BABS 2019 All Stars

by Pat Cloghessy

It is increasingly difficult to find fault with All-Star selections. It appears fans are able to decipher who is “most-deserving” as opposed to who they like best. One could say that the baseball-watching community is more BABSian than ever. 

Here are the BABS All-Stars for 2019:

Catchers

Tired of the ridicule foisted upon it by the fantasy baseball community, the catching position has done its collective best to discard the  “wasteland” moniker. Leading the way are actual All-Stars Gary Sanchez (P+,a) and Yasmani Grandal (PW,s,a). Sanchez’s well-earned P+ comes with an AL-leading 10.3 AB/HR. This would be the best American League mark since David Ortiz put up the same 10.3 in 2006. Despite missing time, The Sanchino’s propensity to hit absolute bombs earns him a BABS All-Star nod.

It’s a rarity for a catcher to exhibit triple-threat BABS assets. To date, Yasmani Grandal (PW,s,a) has done just that. Entering 2019, the best bet for this type of production was probably J.T. Realmuto. Instead, Grandal has benefited from a ballpark upgrade and a manager who likes to run. Yasmani should now make space in his trophy case for his BABS All-Star plaque (it’s in the mail).

Snubs: Willson Contreras (p,a), James McCann (A+)

First Base

Obvious choices would be Cody Bellinger (P+,A+) and Freddie Freeman (PW,A+), but where’s the fun in that? Equally BABS-y is Joey Gallo (P+,s,a). Gallo has (finally?) been able to turn batted balls into hits at a rate (.391 BABIP) more in line with some of his prodigious minor league seasons. As a result, his value has grown exponentially. A Gallo that is not a batting average drag is a BABS All-Star Gallo. Congratulations.

Josh Bell (PW,A+) is doing his best Freddie Freeman impression. A June swoon was cause for some consternation over his inclusion, but Bell’s homerun party on Monday night erased all doubt. A top 5 OPS (1.035) is impossible to exclude, especially from a guy who entered 2019 as little more than an afterthought (ADP 255). Good luck in the derby, but we know what the real honor is…

Missed the cut: Pete Alonso (P+,a), Luke Voit (P+,a)

Second Base

Brandon Lowe (PW,s,a) didn’t need to wait for an injury to be placed on the BABS all star roster. He was probably the most deserving of all the keystones. As the only full time second baseman to boast three assets, Lowe was a shoo-in. 

Always a batting average asset, DJ LeMahieu (s,AV) has now smashed the skepticism reserved for those departing Coors Field. LeMahieu keeps piling up the honors in 2019. He can now stack on top of his AL Player of the Month award the prestigious honor of: BABS All-Star. We can be virtually certain that DJ’s asset mix will see an upgrade when BABS releases her July update (coming soon!). 

On the cusp: Tommy La Stella (A+), Whit Merrifield (SB,AV)

Third Base

Not only is Anthony Rendon (P+,s,A+) a BABS All Star, he is the BABSiest hitter this side of Christian Yelich. As of this writing, Rendon is one of only six qualified players in the sport with an OPS north of 1.000. Yelich, Trout and Bellinger have alternated leading the race, but Rendon has emerged at the head of the peloton, ready to be the frontrunner for fantasy MVP if those guys slip.

Perennial stalwart Nolan Arenado (PW,A+) is an easy choice, but what about Kris Bryant (PW,s,AV) or Rafael Devers (A+)? In a deep pool of talented third basemen these two edge the competition. Bryant has silenced doubters with a bounceback season, while Devers has developed into a top end talent to match his prospect pedigree. Additional BABS assets are in Devers’ future.

Just missed: Matt Chapman (PW,AV), Mike Moustakas (PW,AV) and Hunter Dozier (PW,AV)

Shortstop

As of the June update, BABS had not bought into the power of Ketel Marte (SB,AV). This selection is in part a bet that BABS may yet jump on the Marte power bandwagon. Also, it’s a preemptive strike against reactionaries lying in wait to bombard anyone who has the temerity to leave Ketel off the roster. 

This position is loaded. So, as with 3B, it’s appropriate to cheat here and mention both Trevor Story (P+,s,AV) and Adalberto Mondesi (p,S+,a) as BABS All Stars. To exclude either would be negligent. 

Still really good: Tim Anderson (SB,A+), Javier Baez (PW,AV) and Eduardo Escobar (PW,AV)

Outfield

Christian Yelich (P+,SB,A+), Mike Trout (P+,A+).

Who else? Charlie Blackmon (PW,AV) will probably see an uptick in those assets after his volcanic June. 

Say hello to Hunter Renfroe (P+,AV), a man who is showing BABS assets akin to the preseason projection of J.D. Martinez. 

Despite missing time, George Springer (PW,A+) has been so good when on the field, he gets the nod. 

And again, betting on BABS assets rising due to recent sizzle, both David Dahl (p,A+) and Juan Soto (p,s,AV) make the list.

Could have included: Ronald Acuna (p,SB,a) and Austin Meadows (PW,s,A+)

Pitchers

For thoroughgoing analysis, please see Doug Gruber’s recent column assessing the SP pool.

Here are the BABS All-Star pitchers:

Starting Pitchers

Max Scherzer (ER,K+)

Gerrit Cole (ER,K+)

Charlie Morton (E+,KK)

Justin Verlander (E+,K+)

Hyun-Jin Ryu (E+,k)

Michael Soroka (E+,k)

Stephen Strasburg (ER,KK)

Lucas Giolito (ER,KK)

Relief Pitchers

Brad Hand (E+,K+,SV)

Josh Hader (E+,K+,SV)

Will Smith (E+,K+,SV)

Kirby Yates (E+,K+,SV)

Luke Jackson (E+,K+,sv-)