Derek Jeter Returns; All-Star Final Vote Announced

After rehabbing a broken ankle for nearly nine months, Derek Jeter received a standing ovation on Thursday, in his first major league plate appearance since October of 2012. Reaching first, in his first at-bat of the game, on an infield single, Jeter showed all of the baseball world what he’s been hoping to show for a long time: His ankle is fully healed.

The Yankees finally have their Captain back.

But it’s going to take a lot more than the return of Jeter, who went 1-4 in his 2013 debut, for the Yankees to turn around what has been a downhill slide as of late. While they won in their first game with Jeter back, he’s not the player he used to be, and they could use even more help.

But help is coming, in the form of Alex Rodriguez, who is currently down in the minors, working his way back from hip surgery. How much help he will provide is yet to be seen, but the Yankees are hopeful that A-Rod can return to even a portion of his former self.

Either way, I’m not counting out the Yankees just yet. I’ve had them making the playoffs since the beginning of the season, despite the majority of baseball fans thinking otherwise. It will be interesting to see how things play out after the All-Star break.

The rosters for the 2013 All-Star game were announced late last week, however, fans around the country have been voting all week long for the player they feel most deserved to receive the final spot for each league.

The candidates for the American League included Joaquin Benoit, Steve Delabar, David Robertson, Tanner Scheppers and Koji Uehara. The National League had Ian Desmond, Freddie Freeman, Adrian Gonzalez, Hunter Pence and Yasiel Puig. I was hoping to see David Robertson and Yasiel Puig make it in, but neither did.

It was announced Thursday afternoon that the winners of the All-Star game final vote were Steve Delabar and Freddie Freeman. While I’m not all that upset with either of them getting voted in, I disagree with Freeman over Puig. There’s no player in the major leagues at the moment with more hype around him than Puig. I don’t understand why he didn’t make it in, other than maybe the fact that he’s been in the big leagues for merely a month, but I’m really looking forward to watching the game, nonetheless.

The All-Star game is set to take place on Tuesday, July 16th, at Citi Field.

Cano & Wright Pick Their Home Run Derby Teammates

The players set to participate in the 2013 home run derby were announced on Monday, and for the most part, I’m not shocked with any of them. As a matter of fact, four of the six players I stated that I’d like to see in the derby this year were selected. (Not bad, if you ask me.)

My original list included Chris Davis, Yoenis Cespedes and Prince Fielder, for the American League, with Evan Gattis, Bryce Harper and Giancarlo Stanton for the National League; at the time, Gattis was healthy. Cano ended up selecting Chris Daivs, Prince Field and Yoenis Cespedes, all of which I wanted to see. Wright got Bryce Harper, as well as a couple of players I didn’t pick, in Michael Cuddyer and Carlos Gonzalez, to participate, and while I would’ve like to have seen Stanton over Cuddyer, it is what it is.

With the field for the home run derby nearly set, I wanted to take a second to give my thoughts on how I feel the derby will go.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

I feel like Michael Cuddyer won’t last very long in the derby, probably not making it past the first round. He’s having a great year, but just doesn’t have what it takes to excel, in my opinion. Carlos Gonzalez and David Wright should do a bit better than Cuddyer, however, I see Bryce Harper outdoing them both, for the National League team. I could easily see him making it to the final round. Harper has the power, as well as the endurance needed, to thrive in a home run derby.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

I have Robinson Cano doing the worst of the four players for the American League. But it all depends on which Cano shows up. He has the ability to do well, having won the derby in 2011, however, he can also flop under pressure, as he didn’t hit a single homer last year. I feel Yoenis Cespedes will do fairly well, but it will come down to Chris Davis and Prince Fielder, in my mind, with Fielder winning out in the end; though, not by much.

I could easily see a final round of Bryce Harper and Prince Fielder.

If indeed Harper and Fielder make it to the very end, I think Fielder has too much pop for even a young phenom like Harper to compete with. So, for the second straight year, that’s who I have winning–Prince Fielder. It shouldn’t come as a real surprise. Not many people have the home run hitting ability of Fielder.

Prince Fielder is going for home run derby title number three, as well as a win in back-to-back years. Both are feats that only Ken Griffey Jr. has ever been able to accomplish, and if all goes as I see it playing out, Prince Fielder will soon join him.

2013 MLB All-Star Game Rosters Unvieled

The rosters for this year’s All-Star game, set to be held up at Citi Field on July 16th, were announced on Saturday evening. As always, there is great debate around the baseball world concerning the list. People are arguing that some players that made the cut shouldn’t have, while others that were left off should’ve made the team. But that comes each and every year.

Before I go any further, talking about my thoughts, here are the rosters for the 2013 MLB All-Star game:

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Starters
C: Joe Mauer
1B: Chris Davis
2B: Robinson Cano
SS: J.J. Hardy
3B: Miguel Cabrera
OF: Mike Trout, Adam Jones, Jose Bautista
DH: David Ortiz
Pitchers
RHP: Clay Buchholz
LHP: Brett Cecil
RHP: Bartolo Colon
RHP: Jesse Crain
RHP: Yu Darvish
RHP: Felix Hernandez
RHP: Hisashi Iwakuma
RHP: Justin Masterson
RHP: Joe Nathan
LHP: Glen Perkins
RHP: Mariano Rivera
LHP: Chris Sale
RHP: Max Scherzer
RHP: Justin Verlander
Reserves
C: Jason Castro, Salvador Perez
1B: Prince Fielder
2B: Jason Kipnis, Dustin Pedroia, Ben Zobrist
SS: Jhonny Peralta
3B: Manny Machado
OF: Nelson Cruz, Alex Gordon, Torii Hunter
DH: Edwin Encarnacion

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Starters
C: Yadier Molina
1B: Joey Votto
2B: Brandon Phillips
SS: Troy Tulowitzki
3B: David Wright
OF: Carlos Beltran, Carlos Gonzalez, Bryce Harper
Pitchers
LHP: Madison Bumgarner
LHP: Aroldis Chapman
LHP: Patrick Corbin
RHP: Jose Fernandez
RHP: Jason Grilli
RHP: Matt Harvey
LHP: Clayton Kershaw
RHP: Craig Kimbrel
LHP: Cliff Lee
LHP: Jeff Locke
RHP: Adam Wainwright
LHP: Travis Wood
RHP: Jordan Zimmermann
Reserves
C: Buster Posey
1B: Paul Goldschmidt, Allen Craig
2B: Matt Carpenter, Marco Scutaro
SS: Everth Cabrera, Jean Segura
3B: Pedro Alvarez
OF: Domonic Brown, Michael Cuddyer, Carlos Gomez, Andrew McCutchen

I agree with every pick for the starting lineups of both the American League and National League rosters. While the players I picked for the All-Star game vary a bit, they were done two months ago, and therefore, my picks have changed, and for the most part, coincide with who made the teams. So I really have no complaints.

In the end, I have no complaints with any player that made the All-Star team. All are worthy, and while there are a few players who I feel should’ve been selected, I don’t have any major problems. Of the pitchers, I hope to see Matt Harvey and Max Scherzer make the start for their respective leagues. If that happens, combined with the already loaded rosters, I truly think this year’s All-Star game will be one of the best in years.

FINAL VOTE

But the rosters aren’t completely finished just yet. There is still one spot left for each league, and the fans all get to pick who gets the final spot.

For the American League, the final vote candidates are Joaquin Benoit, Steve Delabar, David Robertson, Tanner Scheppers and Koji Uehara. Of the five, I voted for David Robertson, based on his consistent stats over the course of his career. For the National League, the final vote candidates are Ian Desmond, Freddie Freeman, Adrian Gonzalez, Hunter Pence and Yasiel Puig. Though a strong group, I’m sticking to my original pick of Yasiel Puig, just because of the incredible start to his career.

(You have until Thursday at 4 pm to vote.)

Yasiel Puig Deserves To Be An All-Star This Year

There is currently a great debate going around the baseball world as to whether or not Yasiel Puig should be an All-Star this year. He certainly has the stats to warrant it, but some say he hasn’t been in the major leagues long enough to receive the honor. I for one think Puig deserves to take part in the 2013 All-Star game at Citi Field, on July 16th.

Just taking a look at his insane stats makes it an easy decision for me. Puig is currently batting .440 with 8 home runs and 18 RBI’s, including a .466 on base percentage. While that’s only coming over the course of 28 games, that translates into 116 plate appearances; so it’s not like it’s an extremely small sample size. Puig has proven to be consistent, regardless of the amount of time he’s been in the big leagues.

But it’s not just the physical stats. Puig brings a level of intensity to the field that you don’t find with many other players–it could be argued that he plays even harder than Bryce Harper. He give 110% every game, and never gives up on plays no matter how unlikely they seem. That’s the kind of player I want to see as an All-Star. Just because he doesn’t have a lot of experience, doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a lot of natural talent. That beats experience any day, in my book.

Having the ability to impact any team he’s on–showing that presence by helping to turn around the Dodgers–Puig would be a vital asset to the National League team, in my opinion. As important as the All-Star game has become, I would think they’d want all the help they can get, and that includes a star like Puig.

Puig has been compared to guys such as Bo Jackson, and is coming off of the best first month to start a career since Joe DiMaggio. Anytime you’re associated with names like that, then of course I feel you should be an All-Star. I truly don’t get why some people don’t think Puig should be. Time in the majors doesn’t mean anything when you’re as good as Puig is.

If Puig can keep up his hot start, he could possibly win rookie of the year; if the Dodgers make the playoffs, he stands a good shot to win MVP; but even before all of that, with the way he’s playing, I think he should be an All-Star.

2013 Futures Game: Players You’ll See This Season

The rosters for the 2013 Sirius XM All-Star Futures Game were announced yesterday, with 50 of the minor leagues’ best players receiving the honor. The players are split into a U.S. and a World team, with the two teams set to square off against one another on July 14th, up at Citi Field in New York City. With the rosters posted, I wanted to do a post on the players worth paying attention to that will more than likely make it to the big leagues this season, and that will make a big impact for their team.

U.S. Team Roster

PITCHERS

Jesse Biddle	PHI	AA	L	L	6-4	225	10/22/1991
Archie Bradley	ARI	AA	R	R	6-4	225	08/10/1992
Eddie Butler	COL	A+	S	R	6-2	180	03/13/1991
Kyle Crick	SF	A+	L	R	6-4	220	11/30/1992
Taylor Guerrieri	TB	A	R	R	6-3	195	12/01/1992
Taylor Jordan	WSH	AA	R	R	6-3	190	01/17/1989
Jimmy Nelson	MIL	AAA	R	R	6-6	245	06/05/1989
Anthony Ranaudo	BOS	AA	R	R	6-7	230	09/09/1989
Noah Syndergaard	NYM	AA	R	R	6-6	240	08/29/1992
Taijuan Walker	SEA	AAA	R	R	6-4	210	08/13/1992

CATCHERS

Austin Hedges	SD	A+	R	R	6-1	190	08/18/1992
Josh Phegley	CWS	AAA	R	R	5-10	220	02/12/1988

INFIELDERS

CJ Cron	LAA	AA	R	R	6-4	235	01/05/1990
Delino DeShields	HOU	A+	R	R	5-9	205	08/16/1992
Matt Davidson	ARI	AAA	R	R	6-2	225	03/26/1991
Joey Gallo	TEX	A	L	R	6-5	205	11/19/1993
Brad Miller	SEA	AAA	L	R	6-2	185	10/18/1989
Addison Russell	OAK	A+	R	R	6-0	195	01/23/1994
Joey Terdoslavich	ATL	AAA	S	R	6-0	200	09/09/1988
Kolten Wong	STL	AAA	L	R	5-9	185	10/10/1990

OUTFIELDERS

Byron Buxton	MIN	A+	R	R	6-2	189	12/18/1993
Billy Hamilton	CIN	AAA	S	R	6-0	160	09/09/1990
Joc Pederson	LAD	AA	L	L	6-1	185	04/21/1992
George Springer	HOU	AA	R	R	6-3	200	09/19/1989
Christian Yelich	MIA	AA	L	R	6-4	195	12/05/1991

Taijuan Walker was just recently promoted from AA to AAA, however, with the level of talent he possesses, I could easily see Walker receiving a callup to the Mariners late in the season. Though only 5-7 on the season, Walker has an ERA of just 2.30, with 100 strikeouts in 90 innings pitched. He may not have a lot of time to make an impact, but on a team that isn’t likely to make the playoffs, I feel the Mariners should give him a shot.

Matt Davidson is another player that has the ability to make an impact for his team towards the end of the season. Batting .301, with 10 home runs and 46 RBI’s so far this season at AAA, Davidson should get a callup to the Diamondbacks towards the end of this year. Though the D-back’s are currently in first place, and wouldn’t necessarily need him, Davidson could be a nice addition to put them over the top once the playoffs roll around.

After setting the record for most stolen bases in a single season, with 155, in 2012, Billy Hamilton is well on his way to another 100 stolen base season, as he has swiped 49 bases so far this season. Though his bat is yet to take off, batting just .247, with 5 homers and 28 RBI’s, Hamilton needs to improve his offense, but nonetheless, he should receive a brief callup to the Reds this season. His speed alone is enough to impact any given game.

George Springer has the advantage–or disadvantage, depending on how you look at it–of playing in the poor Houston Astros organization, as they’re once again in last place, and should give Springer a little bit of time at the major league level towards the end of the year. Springer is batting .297, with 19 home runs and 55 RBI’s this year, and will likely receive his first big league experience sometime this season with the Astros.

World Team Roster

PITCHERS

Miguel Almonte	KC	A	R	R	6-2	180	04/04/1993
Carlos Contreras	CIN	A+	R	R	5-11	205	01/08/1991
Rafael De Paula	NYY	A+	R	R	6-2	212	03/24/1991
C.C. Lee	CLE	AAA	R	R	5-11	190	10/21/1986
Rafael Montero	NYM	AAA	R	R	6-0	170	10/17/1990
Andre Rienzo	CWS	AAA	R	R	6-3	190	06/05/1988
Eduardo Rodriguez	BAL	A+	L	L	6-2	200	04/07/1993
Enny Romero	TB	AA	L	L	6-3	165	01/24/1991
Yordano Ventura	KC	AAA	R	R	5-11	180	06/03/1991
Michael Ynoa	OAK	A	R	R	6-7	210	09/24/1991

CATCHERS

Jorge Alfaro	TEX	A	R	R	6-2	185	06/11/1993
Christian Bethancourt	ATL	AA	R	R	6-2	215	09/02/1991
AJ Jimenez	TOR	AA	R	R	6-0	210	05/01/1990

INFIELDERS

Arismendy Alcantara	CHC	AA	S	R	5-10	160	10/29/1991
Xander Bogaerts	BOS	AAA	R	R	6-3	175	10/01/1992
Maikel Franco	PHI	AA	R	R	6-1	180	08/26/1992
Dilson Herrera	PIT	A	R	R	5-10	150	03/03/1994
Jordan Lennerton	DET	AAA	L	L	6-2	217	02/16/1986
Francisco Lindor	CLE	A+	S	R	5-11	175	11/14/1993
Miguel Sano	MIN	AA	R	R	6-3	195	05/11/1993

OUTFIELDERS

Yeison Asencio	SD	AA	R	R	6-1	225	11/14/1989
Gregory Polanco	PIT	AA	L	L	6-4	170	09/14/1991
Jorge Soler	CHC	A+	R	R	6-4	215	02/25/1992
Oscar Taveras	STL	AAA	L	L	6-2	180	06/19/1992
Henry Urrutia	BAL	AA	L	R	6-5	200	02/13/1987

Xander Bogaerts has just over a dozen AAA games under his belt, however, I could easily see Bogaerts making it to the big leagues this season. Batting .296, with 10 home runs and 43 RBI’s, between AA and AAA, so far this season, Bogaerts has the ability to make an impact for the Red Sox; if not this season, definitely the majority of next year. At just 20 years old, he will stand as the Sox short stop for many years to come.

Oscar Taveras isn’t quite on the same pace as he was on last season at this time, but he’s still having a great year. Batting .306, with 5 home runs and 32 RBI’s, at AAA, Taveras is sure to become a star at the major league level at some point. The only thing that could stop Taveras from reaching the majors this season would be an already overcrowded Cardinals lineup, however, he should still get a shot, just to see what he can do.

Leave a comment below with which player you’re most looking forward to seeing participate in this year’s Futures game.

Who I’d Like To See In the 2013 Home Run Derby

It was recently announced that Robinson Cano would once again be participating in the home run derby, for the third year in a row. After winning the derby in 2011, Cano failed to hit a single homer in 2012, but it’s highly unlikely that he will let that happen again. Cano was once again named the captain of the American League, with David Wright receiving the honor for the National League. Both now have the task of selecting three more players from their given league to participate in the derby.

With the 2013 home run derby exactly a month away, I figured I’d post this entry on which players I’d most like to see participate.

American League

Chris Davis- After blasting a career high 33 home runs last season, Chris Davis is well on his way to another career season. In just 67 games, Davis has already hit 22 homers, leading all of major league baseball, and I feel he’d be a great player to take part in this year’s home run derby. Not only do I feel Davis would go deep into the derby, cranking out numerous home runs per round, but I feel he would put on a fairly good show. Davis can hit long balls with the best of them, and I hope to see him in the 2013 derby.

Prince Fielder- It’s no secret that Prince Fielder is a major threat to win a home run derby, having won twice in his career. After winning the derby last year, I’d love to see Fielder in this year’s derby to give him a chance to defend his title. It wouldn’t be all that surprising to me if Fielder happened to win the derby once again. He has the power and endurance needed to stay in the derby for a long time, and therefore it would be great to see Fielder participate in July.

Yoenis Cespedes- I’m not sure just how many home runs Yoenis Cespedes would hit in a home run derby, but I’d love to see him take part in this year’s derby, if merely for his power alone. Not many guys in all of baseball can slug a ball as far as Cespedes can–launching balls deep into the outfield seats at the spacious Oakland Athletics ballpark makes it all the more impressive. To me, although I don’t think Cespedes would go to deep into the derby, he’d certainly put on a show. And I’d love to see him take part.

National League

Evan Gattis- One of the best stories of the season–going from janitor to major league baseball player–Evan Gattis isn’t someone you’d necessarily have heard of if you don’t follow baseball fairly closely. But even so, the power he possesses, and the story that goes along with him, is enough for me to want to see Gattis in the home run derby. Gattis has already blasted 14 homers, in this his rookie season, and therefore should at least be considered for the derby in July, in my opinion.

Giancarlo Stanton- It was a major disappointment last year when it was announced that Giancarlo Stanton was planning to participate in the home run derby, only to have him injure himself shortly before the actual event. Stanton would’ve put on a fantastic show, and thus, as long as Stanton is fully healthy, I wouldn’t see why he wouldn’t take part in the derby this time around. If in fact Stanton is one of the eight sluggers in the 2013 derby, I could easily see him making it to the final round, and possibly even winning.

Bryce Harper- After Stanton was forced to forgo the 2012 derby, I wanted to see Bryce Harper as his replacement, but instead the world saw Andrew McCutchen. No offense to McCutchen, but I knew he wouldn’t perform all that well, and by hitting just four home runs, he proved me right. Harper on the other hand, would put on a show; and an amazing one at that. I would love to see Harper (assuming he’s completely healthy by then) take part in this year’s HR derby. Guys with his talent don’t come around all that often.

So, those are my picks for who I’d like to see in the 2013 home run derby, up at Citi Field, on July 15th. Do you agree or disagree with my picks? Who would you like to see participate? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.