the fans got this one as right as the law enforcers did in sending Paris Hilton back to prison after her tentative release. Granted, Roberts’ speed adds another dimension that P.P. doesn’t really have, but he’s playing so great that I think he deserves a first-time vote.
3B Alex Rodriguez 1 NOBODY
77/27/82/9/.315
Commentary:
I barely had time to write the word “Commentary” before my gag reflex started acting up. His numbers in the first half of this season are SICK! The closest person to A-Rod’s stats at 3B is David Wright and he has 47/15/49/18/.296. I bet he gets somewhere in the ball park of $28M per if he does leave the Yankees.
SS Derek Jeter 1 Guillen – 50/13/65/7/.325
56/5/44/7/.337 Cabrera – 55/5/51/10/.330
Commentary:
Although I have a man crush on D.J., I could have gone with either Guillen or Cabrera here. All three of these guys have numbers that are so close, neither of the other options would have been a problem for me. I would venture to say, though, that at the end of the season Jeter’s numbers will be convincingly better than Cabrera’s and Guillen’s, but then again, I don’t like making predictions with half of the season left.
OF Vladimir Guerrero 2 Rios – 62/17/52/9/.295
46/14/75/1/.325 Hunter – 55/19/68/11/.304
Magglio Ordonez 21 Sizemore – 73/15/46/24/.284
70/13/70/2/.367 Sheffield - 76/20/56/12/.297
Ichiro 4
59/5/39/23/.358
Commentary:
No one deserves an All-Star selection this year than Maggs. In most leagues this guy was a fourth or fifth outfielder who everyone thought was injury prone and an underachiever. I traded Maggs in the HoF league and next to trading A-Rod for Alex Gordon, Billy Wagner and David Delucci, it was the worst mistake of my 2007 fantasy year thusfar. Hunter, Sizemore, Sheffield and Rios all have better numbers than Vlad, but with his high average and great RBI total, there’s no doubt that this perennial member of the AL squad gets the nod. Ichiro is leading everyone with his usual high average and with the Japanese influence now in American baseball, he’s here to stay. I personally would have been more excited to see if Torii Hunter can rob Barry Bonds of another home run ala the 2002 All-Star Game.
Stay tuned later this week for Your 2007 NL All-Star Picks and my analysis of the Final Vote.
Jay, The Technical Advisor