Cardinals and Pirates and Reds—oh my!
Contributing 16 players to a 33-man rostNatier, the NL Central Division is undoubtedly the driving force behind this year’s National League All-Star squad.
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The St. Louis Cardinals, who currently hold the best record in Major League Baseball, are sending a league-high five players to New York’s Citi Field on July 16, marking the third time in the last four years that this team has had at least five All-Star representatives. Catcher Yadier Molina and outfielder Carlos Beltran have been elected starters for the NL team and will be joined by teammates Adam Wainwright, Allen Craig, and Matt Carpenter.
Joining Molina and Beltran on the starting lineup are the Cincinnati Reds’ first baseman Joey Votto and second baseman Brandon Phillips. The remaining elected starters for manager Bruce Bochy’s All-Star squad are shortstop Troy Tulowitzki of the Colorado Rockies, third baseman David Wright of the host New York Mets, and outfielders Carlos Gonzalez of Colorado and Bryce Harper of the Washington Nationals.
Although none appear in the All-Star starting lineup, five players will represent the Pittsburgh Pirates, marking the franchise’s largest contribution to an All-Star roster since 1972. Outfielder Andrew McCutchen will make his second consecutive All-Star appearance, along with pitchers Jason Grilli, Jeff Locke, and Mark Melancon, who will replace the injured Locke on the NL active roster. Third baseman Pedro Alvarez will also represent the Pirates and will replace Gonzalez on the NL Home Run Derby roster.
With Grilli, Melancon, Aroldis Chapman of Cincinnati, and Craig Kimbrel of Atlanta being the only relievers in the NL All-Star bullpen, Bochy has stacked his pitching staff with an abundance of top-notch starters, including Wainwright, Locke, the Mets’ Matt Harvey, the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw, the D-Backs’ Patrick Corbin, the Nationals’ Jordan Zimmermann, the Phillies’ Cliff Lee, the Cubs’ Travis Wood, the Giants’ Madison Bumgarner, and the Marlins’ Jose Fernandez.
One rather controversial addition to this NL squad has been first baseman Freddie Freeman of the Braves, who beat out fan favorite outfielder Yasiel Puig of the Dodgers in the fans’ Final Vote. Puig posted remarkable numbers after just 35 games with the Dodgers (.394, eight home runs, 1.061 OPS), but the Atlanta fan base rallied around 23-year-old Freeman, who hit .307 in 79 games and is arguably one of the Braves’ best defensive players. Freeman received a record 19.7 million votes.
Despite the final vote drama and the ample room for error in a four-tiered selection system, the National League’s fans, players, and managers seem to have gotten this one right. With a rock-solid pitching staff, an offensive powerhouse, and a home field advantage, the NL should have very little to worry about at this year’s Midsummer Classic.