The All-Star Game is less than two months away on July 14 in Minnesota. Let's take a look at possible candidates that could be representing the Dodgers. I'll break it down by Definitely and Possibly.
Definitely:
Yasiel Puig, OF. He's second in the NL in the average (.349), slugging % (.623), OPS (1.061), and RBIs (38). Toss in 12 doubles, 10 homers, and 5 steals, and you see just what kind of an impact he has at the plate. Oh ya, he can throw, too. He should easily be voted in as a starting outfielder.
Dee Gordon, 2B. Who would've thought this before the season? Not me, but I'm happy to say that he absolutely deserves to go. He's leading the league in stolen bases with 30, 12 ahead of the guy who got all the hype coming into the season, Billy Hamilton. He's also 10th in runs, but that's mostly because the guys behind him haven't hit well. I'm not saying he should start over Chase Utley, but he should be picked over Daniel Murphy.
Zack Greinke, SP. National League pitching is so deep, his 2.01 ERA is actually fifth best. But, he does lead with seven wins, and is seventh with 65 K's. He clearly took over as the team's ace when Clayton Kershaw was shelved for 1 1/2 months. If he keeps doing what he's doing, he's a lock.
Possibly:
Josh Beckett, SP. In case you didn't hear, he threw a no-hitter against the Phillies on Sunday. Right now he is 10th in the NL in ERA (2.43) and 9th in WHIP (1.02). What a turnaround he's had after nearly ending his career a year ago with a nerve issue. The only reason I'm saying this isn't a definite is because the NL is so deep in pitching, as I said before. But, let's also remember how many All-Stars end up being picked thanks to the off days around the time of the game. I think he'll get in.
Clayton Kershaw, SP. Normally this would be a no-brainer, but again, keep in mind he missed a big chunk of time. He's only made five starts, and did have that clunker against the Diamondbacks recently. Take that away, and he absolutely is the stud pitcher we're used to. A handful of good starts should get him that extra push to get in.
Adrian Gonzalez, 1B. The good news is that he leads all NL first basemen with 10 homers and 36 RBIs. The bad news is that a horrible May in which he's hitting .209 has really caused his production to level off. At the end of April he was hitting .317, and now it's .277. If he keeps the power numbers up, he should get some love. But, I get the feeling it won't be enough.
Kenley Jansen, RP. A 4.15 ERA and 1.43 WHIP are way too high, but his 14 saves are tied for fourth. What's working for him is that he's only three away from first, so if the Dodgers get hot and he can close out a bunch of games coming up, then he should get a strong push to get in.
Juan Uribe, 3B. It's probably a stretch, especially since he's currently on the 15-day DL with a bad hamstring. The only reason I'll throw him out as a possibility is because the third basemen in the NL are average at best. David Wright is leading with a .311 average, but only three homers. Nolan Arenado is very talented, but just broke a finger and could be out awhile. Todd Frazier has good power numbers with 9 homers and 27 RBIs. If Uribe can come back healthy, hit some more, and show his usual good glovework, then he's someone to keep an eye on.
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