The 2017 MLB All-Star Game takes place on July 11 at Marlins Park in Miami, FL.
It’s that time of year again – yes, the time of year when we start breaking down all-star ballots five weeks in advance.
The process is flawed. The fans have too much control. The game doesn’t mean anything. Yet, here we are.
Let’s at least have some fun with it.
Our MLB Insiders choose which Rays are worthy of representing the American League.
| Insider | Position Player | Pitcher | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kris Dunn | Corey Dickerson | Matt Andriese | Chris Archer |
| Ryan Adams | Corey Dickerson | Jake Odorizzi | Logan Morrison |
| Scott Bach | Corey Dickerson | Matt Andriese | Steven Souza Jr |
Make Your Case:
Clearly, Corey Dickerson deserves to be an all-star. At this point the debate shouldn’t be whether or not he is worthy of all-star status, but more if he has a shot at the American League MVP.
Unlike the rest of the country, we all agree on Dickerson.
Matt Andriese v Jake Odorizzi v Chris Archer
If you filled out your ballot last week this may have been more of a debate. Andriese (5-1; 3.45) leads the team in wins and prior to his groin injury in Tuesday night’s game, had allowed two-or-fewer runs in six of his 10 starts. Including eight scoreless-innings on May 25.
Odorizzi on the other hand just goes about his business. He doesn’t do anything flashy, he doesn’t light up the radar gun, and he doesn’t show a lot of emotion.
Another thing he doesn’t do? He doesn’t walk many batters.
In his nine starts, he has only 14 walks through 48.2 innings pitched. Thats the fewest of all eligible starters. He’s allowed six fewer earned runs than Andriese, albeit in 11.1 fewer innings. And his 1.07 WHIP is also tops among his rotation-mates.
Archer is the house-hold name. The flashy, exciting pick. But aside from his phenomenal swing-and-miss stuff, he doesn’t always impress like you might expect. His 95 strikeouts are second (Chris Sale – 110) in the league and his 10.78 K/9 is good for fourth in the AL. He’s also second in WAR (2.4) and FIP (2.72).
The trouble for Archer comes with contact. Only six AL starters have a higher Hard Contact Percentage than Archer. When hitters are able to get to Archer, roughly 38% of the time it’s hard contact. This has caused him to have a less-than-ideal (3.08) BABIP.
Think of it like buying a car. What do you prefer?
Reliability: Matt Andriese
Safety: Jake Odorizzi
Performance: Chris Archer
Logan Morrison v Steven Souza Jr
To say that Morrison is have a good year is an understatement. He is having the best season of his career and with Dickerson getting so much fan-fare, Morrison seems like Robin to Dickerson’s Batman.
When you look at the numbers, Morrison and Souza Jr are very similar.
HR: Morrison (15) Souza Jr (10)
RBI: Morrison (36) Souza Jr (33)
BA: Souza Jr (.275) Morrison (.249)
OPS: Morrison (.909) Souza Jr (.887)
Morrison has the slight edge in almost every offensive category. However, Souza’s ability to get on base more often should not be over-looked.
It doesn’t appear likely that the Rays are going to get three all-star selections. The last time that happened was 2001. But these guys have certainly put themselves in position if they can stay hot over the next five weeks.
Don’t forget to fill out your ballot at MLB.com
