Meet the Possible Contenders for the 2012 Topps All-Star Rookie Team

Okay, the season is more than two weeks over, and the Championship Series on both sides are getting extremely interesting. But before the World Series begins, I'd like to go over the Top Rookies of 2012.

Why?

Because these are the guys that are going to be strong contenders for the 2012 Topps All-Star Rookie Team, that's why.

Anyway, perusing the MLB website, they have added a set of statistics in a section called the Top Rookie Tracker. This section features just a handful of the players MLB believes are contenders for either League's Rookie of the Year. And believe it or not, the players on the list they have provided stats for well represent each of the positions Topps uses for their Rookie All-Star team (1b, 2b, 3b, ss, three outfield, c, rhp, lhp, and relief pitcher…ahem...will explain this in a minute). So below is a list of potential nominees that the 30 MLB managers will see when they cast their votes for the 2012 Topps All-Star Rookie Team. The stats are as of the end of the 2012 regular season:

First basemen:
Yonder Alonso, SD (155 G, 0.273, 9 HR, 62 RBI, 0.741 OPS, 3 SB)
Matt Carpenter, STL (114 G, 0.294, 6 HR, 46 RBI, 0.828 OPS, 1 SB)
Chris Parmelee, MIN (64 G, 0.229, 5 HR, 20 RBI, 0.671 OPS, 0 SB)
Anthony Rizzo, CHC (87 G, 0.285, 15 HR, 48 RBI, 0.805 OPS, 3 SB)

Second basemen:
Freddy Galvis, PHI (58 G, 0.226, 3 HR, 24 RBI, 0.617 OPS, 0 SB)
Steve Lombardozzi, WSH (126 G, 0.273, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 0.671 OPS, 5 SB)

Third basemen:
Todd Frazier, CIN (128 G, 0.273, 19 HR, 67 RBI, 0.829 OPS, 3 SB)
Elian Herrera, LAD (67 G, 0.251, 1 HR, 17 RBI, 0.671 OPS, 4 SB)
Will Middlebrooks, BOS (75 G, 0.288, 15 HR, 54 RBI, 0.835 OPS, 4 SB)
Jordan Pacheco, COL (132 G, 0.309, 5 HR, 54 RBI, 0.762 OPS, 7 SB)

Shortstop:
Zack Cozart, CIN (138 G, 0.246, 15 HR, 35 RBI, 0.687 OPS, 4 SB)
Brian Dozier, MIN (84 G, 0.234, 6 HR, 33 RBI, 0.603 OPS, 9 SB)
Tyler Pastornicky, ATL (76 G, 0.243, 2 HR, 13 RBI, 0.613 OPS, 2 SB)

Outfielders:
Norichika Aoki, MIL (151 G, 0.288, 10 HR, 50 RBI, 0.787 OPS, 30 SB)
Quintin Berry, DET (94 G, 0.258, 2 HR, 29 RBI, 0.684 OPS, 21 SB)
Yoenis Cespedes, OAK (129 G, 0.292, 23 HR, 82 RBI, 0.861 OPS, 16 SB)
Bryce Harper, WSH (139 G, 0.270, 22 HR, 59 RBI, 0.817 OPS, 18 SB)
Kirk Nieuwenhuis, NYM (91 G, 0.252, 7 HR, 28 RBI, 0.691 OPS, 4 SB)
Mike Trout, LAA (139 G, 0.326, 30 HR, 83 RBI, 0.963 OPS, 49 SB)

Catchers:
Martin Maldonado, MIL (78 G, 0.266, 8 HR, 30 RBI, 0.729 OPS, 1 SB)
Jesus Montero, SEA (135 G, 0.260, 15 HR, 62 RBI, 0.685 OPS, 0 SB)
Wilin Rosario, COL (117 G, 0.270, 28 HR, 71 RBI, 0.843 OPS, 4 SB)
Hector Sanchez, SF (74 G, 0.280, 3 HR, 34 RBI, 0.685 OPS, 0 SB)

Right-Handed Starting Pitchers:
Yu Darvish, RHP, TEX (29 GS, 16-9, 3.90 ERA, 221 SO, 1.28 WHIP)
Randall Delgado, RHP, ATL (17 GS, 4-9, 4.37 ERA, 76 SO, 1.414 WHIP)
Nathan Eovaldi, RHP, MIA (22 GS, 4-13, 4.3 ERA, 78 SO, 1.508 WHIP)
Mike Fiers, RHP, MIL (22 GS, 9-10, 3.74 ERA, 135 SO, 1.262 WHIP)
Lucas Harrell, RHP, HOU (32 GS, 11-11, 3.76 ERA, 140 SO, 1.358 WHIP)
Liam Hendriks, RHP, MIN (16 GS, 1-8, 5.59 ERA, 50 SO, 1.547 WHIP)
Drew Hutchison, RHP, TOR (11 GS, 5-3, 4.60 ERA, 49 SO, 1.347 WHIP)
Hisashi Iwakuma, RHP, SEA (16 GS, 9-5, 3.16 ERA, 101 SO, 1.277 WHIP)
Joe Kelly, RHP, STL (16 GS, 5-7, 3.53 ERA, 75 SO, 1.383 WHIP)
Zach McAllister, RHP, CLE (22 GS, 6-8, 4.24 ERA, 110 SO, 1.364 WHIP)
Jarrod Parker, RHP, OAK (29 GS, 13-8, 3.47 ERA, 140 SO, 1.263 WHIP)
Tyson Ross, RHP, OAK (13 GS, 2-11, 6.5 ERA, 46 SO, 1.814 WHIP)
Jacob Turner, RHP, DET (10 GS, 2-5, 4.42 ERA, 36 SO, 1.200 WHIP)

Left-Handed Starting Pitchers:
Travis Blackley, LHP, OAK (15 GS, 6-4, 4.10 ERA, 71 SO, 1.207 WHIP)
Wei-Yin Chen, LHP, BAL (32 GS, 12-11, 4.02 ERA, 154 SO, 1.261 WHIP)
Scott Diamond, LHP, MIN (27 GS, 12-9, 3.54 ERA, 90 SO, 1.243 WHIP)
Christian Friedrich, LHP, COL (16 GS, 5-8, 6.17 ERA, 74 SO, 1.560 WHIP)
Wade Miley, LHP, ARI (29 GS, 16-11, 3.33 ERA, 144 SO, 1.182 WHIP)
Tommy Milone, LHP, OAK (31 GS, 13-10, 3.74 ERA, 137 SO, 1.279 WHIP)
Matt Moore, LHP, TB (31 GS, 11-11, 3.81 ERA, 175 SO, 1.348 WHIP)
Drew Pomeranz, LHP, COL (22 GS, 2-9, 4.93 ERA, 83 SO, 1.479 WHIP)
Jose Quintana, LHP, CWS (22 GS, 6-6, 3.76 ERA, 81 SO, 1.350 WHIP)
Drew Smyly, LHP, DET (18 GS, 4-3, 3.99 ERA, 94 SO, 1.268 WHIP)

Right-Handed Relief Pitchers:
Ryan Cook, RHP, OAK (71 G, 6-2, 2.09 ERA, 80 SO, 0.941 WHIP, 14 SV)
Steve Delabar, RHP, TOR (61 G, 4-3, 3.82 ERA, 92 SO, 1.091 WHIP, 0 SV)
Jim Henderson, RHP, MIL (36 G, 1-3, 3.52 ERA, 45 SO, 1.272 WHIP, 3 SV)
Kelvin Herrera, RHP, KC (76 G, 4-3, 2.35 ERA, 77 SO, 1.186 WHIP, 3 SV)
Jared Hughes, RHP, PIT (66 G, 2-2, 2.85 ERA, 50 SO, 1.150 WHIP, 2 SV)
Addison Reed, RHP, CWS (62 G, 3-2, 4.75 ERA, 54 SO, 1.364 WHIP, 29 SV)
Dale Thayer, RHP, SD (64 G, 2-2, 3.43 ERA, 47 SO, 1.127 WHIP, 7 SV)

Left-Handed Relief Pitchers:
Rex Brothers, LHP, COL (75 G, 8-2, 3.86 ERA, 83 SO, 1.478 WHIP, 5 SV)
Lucas Luetge, LHP, SEA (63 G, 2-2, 3.98 ERA, 38 SO, 1.500 WHIP, 2 SV)
Robbie Ross, LHP, TEX (58 G, 6-0, 2.22 ERA, 47 SO, 1.200 WHIP, 0 SV)
Hector Santiago, LHP, CWS (42 G, 4-1, 3.33 ERA, 79 SO, 1.336 WHIP, 4 SV)

If you're wondering why I separated the starting pitchers from the relief pitchers, and then if they are right handed or left handed, allow me to explain (conspiracy theory time folks…get something to drink, this may take a while).

As you all know, Topps instituted what I am calling the "Stephen Strasburg" rule in 2010 (Somehow, Strasburg was added to the ASRT even though he only pitched in 12 games. Now, Strasburg is a right-handed pitcher. But so is Neftali Feliz, the star closer for the Rangers, and a player many people believed should have been named onto the team as the RHP. In past years, it didn't matter if a pitcher was a starter or a reliever, only ONE RHP or ONE LHP was chosen for the team (of course there were exceptions…tie votes came into play).

So what does Topps do? For the 2010 Topps All-Star Rookie Team, they added a relief pitcher spot. This ensured not only Feliz' spot on the team, but gave Topps justification to include their poster boy Strasburg.

Then in 2011, instead of continuing the trend of having three pitchers (a RHP, a LHP, and a RP), Topps went back to the two-pitcher format, but instead of it being a RHP and LHP as in years past, the 2011 Topps All-Star Rookie Team included just one Starting Pitcher and one Relief pitcher.  From 2009 through 2011, it was the third straight year that the pitching positions were changed.

Back to the point. As in past years, this blog has done a contest where the object is to outguess me in choosing the Rookie Teams. The Grand Prize, if a contestant correctly guessed all the members of said team, was a complete 150 card set of 2005 Topps Rookie Cup (appropriate, no?). Anyway, while few have come close, none have won the grand prize. Those who did guess more players correctly than I did would win a pack of that year's Updates and Highlights/Update Series.

Well, we're doing it again.

So take a look at the list above, send me an e-mail (bdj610@hotmail.com) with your picks by November 1, 2012. You can pick the following (12 players total):

• One player each for 1B, 2B, 3B, SS, C,
• Three players for OF,
• One Starting RHP, Starting LHP, Relief RHP, Relief LHP.

The reason why I'm asking for four pitchers is because who knows how Topps is going to designate the pitchers for the 2012 ASRT.  Picking four pitchers will cover all bases.  That way, however Topps announces the final selections, your choices will count.

After November 1, I will make my selections and then we will all wait together until the formal announcements have been made. If you out guess me, let's say I guess seven of the 10 or 11 spots correctly, and you guess eight or more, then you automatically win a Hobby pack of 2012 Topps Update Series. If you guess all the players correctly (if there are ten or eleven, who knows), then you will be entered into a drawing to win the 2005 Topps Rookie Card base set (Beckett Value $20.00 - $40.00). It's that easy.

So here's to hopefully many entries by November 1. Good luck.

Sincerely,

JayBee Anama