Aside from winning a championship, every professional athlete dreams of being recognized as one of the game’s best, of making an appearance in an All-Star game. And unlike in other sports, the Major League Baseball All-Star Game actually matters. The players actually play for something meaningful, for a chance to have their league control home-field advantage in the World Series. The players care, which makes it even more of an honor to have their names selected.
The list grows each year, and sometimes newcomers are added. Here are five players who could make their first career All-Star appearance in 2015.
Stephen Vogt
Stephen Vogt has a higher WAR than Mike Trout. Do I really need to say more? Well, I’m going to anyway. Vogt is 30 years old and has never made an All-Star appearance in his brief career. That should change in 2015, however, as he has already socked nine home runs (he had nine all of last year) and has a higher on-base percentage than 167 of the 176 qualified hitters. That’s mainly due the fact that his walk rate shot up 9 percent, but he’s also doing a wonderful ball driving the ball as his soft-hit percentage is among the lowest in the baseball .
His breakout is a little astonishing, leading some to question its legitimacy. Can we really expect his torrid month and a half to continue? Even if he performs at half the level of what his statistics say, he should be a lock for the All-Star Game.
PHILADELPHIA – MAY 10: Freddy Galvis #13 of the Philadelphia Phillies throws to first base after fielding a ground ball in the first inning during a game against the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park on May 10, 2015 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images)
Freddy Galvis
With Jimmy Rollins no longer in Philadelphia, Freddy Galvis has shined in the starting shortstop role. Galvis is still relatively young at 25, but he’s never hit over .240, and created 50% fewer runs than league average in 2014 on his way to a -0.2 WAR season. And now, in 2015, I’m writing about him as a potential All-Star.
Galvis still doesn’t have any power (.054 ISO), but because of a sky-high batting average on balls in play, he’s hitting .341 with a .360 wOBA. He hits the ball equally all over the field, he’s dramatically cut down on strikes and has upped his walks. Through the first 37 games of the season, he looks like a completely different player.
KANSAS CITY, MO – APRIL 21: Mike Moustakas #8 of the Kansas City Royals is congratulated by teammates in the dugout after hitting a home run during the 5th inning of the game against the Minnesota Twins at Kauffman Stadium on April 21, 2015 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Mike Moustakas
Has Mike Moustakas finally figured it out? After he disappointed with the bat for his first four years in the big leagues, it looks like Moustakas has turned the page. He owns a career 16.1% strikeout rate, but has cut that down to 9 percent this year by making more contact with pitches in the zone than ever before, and by diminishing whiffs. As a result, Moustakas has created 40% more runs than league average and is getting on base at just short of a .380 clip.
Moustakas has always been a great defender at third base, but he’s never done what he’s doing now with the bat. He was even optioned to the minors in 2014 because of his inability to hit the ball. If he keeps this up, though, the only place he’ll be going is Cincinnati for the All-Star Game.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – MAY 15: Jake Odorizzi #23 of the Tampa Bay Rays delivers a pitch against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning of the game on May 15, 2015 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
Jake Odorizzi
Jake Odorizzi, fresh off his first season as a full-fledged starter, is enjoying the best season of his career. He hasn’t even entered his prime yet as he is only 25 years young, but he’s pitching like an ace. His ERA and FIP both fall under 2.50, while he’s already accumulated 1.6 WAR (sixth-highest in MLB). Odorizzi’s command has been pristine, walking just 3.8% of batters while putting down 20.9% via the strikeout.
His SIERA and xFIP say he’s due for a little bit of a slide, but as of right now, he’s pitching himself into the All-Star Game. He might even make the case to be the starter for the American League.
CHICAGO, IL – MAY 17: Starting pitcher Jake Arrieta #49 of the Chicago Cubs delivers the ball against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Wrigley Field on May 17, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
Jake Arrieta
As you may recall, Jake Arrieta was on my list of dark horse Cy Young candidates. And thus far, he hasn’t disappointed. Arrieta broke out during his first full season with the Cubs in 2014. Up until then, he had never posted an ERA under 4.50 in his career, but crashed every party by putting up remarkable numbers in 25 starts last season.
This season, he’s even better. Arrieta is fourth in pitcher WAR and has a 2.77 ERA. What’s even more impressive is his FIP of 2.23 and xFIP of 2.69. He’s been a victim of a high BABIP relative to his career mark, but that hasn’t derailed him in the least. It’s a fun time to be a Chicago Cub, and he shouldn’t be alone when he makes his way to Ohio.
