How To Pick An All-Star Team

What does it mean to be selected as an All-Star in Major League Baseball? It depends who you ask. The All-Star Game itself can serve three different purposes:

1. A way to annually record the best players in baseball at each position. Established stars with exemplary track records would get the nod by default over fluky half-season performances (paging Chris Davis). Pro: being selected as an All-Star means something, as a career achievement. Con: the faces in the game rarely change from season to season.
2. A way to reward the best statistical performers in baseball at each position, regardless of fame or talent. Spots are given away strictly based on merit, so stars can get passed over if the numbers justify it. Pro: fans get to see a different cast of players in the game every year. Con: the game wouldn't be as popular without as many recognizable faces.
3. A source of entertainment, and thus a marketing tool, for Major League Baseball. Priority is given to players who offer unique narratives or intrigue. The likes of Yasiel Puig and Mariano Rivera would feature prominently on this All-Star Team, for example. Pro: more people would watch the game. Con: the historical significance of being an "All-Star" would be diminished.

Picking the All-Stars isn't so easy when there are three different interpretations of what the exhibition game should be about. But nowadays, the rosters are big enough that perhaps all three philosophies can be represented.

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Catcher: Joe Mauer
Backups: Carlos Santana, Jason Castro
This one is easy. Mauer (.314/.395/.469) encapsulates all three of the All-Star personas by himself: he's been the default "star" at his position for years now; he's having the best statistical season among all AL catchers; and he's a recognizable face for fans. He'll bring the entire Minnesota TV market to the game. Plus, the rule requiring every team to have a representative on the roster means that we'll need a Twin at some point and there's no more obvious choice. As for backups: Carlos Santana is the only other AL catcher with respectable numbers, and Jason Castro gets the nod as the mandatory Astro.

First Base: Chris Davis
Backup: Edwin Encarnacion
Also an easy selection, because Davis offers both otherworldly stats and human intrigue.

Second Base: Robinson Cano
Backups: Jason Kipnis, Dustin Pedroia
One of the more interesting positional races. Their numbers are similar, and you could make a good case for any of these three players to start:
Cano: .292/.371/.529, 20 HRs, all in a lineup that features Brett Gardner as its second-best hitter.
Pedroia: .323/.404/.445, 13 steals, all for a first-place team.
Kipnis: .300/.385/.531, 13 HRs, 19 steals, and over the last month, he's been the best player in baseball.
Here, it just depends on what you're looking for with an All-Star. Because it's hard to differentiate between their stats, in this case I would defer to the established and most marketable star at the position -- Cano. But both Kipnis and Pedroia deserve to be on the team, too.

Shortstop: Manny Machado
Backup: Jhonny Peralta, Jed Lowrie
This is going outside the box a little. With Derek Jeter hurt and Elvis Andrus underperforming, there's no default All-Star at the position. Peralta probably has the best numbers, but .306/.364/.451 isn't exactly historic, and his defense is atrocious. So to make things interesting, Manny Machado should start here. He's a natural shortstop having a season for the ages, but Miguel Cabrera at third base keeps him from cracking the starting lineup. The 21-year-old who's on pace to break the all-time doubles record while playing Gold Glove defense should probably start in the All-Star Game, yeah?

Third Base: Miguel Cabrera
Backups: Evan Longoria, Josh Donaldson
Longoria is hitting an excellent .295/.371/.537, yet he's being blown away by Cabrera, which is astounding. Donaldson is one of those guys who should be rewarded for a surprisingly-good half-season: hitting .313/.381/.522 out of nowhere, he might be the best player on the first-place Oakland A's.

Outfield: Mike Trout, Jose Bautista, Jacoby Ellsbury
Backups: Nelson Cruz, Brett Gardner, Coco Crisp
Two of the three starters are easy. Trout is basically repeating last year's season (.314/.390/.538, 13 HRs, 20 steals, 2nd in the AL in WAR) and Bautista is back to his usual self (.267/.364/.518 with 20 HRs). There's no obvious choice for the third spot, but Ellsbury and his 34 steals (!!!) work just fine. Coincidentally, those three are first, second, and third in WAR among outfielders. As for the backups -- Cruz offers power, Gardner defense, and Crisp speed.

Designated Hitter: David Ortiz
If anyone should play the entire game without getting substituted out, it's Ortiz. He's not playing defense anyway, so he's not hurting you there, and who's going to pinch-hit for a .321/.409/.615 hitter?

Starting Pitchers: Yu Darvish, Max Scherzer, Felix Hernandez, Hisashi Iwakuma, Bartolo Colon (not kidding), Chris Sale, Derek Holland
Picking these six wasn't so difficult. But who should start the game? If ERA is your measuring stick, then it should be one of the two Seattle pitchers -- Iwakuma and Felix are #1 and #2 in ERA. But for entertainment value, it should come down to Darvish and Scherzer. Both have aesthetically-pleasing pitch arsenals and they're striking out hitters at a ludicrous pace. Scherzer has the added advantage of being 13-0 on the season.

Bullpen: Mariano Rivera, Joe Nathan, Greg Holland, Jesse Crain, Steve Delabar, Brett Cecil
Rivera, in his final season, is the ceremonial closer; Nathan has similar numbers and can serve as his setup man. The other relievers aren't big names, but they can actually help win the game. Holland, the Royals' lone representative, leads the league in strikeout rate (a ridiculous 14.9 K/9). Delabar is fourth in that statistic, and can be used against either right- or left-handed hitters. Crain has been the best reliever in the league, with a 0.74 ERA, though he's hurt right now and will need to be replaced. Finally, Cecil can be the left-handed specialist (he's holding lefties to just a .293 OPS).


NATIONAL LEAGUE

Catcher: Yadier Molina
Backup: Buster Posey
The best defensive catcher in baseball also happens to be hitting a league-leading .346 and slugging .490. The MVP frontrunner, perhaps?

First Base: Joey Votto
Backups: Adrian Gonzalez, Allen Craig
Votto is in a virtual statistical tie with Paul Goldschmidt at first base. Again, I'll defer to the established star in this case, though Goldschmidt can start at DH as a consolation prize.

Second Base: Matt Carpenter
Backup: Marco Scutaro
Here's an instance where a relatively unknown breakout star deserves to start in the All-Star Game despite a lack of name recognition. Carpenter, the Cardinals' second baseman, is blowing the rest of the field out of the water with a .320/.393/.488 line and 64 runs scored.

Shortstop: Jean Segura
Backups: Everth Cabrera, Andrelton Simmons
The default pick here, Troy Tulowitzki, is hurt. So the nod goes to another young breakout star in Segura, who's hitting .322/.357/.493 with 11 homers and 26 steals. Both of the backups offer intrigue, too. Cabrera, who gives us our Padres representative, has 31 steals and might be the fastest player in baseball. Simmons, meanwhile, might be the best defensive shortstop of this generation and should hopefully get a chance to showcase his skills.

Third Base: David Wright
Backup: Pedro Alvarez
Wright is the best NL player at this position, the worthy statistical choice, and the hometown hero (the All-Star Game is being played in the Mets' Citi Field). Doesn't get much easier than that.

Outfield: Carlos Gomez, Carlos Gonzalez, Carlos Beltran
Backups: Andrew McCutchen, Yasiel Puig, Michael Cuddyer, Domonic Brown, Shin Soo-Choo
An All-Carlos starting outfield? It's too tempting. All three of them are putting up monster offensive numbers. As for the reserves: it's a tight race. It's impossible to leave McCutchen, Cuddyer, or Choo off the roster, we need Brown as both a terrifying pinch-hitter (he's got 22 home runs) and as a Phillies representative. But there also has to be a spot reserved for Yasiel Puig. Because while other players might be more deserving, Puig is simply too thrilling to leave off the roster.

Designated Hitter: Paul Goldschmidt
Votto pushes him off first base, but Goldschmidt is hitting like an MVP candidate: .304/.381/.553 with 20 homers and a league-leading 71 RBIs.

Starting Pitchers: Matt Harvey, Clayton Kershaw, Adam Wainwright, Mat Latos, Jordan Zimmermann, Patrick Corbin, Jose Fernandez
A really strong group of pitchers in the NL. But who starts the game? It probably has to be Harvey, a statistically dominant and exciting phenom who would get to pitch in front of his home fans. Kershaw (1.93 ERA) and Wainwright (13 walks ALL SEASON) deserve consideration as well. Fernandez would probably be a bit of a controversial selection, because there are more statistically-deserving candidates out there. But the Marlins need a representative and the 20-year-old Fernandez has been stellar as a rookie (2.72 ERA).

Bullpen: Jason Grilli, Mark Melancon, Aroldis Chapman, Craig Kimbrel, Rex Brothers, Kevin Gregg
According to WAR, the two Pirates pitchers (Grilli and Melancon) have been the two best relievers in the NL. Chapman and Kimbrel are the usual suspects when it come to dominant NL relievers. Brothers can be a lefty specialist who also gets righties out. Gregg is nothing special, but he has a 1.59 ERA and the sorry Cubs need somebody in this game.

That's a Clown Article, Bro

Some might consider it noteworthy that Bryce Harper did not crack the National League's All-Star roster. Gregg Doyel of CBS Sports is one of those people. He argues that Harper should be in the All-Star Game despite being wholly unqualified:

"Some of you will call this a clown question, but here it comes:

How can the 2012 All-Star Game not include Bryce Harper?"

Bryce Harper ranks 16th among NL outfielders in OPS. He is tied for 24th in Wins Above Replacement among the same group. The better question would be: how can the 2012 All-Star Game include Bryce Harper?

"That's my question, bro, and apparently I care about it more than Harper himself, who didn't make the National League roster in the fan vote, the player vote or the managerial vote -- but who is one of five players for the last NL roster spot, alongside Chipper Jones, Michael Bourn, Aaron Hill and David Freese. Upon learning Sunday he was among the five finalists for that Internet vote, Harper said, 'I'd vote for Chipper.'"

So, based on those two sentences, here's a list of people who think Bryce Harper should not be an All-Star:

1. Baseball managers
2. Baseball players
3. Baseball fans
4. Bryce Harper
5. Basically everyone except Gregg Doyel

"So this is the loneliest of battles I'm waging, wanting an All-Star spot for a guy who doesn't seem to want the All-Star spot himself. But I'll wage it nonetheless, even if most of you hate the idea. Which makes no sense to me, by the way.

The All-Star Game is for you."

Me?

"You. It's not for the players, not for the managers, and while the All-Star game is for home-field advantage in the World Series, it's not for that, either. That's not why this game is scheduled. This game is scheduled for you. And for me. It's for people like us -- who want to watch some combination of the best, most popular and most entertaining baseball players in the world."

See, that's wrong. The All-Star game is for the best players. Anything else compromises the vital competition for home-field advantage in the World Series; There are dozens of players who are "popular," or "entertaining," but don't belong within 100 miles of an All-Star roster (Carlos Zambrano, anyone? Jose Valverde? Tim Lincecum? Ichiro Suzuki? etc etc).

"And I want to watch Bryce Harper.

He might or might not be one of the 34 best players in the National League, but he has to be one of the most popular, and one of the most entertaining."

Can I suggest some edits? This should read: He might or might not be hasn't been one of the 34 best players in the National League, but he has to be one of the most popular, and one of the most entertaining, which helps his chances of winning American Idol or a Miss America contest but has no actual bearing on his worthiness (or lack thereof) for an All-Star roster spot.

Fixed.

"Has to be. Listen, when it comes to something like this, popularity isn't a, um, popularity contest. It's about name recognition, fame, buzz. Lots of us tune into the All-Star Game to see something interesting, something fun."

Because, I assume, seeing the best players in baseball compete against each other for nine innings isn't "interesting" or "fun."

"David Freese? He's not interesting. Sorry, but he's not. He's very good, and he's very nice, but he's not very fun."

If you're going to pick an MLB player to serve as your "boring" strawman...why would you pick the guy who had two of the most dramatic World Series hits in history last October??? David Freese is anything but boring. Weird.

"Same goes for Aaron Hill. Michael Bourn? Interesting player there. Chipper Jones? Hall of Famer. So there are two decent names for fans to pick, assuming they don't pick Bryce Harper.
But why would they not pick Bryce Harper?"

Michael Bourn, CF: 3.9 WAR, 22 steals
Aaron Hill, 2B: 2.8 WAR, .872 OPS
Chipper Jones, 3B: Future Hall of Famer
Bryce Harper, RF: 1.4 WAR, .819 OPS

That's why.

"I know, there are reasons: He's not deserving, which I'd debate."

Andre Ethier. Matt Holliday. Jason Kubel. Michael Bourn. Martin Prado. Jason Heyward. Dexter Fowler. Hunter Pence. All are more deserving than Harper, and that's impossible to debate. Most any other argument is irrelevant.

"He'll have plenty of chances in the future, which I'd suggest is impossible to predict. He's not to be trusted with home field of the World Series on the line, which I'd reject outright. There are 68 players in the All-Star Game, so there's a 1.47 percent chance of Harper being the deciding factor."

That might be the lamest attempt at statistical probability I have ever seen.

"...Harper is the real deal, but again, he's more than that. He's fun. He's exciting. Other than Angels phenom Mike Trout, Harper is the guy I most want to see next Tuesday night.
And isn't that the point of the All-Star Game? To get people like me -- a voracious baseball reader, but only a casual watcher -- to turn on the television?"

That might be the most frustrating part of this article. The All-Star Game is a showcase of the best hitters and pitchers in baseball...but you won't find it compelling or exciting or even watchable unless Bryce Harper is there? Really? Josh Hamilton doesn't do it for you? Ryan Braun doesn't quite make your cut? Aroldis Chapman doesn't throw hard enough? Melky Cabrera not "fun" enough? Robinson Cano not "exciting" enough? R.A. Dickey not "popular" enough? What about David Price? Andrew McCutchen? Miguel Cabrera? Giancarlo Stanton? Clayton Kershaw? If that lineup of All-Stars doesn't do anything for you, then I'm sorry, but you really aren't a baseball fan, sir.

"Hate to break it to you, Mr. or Ms. Hardcore Baseball Fan, but baseball isn't hoping to lure you to the TV set. See, baseball knows you're going to watch. You play fantasy baseball, you have the baseball package on your home TV, you do a damn good impersonation of Tim Kurkjian, and you watch the All-Star Game. That's a given.

Baseball doesn't put on this midseason spectacle to lure you. It puts it on to lure me, and people like me, and as a hardcore baseball fan you should encourage that. You love your sport, right? You want it to grow, right? Then give people like me what we want."

Joey Votto? David Ortiz? Buster Posey? Joe Mauer? Mark Trumbo? Craig Kimbrel? Nothing???

"Give me Bryce Harper."

Matt Cain? Carlos Gonzalez? Prince Fielder? Jose Altuve? Stephen Strasburg???

"Or give me the remote control."

No, you can go watch NFL highlights in the other room. I'll be watching the All-Star Game.

Misleading On-Screen Graphic

This is just wrong on so many levels:

That's terrific. This purposefully tries to create the illusion that Adam LaRoche is, in some alternate universe, equally deserving of an All-Star start as Joey Votto. Never mind the fact that Votto's average is 100 points higher than LaRoche's; his OBP is 140 points higher, his SLG% is 130 points higher, and his WAR is...wait for it...over three times greater (4.8 to 1.3).

That's right: three Adam LaRoches still isn't as good as one Joey Votto.

But sure, judging All-Star-worthiness by just home runs and RBIs is still a great idea. "Hey, Ike Davis has 11 HRs and 45 RBIs! He's having almost as good a season as Joey Votto!" Well:

Ike Davis' Season Line: .203/.278/.390
Ike Davis' Wins Above Replacement: -0.6.

Yes, that's a 'minus' sign in front of the 0.6. Ike Davis has provided negative value this season. He's been performing at below-replacement-level; theoretically, a Triple-A player could do a better job. But by the criteria established in the misleading LaRoche/Votto graphic, Ike Davis is an All-Star.

We can play this game with other players and positions, too:

Jay Bruce: 17 HRs, 54 RBIs
Andrew McCutchen: 15 HRs, 51 RBIs

McCutchen has been worth 3.6 wins already this season. Bruce has been worth 1.4.

Nelson Cruz: 11 HRs, 49 RBIs
Mike Trout: 9 HRs, 33 RBIs

Nelson Cruz has been worth 0.7 wins. Mike Trout has been worth 4, and might be the MVP of the American League.

But by all means, keep using HRs and RBIs to decide who the best players are. Just know that my All-Star team is going to destroy your All-Star team.

My NL All Star Ballot

What would the ultimate National League All-Star roster look like?

Catcher: Carlos Ruiz. The competition for this spot is extremely tight. Ruiz just so happens to be hitting .356/.422/.578, which is elite for a first baseman, let alone a catcher.

First Base: Joey Votto. Is there a more obvious All-Star selection in all of baseball? First base in the National League is a wasteland; Votto stands alone with an MVP-like .354/.476/.639 line.

Second Base: Aaron Hill. There's no way he starts the All-Star Game with well-known names like Dan Uggla and Brandon Phillips jockeying for position on the ballot. Yet Hill equals or bests them both in AVG, HRs, and SLG%. Bonus: he's hit for two cycles in the past two weeks.

Third Base: David Wright. Single-handedly keeping the Triple-A Mets offense afloat.

Shortstop: Jed Lowrie. Easily the most shocking All-Star selection, Lowrie leads his position-mates in homers, slugging, and walk rate.

Left Field: Ryan Braun. It's hard to put Carlos Gonzalez and Melky Cabrera on the bench. Braun, though, is the guy who deserves the start, with 20 HRs and a .310 average to his name.

Center Field: Andrew McCutchen. He's on pace for a 30-30 season with a .344 batting average.

Right Field: Carlos Beltran. 20 HRs and a .311/.398/.577 line for the Cardinals is Pujols-esque.

Starting Pitcher: Stephen Strasburg. Striking out almost 12 per nine innings. Unfair.

Infield Reserves: The Cubs need someone in this game, so it might as well be the exciting Starlin Castro, though he's only walked 8 times this year. Yadier Molina and Buster Posey round out a remarkably strong group of NL catchers. Martin Prado is having a nice comeback season and offers positional flexibility. The Astros proudly sent Jose Altuve as their representative at second base. Paul Goldschmidt of the D'backs (with a sneaky .299/.375/.552 line) backs up Votto.

Outfield Reserves: The infield options are rather limited in this league, but the number of worthy outfielders is endless. Carlos Gonzalez is setting fire to the world at the plate, but his defensive metrics have been unflattering, so he's a perfect candidate to start at DH for the NL. Melky Cabrera leads baseball in hits (109). Michael Bourn offers blazing speed and a hot bat in center field.  Matt Holliday keeps putting up consistent numbers. Dexter Fowler's great year has been lost in the rubble of the Rockies' lost season. Home Run Derby favorite Giancarlo Stanton gives the Marlins their lone representative. And since no other Padre is worthy for an All-Star spot, Carlos Quentin gets the nod (despite playing in just 26 games) thanks to a .443 OBP and .644 SLG%, both accomplished in a punchless lineup and a cruel home ballpark.

Pitching Reserves: Nationals teammate Gio Gonzalez has been almost as good as Strasburg. We're all familiar with R.A. Dickey's work. Zack Greinke leads all NL pitchers in WAR. Matt Cain threw a perfect game. Johnny Cueto continues to outperform his peripherals and defy doubters. Wade Miley is, shockingly, the front-runner for Rookie of the Year. And the biggest surprise of all is the Pirates' James McDonald, who the Dodgers gave up for two months of Octavio Dotel. As for the bullpen: if the NL needs a big strikeout in the middle innings, Kenley Jansen (14.04 K/9) and Aroldis Chapman (15.85 K/9) will be available. Tyler Clippard and Jason Grilli have also been outstanding. And if there's a lead to defend in the 9th inning, Craig Kimbrel, the best closer in baseball over the past season-and-a-half, should be the one to do it.

The NL batting order:

CF Andrew McCutchen
LF Ryan Braun
1B Joey Votto
3B David Wright
RF Carlos Beltran
DH Carlos Gonzalez
C Carlos Ruiz
2B Aaron Hill
SS Jed Lowrie

SP Stephen Strasburg

In these ideal scenarios, where All-Stars are chosen by merit alone, the rosters for both leagues are stacked. But between fan ballot-stuffing, questionable choices by the managers, injuries, and withdrawals, each league will have some less-than-deserving All-Stars and some shocking snubs. While frustrating, those controversies are, in a way, the most entertaining part of the All-Star Game. The least entertaining part? The disturbing knowledge that, last October, the Texas Rangers had to play Games 6 and 7 of the World Series in St. Louis simply because Prince Fielder of the Milwaukee Brewers hit an All-Star Game home run three months earlier. So home-field advantage in the 2012 World Series might be determined by a potential late-inning at-bat between Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros and Tim Collins of the Kansas City Royals. That's more than a little terrifying.

My AL All-Star Ballot

Fan voting for the All-Star Game starters is drawing to an end, meaning the rosters for each league will be taking shape over the next two weeks. If I was in charge of assembling the American League team of 34 All-Stars, with (for some unknown reason) home-field advantage in the World Series on the line, this is what the group would look like.

Catcher: Joe Mauer. After an injury-plagued 2011, Mauer's .414 OBP leads all AL catchers by a wide margin.

First Base: Paul Konerko. He's blown the rest of the AL first basemen out of the water with his .346/.419/.570 line.

Second Base: Robinson Cano. Konerko is to AL first basemen as Cano is to AL second basemen. He leads all league position-mates in OPS (by 100 points, no less), HRs, AVG, SLG%, and WAR.

Third Base: Adrian Beltre. Has almost the exact same statistical line as Miguel Cabrera...except with, you know, real defense.

Shortstop: Asdrubal Cabrera. Hitting .300/.385/.492 with stellar defense, the guy is an underrated beast.

Left Field: Josh Hamilton. He's cooled off, yet still hitting .320/.379/.652. Yes please.

Center Field: Adam Jones. Lots of excellent candidates here. Jones has 19 HRs, 9 steals, and the speed to cover for the big, slow guy I'm putting in right field.

Right Field: Mark Trumbo. Defensively, he's the weak link. But there's no keeping his .318/.370/.618 line  out of the starting nine.

Designated Hitter: David Ortiz. Who else? With 18 HRs and a .588 slugging percentage, he keeps defying the effects of aging.

Starting Pitcher: Justin Verlander. I don't care if other guys have slightly lower ERAs and a couple more wins. Verlander has already thrown a boatload of innings (117.2), with 113 K's to just 28 walks for a 0.97 WHIP.

Infield Reserves: Most of these guys shouldn't see much time in the field. For example: there's no keeping Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder off this roster. Adam Dunn is in the same boat--he'll be relegated exclusively to hitting duty (he hits more homers and walks more frequently than anyone else in the league). Edwin Encarnacion (21 HRs) will be deadly as a pinch-hitter, too. Youngsters Jason Kipnis and Elvis Andrus offer excellent all-around game as middle infield backups. The complementary reserve catchers will be the offensively-minded A.J. Pierzynski and defensively-minded Matt Wieters.

Outfield Reserves: This is where the competition is tightest; there's only room for three. Mike Trout (.337/.399/.535 as a 20-year-old) is the only lock. Jose Bautista and Curtis Granderson have hit 23 and 21 homers respectively, and boast very good track records. Unfortunately hat leaves out deserving candidates Josh Willingham, Matt Joyce, Josh Reddick, and Austin Jackson. All have pretty good arguments for inclusion here.

Pitching Reserves: Some of the names are hardly surprising: David Price, Jered Weaver, and C.J. Wilson have all been stellar. The more surprising inclusions: converted reliever Chris Sale (league-leading 2.24 ERA), Colby Lewis (striking out roughly eight men for every walk he allows), Jason Hammel (2.61 ERA after leaving Coors Field), and the resurgent Jake Peavy. Then comes a six-man bullpen. Every team must be represented with an All-Star, so here's where the Royals (lefty Tim Collins, who allows a .172 average), Athletics (Ryan Cook, owner of a tidy 0.57 ERA), and Mariners (Tom Wilhelmsen, the "most" deserving of an undeserving Mariners bunch) get their representatives. Ernesto Frieri is a must-have, since he still hasn't allowed an earned run with the Angels and has struck out 36 in 20.2 innings. Finally, the 'pen is rounded out by the league's two most overpowering closers: Joe Nathan and Fernando Rodney. But like in the outfield, relief pitching is a crowded occupation this season, and there's almost no distinction between Nathan/Rodney and Jim Johnson, Scott Downs, Joaquin Benoit, Chris Perez, and Rafael Soriano. You can pretty much flip a coin there.

So, my American League batting order would look something like this:

C Joe Mauer
1B Paul Konerko
DH David Ortiz
LF Josh Hamilton
RF Mark Trumbo
CF Adam Jones
2B Robinson Cano
3B Adrian Beltre
SS Asdrubal Cabrera

SP Justin Verlander

I'm thinking that lineup would win a lot of baseball games. Stay on your toes, National League.