5:02 am | July 14, 2018 | Go to Source | Author:
Welcome to Washington, where for a few days the All-Star festivities will allow Nationals fans to forget their team is scuffling along at around .500 and in third place in the National League East instead of running away with the division as many projected.
The last time the All-Star Game was held in the nation’s capital was 1969, when Willie McCovey — who would go on to win National League MVP honors — powered the NL to a 9-3 victory at RFK Stadium with two home runs.
Sunday: Futures Game
Time: 4 p.m. ET (MLB Network)
2017 MVP: Brent Honeywell (Rays)
The star power on the rosters has been thinned a bit by injuries to Blue Jays third baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (sidelined with a strained patellar tendon), Reds infielder Nick Senzel (out for the season with a torn tendon in his right index finger) and Astros pitcher Forrest Whitley (who was selected for the game but just landed on the disabled list with an oblique strain), plus the rapid rise to the majors of Ronald Acuna Jr. and Juan Soto. But there are still plenty of talented youngsters for managers Torii Hunter and David Ortiz.
Some of the U.S. players to watch:
— Infielders Brendan Rodgers of the Rockies and Bo Bichette of the Blue Jays played in last year’s Futures Game and both are currently in Double-A.
— Angels outfielder Jo Adell, the team’s first-round pick in 2017 out of a Louisville high school, is a tooled-up 19-year-old who blasted his way out of the Midwest League after 25 games and is hitting over .300 with 17 home runs overall.
— Twins outfielder Alex Kirilloff missed all of 2017 with Tommy John surgery, but the 2016 first-rounder has displayed one of the most promising bats in the minors, hitting .325 with 14 home runs between low-A and high-A.
— Pitcher Justus Sheffield of the Yankees is in Triple-A and could see the big league rotation at some point in the second half.
— Pitcher Hunter Greene of the Reds, the second pick in last year’s draft, has a big fastball and 80 strikeouts in 63⅓ innings at Class A Dayton.
A few World players to watch:
— Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. got off to a slow start at Double-A, but is now hitting .290/.361/.515 (although with 105 strikeouts), impressive power numbers for a kid who will spend the entire season at age 19.
— A’s lefty Jesus Luzardo was born in Peru and drafted out of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the scene of a tragic mass shooting in February. Luzardo helped raise money for the family of the school’s athletic director, who was among the 17 people fatally shot. Luzardo has taken a huge leap forward on the field, with a 2.30 ERA between Class A and Double-A.
— Indians catcher Francisco Mejia got off to a horrid start at Triple-A, hitting under .200 through May, but then hit .455 in June. He could be trade bait as the Indians look to add bullpen or outfield help.
— Astros left fielder/first baseman Yordan Alvarez is a giant Cuban who has hit for power and average in Double-A and just got promoted to Triple-A.
— Royals outfielder Seuly Matias is a hit-or-miss prospect who leads the minors with 26 home runs at Class A Lexington and is just 19 years old, but he is also hitting .213 with 108 whiffs.
Monday: Home Run Derby
1:42
The Baseball Tonight crew debates which American League pitcher should get the nod to start in the All-Star Game.
Time: 8 p.m. ET (ESPN)
2017 winner: Aaron Judge (Yankees)
Participants: Jesus Aguilar, Brewers; Bryce Harper, Nationals; Max Muncy, Dodgers; Alex Bregman, Astros; Kyle Schwarber, Cubs; Javier Baez, Cubs; Freddie Freeman, Braves; Rhys Hoskins, Phillies.
It’s going to be hard to top last year’s contest when Judge and Giancarlo Stanton thrilled fans in Miami with mammoth blast after mammoth blast, but this is a fun group, led by hometown hero Harper, who will be taking part in his second Home Run Derby (he lost in the finals to Yoenis Cespedes in 2013). The only players from the host team to win have been Todd Frazier of the Reds in 2015 and Ryne Sandberg with the Cubs in 1990.
Aguilar and Muncy are two of the biggest surprises of the season, so it’s great to see them get some time on center stage (Aguilar also won the Final Vote to make the NL All-Star roster), while the two Cubs are my co-favorites to win. Schwarber has the raw power to hit some Titanic-sized blasts while Baez has the bat speed and athleticism to excel in an event where swinging as often as possible in the allotted time is as important as raw power.
Harper is the only player who has competed in a previous Home Run Derby, so it’s not surprising to learn that the 625 combined career home runs of the eight players (after Wednesday’s game) is the lowest ever for a Home Run Derby field. That does point to the issue of getting veteran players to partake, but it’s also good to promote some of the new stars like Bregman and Hoskins. With that in mind: It would have been super awesome to have Soto in the Derby in front of the home fans.
Tuesday: 89th All-Star Game
Time: 7:30 ET (Fox)
2017 MVP: Robinson Cano (Mariners)
Players to watch: The all-world American League outfield of Mike Trout (Angels), Mookie Betts (Red Sox) and Judge; Red Sox designated hitter J.D. Martinez, who leads the majors in home runs and RBIs and ranks third to Betts and Jose Altuve in batting average as he chases a Triple Crown; Indians infielders Jose Ramirez and Francisco Lindor, who have combined for 52 home runs; Harper and Max Scherzer of the hometown Nationals; Orioles shortstop Manny Machado (.314, 23 home runs) and Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom (1.68 ERA … and just five wins in 19 starts, thanks Mets offense), both of whom could be traded before the July 31 trade deadline.
I mentioned this last year, but now “This time it counts” no longer exists … I kind of miss that the All-Star Game actually sort of mattered and we could analyze the moves (and moves not made) as if the game actually counted. It was a ridiculous way to determine home-field advantage for the World Series and giving it to the pennant-winner with the better record is certainly more logical (although the Astros won Game 7 at Dodger Stadium last year anyway).
This year’s game will be centered around Harper, but not for all the right reasons. He’s hitting home runs and leads the majors in walks, but he’s also hitting .213 and striking out at a much higher rate than the past few seasons. His month-by-month averages have dropped from .243 to .221 to .188 to .167 and he has just four home runs in 36 games in June and July. Instead of a celebration of Harper (and Scherzer), the major storyline will be Harper’s struggles and the black cloud hanging over the club’s disappointing first half.
Aside from that, this year’s All-Star Game is a chance to appreciate the rise of the little guy: Altuve, Ramirez, Betts, Bregman and Ozzie Albies are all under 6 feet tall. (OK, Bregman is actually listed at 6-foot-0, which seems at least a couple inches of exaggeration.) If last year’s All-Star showcase highlighted the prodigious size and strength of Judge and Stanton, this year is about the all-around hitting ability of these smaller guys with amazing bat-to-ball skills. In this era of the strikeout, appreciate guys like Ramirez, Betts and Bregman, who actually have more walks than strikeouts (or are even, in Bregman’s case).
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