If Saturday night's walk-off didn't already prove that A.J. Ellis belongs in the All-Star Game, then I don't know what will.
But make no mistake about it, Ellis deserves to be in the Midsummer Classic this June in Kansas City. He's been one of the biggest and best surprises in baseball this season, and has been played every bit a role in the Dodgers' success as Matt Kemp has.
For those of you who know about Ellis, then you know the story of the yo-yo start to his career between the minors and majors. For those of you who do not, it's time to get educated.
Ellis got his first taste of the majors in 2008, playing in a whopping four games. In 2009, it was 10 games. Those game totals were increased to 44 and 31 the last couple of seasons, as bigger names like Russell Martin and Rod Barajas got all of the important playing time. The only time you'd see Ellis was during an injury or at the end of the season with the other callups.
What the Dodgers quickly discovered was that playing catcher in LA wasn't an easy thing. Paul Lo Duca and Martin were practically mirror images of each other in that they started off red hot, then quickly fizzled out. Barajas did have a pretty good season last year with 16 homers, but at 37 this September, was not worth giving a big deal to.
So the Dodgers made the somewhat usual move (for them at least) in turning the catching position over to the little-known Ellis, who was finally getting a chance to start and stay with the big club. And what a good decision that is turning out to be. Through 37 games this year, he's hitting .317 with 7 doubles, a triple, 5 homers, and 23 RBIs.
But those stats don't even tell the true story of his worth. His OBP is an incredible .442, thanks in large part to the 26 walks he's taken. That puts him third in the National League. The two guys in front of him? Oh, just some dudes named David Wright and Joey Votto. No big deal.
While Ellis is playing like an All-Star, I also realize that getting him to that game won't be easy. The catching position in the NL is pretty packed. Guys like Brian McCann and Miguel Montero aren't hitting as well, but have the name value. Then there's guys like Buster Posey and Yadier Molina, who have better numbers and the star power. Then there's still other guys like Carlos Ruiz and Jonathan Lucroy, who have higher averages and big hits this year.
I'm not taking anything away from those guys. There's some really good talent there. But if you ignore the name value and take a look at who truly deserves to go to Kansas City in July, then Ellis cannot be denied. The Dodgers still have the best record in the majors at 31-15, which is 7 1/2 games in front of the Giants in the NL West. There's not one major publication this year that had the Dodgers winning the division, and that's been proven wrong so far.
Then you can look at the defensive side, and Ellis is excelling even more. He's thrown out 16 would-be stealers, tied for second with Montero in the NL. His stolen base % of .543 is right behind Montero for the top spot. Then you throw in the fact that the Dodgers have a collective ERA of 3.19, which is second in the majors, and he's been behind the plate for nearly every inning of it.
Add it all up, and it equals an All-Star. I'm not even saying he should be a starter, though he definitely could be. But if you're a baseball fan, or if you're a coach who picks the reserves, you need to do the right thing. Ignore the more higher-profiled names and go for the guy who has been a huge reason why the Dodgers have the best record in baseball.
Pick Ellis for the All-Star Game.
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