bdj610's 2012 End of Year MLB All-Star Teams...Every Team Needs a Representative

With the pitching staffs set in our last All-Star Team post, the next step is to make sure that every team gets at least one representative. I believe in the All-Star rule that every team, no matter how well or how poorly they did, has at least one person they could tag as an All-Star, based on his performance on the field. If it means that another person gets snubbed, that's sadly the way it goes. It does not matter how many spots there are on an All-Star team, someone always manages to be left out.

Now the pitching staffs from both sides locked in one representative from eight of the NL teams and nine of the AL teams, pretty much half the teams in either league. So that means in this post, I am going to name five position players in the AL, and eight in the NL.

On the American League side, the Orioles, White Sox, Tigers, Angels, Yankees, Athletics, Mariners, Rays, and Rangers have representatives. These five players will ensure that the AL has all 14 teams represented:

• 2B Dustin Pedroia, Red Sox (.290, 15 HR's, 65 RBI's)
• C Carlos Santana, Indians (.252, 18 HR's, 76 RBI's)
• OF Alex Gordon, Royals (.294, 14 HR's, 72 RBI's)
• C Joe Mauer, Twins (.319, 10 HR's, 85 RBI's)
• DH Edwin Encarnacion, Blue Jays (.280, 42 HR's, 110 RBI's)

Two of the three catchers' positions have now been filled.  I normally don't add the DH until the very end, but in my opinion, leaving Encarnacion off the squad, after the incredible year he had, would have been an injustice.  Besides, when Jose Bautista went down to injury during the second half of the year, it looks like Encarnacion picked up the slack.  And no, choosing him over the White Sox' Adam Dunn has nothing to do with how I feel about that team from the south side.  My Chicago bias would have picked him under normal circumstances, but I already have a White Sox player on the pitching staff, so at least they're covered (and there will be more than one player from that team represented...believe me).

In the NL, the Braves, Reds, Dodgers, Mets, Phillies, Cardinals, Giants, and Nationals have representatives. These eight players will ensure that the NL has all 16 teams represented:

• OF Jason Kubel, Diamondbacks (.253, 30 HR's, 90 RBI's)
• OF Alfonso Soriano, Cubs (.262, 32 HR's, 108 RBI's)
• OF Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies (.303, 22 HR's, 85 RBI's)
• 2B Jose Altuve, Astros (.290, 7 HR's, 37 RBI's)
• OF Giancarlo Stanton, Marlins (.290, 37 HR's, 86 RBI's)
• OF Ryan Braun, Brewers (.319, 41 HR's, 112 RBI's)
• OF Andrew McCutchen, Pirates (.327, 31 HR's, 96 RBI's)
• 3B Chase Headley, Padres (.286, 31 HR's, 115 RBI's)

Because I have nine outfield spots on each side, I have noticed that many players who wind up being the only person on their team to make the list normally is an outfielder. And that might be the case here as six of the nine slots are filled.  That leaves only three spots to fill, and there are a lot of deserving outfielders that could easily take their place here.

Now before you start to say, "Where's this guy?" or, "Why didn't my guy make the team?" Please keep in mind that I'm not done filling out the team. These 13 guys are only here so that all 30 teams have a player. The best (trust me) is still yet to come.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama