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The All-Star Game will take place exactly three weeks from today, and in-stadium voting has already ended at 11 of 16 NL stadiums. We should have a pretty decent idea of who the Rockies will send to Phoenix to represent the purple pinstripes in the battle for World Series home field advantage. I currently see only one Rockie getting the honor - here is how I see it:
Locks
Troy Tulowitzki - SS
The Rockies' clean-up hitter has been a relative disappointment, but he remains a man among boys at his position, still legitimately deserving to be an All-Star. He is a distant second to Jose Reyes in WAR, wRC+ and slugging percentage among NL shortstops, but he leads all MLB shortstops in UZR and ISO. At last count, Tulo was projected to be the NL's starting shortstop via the fan vote by over 400,000 votes, a margin he should hold barring a massive collapse in the next couple weeks. At worst, he would be selected as a reserve.
Likely Snubs
Every team has at least one All-Star by rule, so the multiple selections are harder to come by. This rule might directly affect the Rockies most via the Florida Marlins, ironically. With Florida's horrible record, they will likely send just one representative, with that player likely blocking a potential Rockie All-Star.
Jhoulys Chacin - RH SP
Tonight's starting pitcher owns the NL's 8th best ERA and 2nd best ERA+. He's 3rd in the NL in LD%, 1st in GB%, and 4th in rWAR. He certainly has an All-Star resume, but he isn't even mentioned as a potential snub by Jeff Passan. It isn't because Passan is a pusbucket (not totally); there is just that much good pitching in the National League, and when in doubt, Bruce Bochy is likely to select a "safer" name fans recognize. As for the Marlins tie, Anibal Sanchez (6-1, 3.02 ERA, 10th in fWAR) is probably deserving, and his selection to one of the fringe spots could block Jhoulys Chacin if Anibal is Florida's lone representative.
Todd Helton - 1B
The ToddFather is having a marvelous, surprising season, but first base is an incredibly stacked position, especially in the National League. Prince Fielder and Joey Votto are going for sure. The squad would employ two or maybe three first basemen, but not four. With Albert Pujols injured, there is one potential opening. Here's the Marlins' connection again - Gaby Sanchez has been better than Helton, and if Gaby makes it instead of Anibal, there will be no Helton. Their lines are incredibly similar: Gaby - .304/.382/.500 vs Todd - .311/.389/.505, but park adjustments gives Gaby the boost. It would be a nice story for Helton to be an All-Star, but he is facing difficult odds.
Huston Street - RH RP
He currently leads all MLB pitchers in saves, is 3rd in BB rate and 3rd in K/BB. It's a solid resume, one which might entice the National League staff to include him. Still, Street has given up way too many home runs, and his ERA/FIP hardly screams "All-Star." If he makes it to the NL bullpen, it is saves that will carry him there. I'm rather dubious on that front.
Dark Horses
Carlos Gonzalez - OF
On Opening Day, CarGo likely had a spot with his name written on it in pencil, but his struggles in April find him just 12th, even behind Raul Ibanez. He has no prayer of making the top 3 in fan voting, so his inclusion would come solely from management selection. If he continues his current hot streak but adds several home runs, he might stand a chance of leapfrogging some undeserving players ahead of him in the fan vote.
Chris Iannetta - C
Iannetta really doesn't stand a chance of going to Phoenix, even after Buster Posey's injury. His rate stats are fantastic - he's 1st in the NL in OBP, wOBA and ISO. His counting stats aren't bad either - 2nd in HR and R and 3rd in fWAR. Frankly, the only thing keeping him from deserving an All-Star nod outright is the Rockies' treatment of his playing time. Brian McCann and Miguel Montero will be the All-Stars, and deservedly so.
LINKS
- Six-run rally with two outs keys Rockies' win at Cleveland - The Denver Post Six run rally....on the road....with two outs. Regardless of Fausto Carmona's wildness or the opportune bounce on Tulo's double, that's exceptional.
- Rockies using interleague play as a spark | The Salt Lake Tribune I always like including out of state coverage on the Rockies. Here, Salt Lake Trib's Martin Renzhofer profiles Colorado's exceptional run in recent years against the American League, 2007 World Series notwithstanding.
- Visiting Cleveland 'weird' for Rockies' Rafael Betancourt | All Things Rockies — Colorado Rockies news — Denver Post The Rockies' set-up man played in Cleveland for seven years before being traded to Colorado two years ago for RHP Connor Graham. Cleveland promoted Graham to AA, where he struggled enough to repeat the level in 2010 as a reliever. His 3.43 ERA in 2010 was better, but his 4.60 FIP was still problematic. He has not pitched in 2011 yet after leaving an exhibition game April 6 with shoulder discomfort.
- There's no June swoon: Tulo continues his red-hot streak - The Denver Post Tulo is quietly turning it on again.
- Beyond the Box Score Power Rankings: Week 12 - Beyond the Box Score The Rockies rank 8th, ahead of eight teams with winning records. BtB uses team statistics to formulate rankings, so this ranking suggests Colorado is underperforming in the W/L column according to their formulation.
- Fowler reinstated from DL, optioned to Triple-A | Inside the Colorado Rockies In need of re-working his left-handed swing, Colorado unsurprisingly kept Fowler in AAA after his rehab assignment concluded. In his first game after his official demotion, he went 0-for-5 with 3 K's to lower his batting average in Colorado Springs to .091.
- Stewart remains work in progress | ColoradoRockies.com: News Ian Stewart was producing Little League numbers for a while in AAA, but that has slowed. After striking out in a PH appearance last night, he is hitting .293 with a 28% K rate in the minors.
- Scott Sizemore and Chris Nelson: Deep League Waiver Wire | FanGraphs Fantasy Baseball Zach Sanders suggests Chris Nelson might be a good low-risk waiver wire pick up in fantasy leagues.
- Security Service Field Reviews, Colorado Springs Sky Sox | Stadium Journey Rich Kurtzman of Stadium Journey reviewed the venue of the Rockies' AAA affiliate, grading it on every aspect.