What To Watch For During Training Camp

The time has arrived. After a long long wait, Training Camp in the National Football League has gotten underway. Both New York teams, the Giants and Jets, have made big changes to their teams during the offseason, hoping to improve upon what happened last year. Both teams looking to make it back into the playoffs, the Jets trying to build off a 8-8 year last year, while the Giants want to really improve off the 7-9 year a season ago. Both teams have new faces in new places that are trying to make the club and get ready for the start of the Season September 7th.

So now here are five things to watch out for for Big blue and Gang Green over the course of Training Camp.

For the New York Giants, there are a lot of things that have changed around. New offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo has a full plate to work with this year. The Giants have a whole new Offensive line to work with, a new running system, new tight ends and a new receivers for Eli Manning to work with this year. A lot of that had to do with the workings of General Manager Jerry Reese, who had to make moves to try and put a competitive team on the field once the season gets going. Both the offense and defense got a bit of a face lift, now they just have to see how well everything clicks for the G-Men.

Here are five things to really keep an eye on during Giants camp.

1. Line Production (Offense and Defense)
Both the offensive and defensive lines for the Giants look a little different this year. One of the biggest weak spots for the Giants a season ago was their offensive line, which wasn't very good at protecting the Giants backfield.  Now there are a whole gang of new faces on the Giants offensive line, with Will Beatty, Geoff Schwartz, JD Walton, Jerry John and Justin Pough. With how poor the line was last year for the Giants, this new group of projected starters is going to have a tough task ahead of it. They have to learn the new blocking schemes and get used to how the running backs and even Eli Manning operate. They have a big hill to climb, but at least on paper this line is improved over a season ago.

As far as the defensive line is concerned, they have a tough task ahead too. Justin Tuck isn't around anymore, which is putting a little more pressure on Jason Pierre-Paul. JPP is coming off an injury last year and, to make things a little more interesting, is going into a contract year this year. So he has a lot to play for and will look to have a return to form kind of year. Now with Tuck gone, one thing I want to know is can the combination of Robert Ayers and Damontre Moore replace that production. There are quite a few question marks with this Giants line heading into camp.

2. Rotation of Tight Ends
Last year there wasn't much hope from the Tight End position for the Giants. This year, it really doesn't look much better. Right now, there are five guys on the roster who can play tight end: Kellen Davis, Larry Donnell, Daniel Fells, Xavier Grimble and Adrien Robinson. None of those guys have proven experience at this position in the NFL, which really makes Giants fans nervous. You have no idea what your going to be able to get, either as pass blockers or as pass catchers. This job is probably the most wide open position in camp for the Giants.

3. The Deep Threat
Losing Hakeem Nicks hurt the Giants in the passing game, he was a good deep threat, and helped take the pressure off Victor Cruz. Now Nicks is gone, but the team has brought in Mario Manningham and drafted Odell Beckham, Jr. to take some of the pressure off Cruz and add more threats for Manning to throw to. The receiving game was good last year, but now with a few new faces thrown into the mix, its going to see how well things are going to play out.

4. Pound and Ground Running Attack
If you thought the tight end rotation was going to be interesting, the running game has the exact same problem. There are six total backs on the roster heading into camp: Michael Cox, Kendall Gaskins, Peyton Hillis, Rashad Jennings, Andre Williams and David Wilson. Out of that group, Jennings and Hillis have been the only proven ones in the group, but those two and David Wilson all have question marks. Hillis hasn't played a full workload since he was with the Browns, leaving you to wonder if he can handle it again. Jennings hasn't had the full load to work on so there is no way to see if he can handle it. With Wilson, he had trouble hanging onto the football last year, and is coming off a neck injury, so there's no lock with him either. The running game needs a healthy reliable back and that's up in the air right now.

5. Eli Manning Returning To Form
It was well documented last season that Eli Manning had a bad year. In fact, it was one of his worst seasons as a pro quarterback, throwing a league high 27 interceptions and having his worst passer rating in a full season ever at 69.4. This is a guy who was twice a Super Bowl MVP and is a top tier QB in this league. He really needs to be able to get his game back again to be able to lead this Giants team if they really want to have any chance at all to make the playoffs. So its going to be interesting to see if Eli Manning can return to MVP form or will the Eli from last year be back in camp again this year.

It's been well documented the struggles of the Giants from a season ago. Lets also not forget the other metro area team in the area, the New York Jets, who managed to finish the season with an 8-8 record, despite having what some would consider a lackluster football team. This offseason, much like the Giants, Jets General Manager John Idzik went out making improvements to the ball team. The offense got a major upgrade, which is something the team could have used a year ago, but the secondary still leaves a lot to be desired. Getting wins in three of the final four games to close out last year helped save the job, for this year at least, of head coach Rex Ryan. If Rex can backup his claim that he will give the Patriots a run for their money and the Jets will get into the playoffs, then critics of him will be silenced. If the team can't get into the playoffs, then I feel that Rex is going to be in real hot water going into next offseason. He now has more offensive weapons to work with and a fail safe at Quarterback, just in case. With all the new faces for Gang Green, to go along with the high expectations again on the team, there are a lot of things to look at during training camp.

Here are five storylines to watch during Jets camp.

1. Thunder and Lightning In The Running Game
For the most part, Jets teams have been known, under Rex Ryan, as a ground and pound running team. Last year the run game seemed to return to form a bit, thanks to the 833 rushing yards from Chris Ivory. Over the offseason, the Jets upgraded the running game by adding Chris Johnson, a former 2,000 yard runner. there is plenty of talent at halfback with both Johnson and Ivory, which gives the team plenty of talent to work with in the running game. I know that Johnson isn't the same guy as he was when he ran for 2,000 yards, but he can still be very effective as a healthy back. So now with those two guys and Bilal Powell, it gives the team plenty of options and different looks. So its going to be interesting to see who going to take the majority of the workload at back.

2. Is There A Quarterback Competition In Camp?
Some people are speculating that there might be a competition between Geno Smith and Michael Vick in camp this year. I really don't think that's the case. From every indication I'm hearing, Geno will take the bulk of the reps with the starting offense. Vick was brought in to be a safety net for Smith, just in case he either gets hurt or begins to falter. Vick was also brought in due to his familiarity with Marty Mornhinweg's offensive system. To make things easier on everybody, it would make more sense for the Jets to avoid the same circus they had the last few years and just name a starter at Quarterback already. By doing that it could really help out Geno in his progression as a NFL starter. So there isn't,or shouldn't be, a competition in camp. Let Geno be the starter he supposed to be and keep Vick as the backup and mentor.

3. Who Will Step Up At Wide Receiver?
It's no secret that Eric Decker is the #1 man in the receiving group with the Jets this year. He is the key to that wide out group for the Jets, as he adds a playmaker element to the team that they didn't really have established at that position a season ago. A big thing to watch with him is how well he will be able to mix with Smith and/or Vick. A big knock on Decker is that he spent the last few years playing with Payton Manning. So getting him into a groove with his new quarterback will be big. Also the other thing to look at is who is going to step up and become established as the other primary target behind Decker. It seems that Jeremy Kerley will be the slot receiver, which most NFL teams view as their #3 receiver. But who will take the #2 role, behind Decker. That is up in the air, a position to be fought for between Stephen Hill, David Nelson, and Clyde Gates. Nelso had a good year last year, and will be looking to build on that this year. Stephen Hill has pressure on him in camp this year, as he really hasn't shown to be the big target he was pegged to be when he was drafted. So it's going to be interesting to see how things play out among the pass catchers.

4. Who Will Step Up On The Offensive Line?
This isn't as big a weakness as it was a year ago with the Giants. Gang Green still has two pro bowl linemen in center Nick Mangold and left tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson. Other than those two though, the depth gets a little questionable. Austin Howard, who had a good impact on the line, wasn't brought back and went to sign with the Raiders. So now to replace him, the Jets brought in Breno Giacomini, a tackle who played for the Seattle Seahawks championship team last year. Also, Brian Winters is the most likely candidate to fill the left guard position, to replace Howard. Throw those guys in along with Willie Colon, who started every game last year, leaves the Jets with good competition for the line. If they can solidify the line, then the offense should have no problem clicking.

5. Secondary Shakeup: Will They Be Better?
The Jets secondary last year was a big weakness. This year it actually looks a little worse off than it was a year ago, which is a big surprise from a Rex Ryan lead defense. While I was quite happy the Jets upgraded the offense, I was kind of disappointed that they missed the boat on getting secondary help. With Antonio Cromartie gone, Dee Milliner will be called upon to shut down opponents’ top receivers. The Jets must feel very confident in Milliner because behind him there are many question marks. After Milliner the Jets have Dimitri Patterson at the #2 CB spot, and Kyle Wilson maintaining the Nickel. There is plenty of depth for the Jets secondary, but its lack of proven talent that makes me really nervous. Plus the Jets are also putting a lot of stock in Calvin Pryor after taking him with their first pick in the Draft. So the Jets are putting a lot of stock in the young, unproven talent in their secondary, which is going to be a big question when they have to play the better passing teams like Detroit Denver and New England.

So there are some of the big storylines to look at during training camp this year!

Trout, Jeter Power American League To All Star Victory

For nearly two decades now, the American League has flat out dominated the National League in the midsummer classic. In the last 17 years at the All Star Game, the American league has now won 13 of them, not including the one tie. Last night the American League locked up home field advantage in the World Series, on the strength of the 5-3 win at Target Field. The night was an emotion charged night, as it saw the end of one all star career, and possibly the kickstart of another all star career.

The send off last night was for Derek Jeter, who was playing in his 14th and final all star game in his hall of fame career. Jeter lead the game off for the American League, receiving a standing ovation from the sellout crowd of 41,048 in Minnesota. Jeter then proceeded to go 2 for 2 at the plate, scored one run. He also proceeded to make an outstanding play to start the game off in the field, but wasn't quite able to throw out Andrew McCutchen of the Pirates. Jeter played through the 4th inning, before being replaced by Alexei Ramírez of the White Sox. When Jeter came off the field, he received another standing ovation and even pulled off a curtain call. This wasn't quite as flashy as the All Star sendoff that Mariano Rivera got at least years game at Citi Field, it was still very deserving for a guy of Jeter's talent and his personality.

Thanks to his 2 for 2 performance in this years midsummer classic, Jeter finished his career hitting .481 in the All-Star game (13 for 27), which ranks him fifth all-time (among players with at least 10 at-bats). At 40, Jeter also became the oldest player to have two or more hits in an All-Star Game.

After Jeter collected his first hit, the young guns started to take over. Mike Trout of the Angels followed up with a run scoring triple, then Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers capped the opening inning off with a very impressive two run homer. This game really was a statement by Mike Trout. Trout walked away with the MVP award for the game, going two for two with a triple double and two RBI. His first inning triple knocked in Jeter to open the scoring. Then Trout put the AL ahead for good with an RBI double in the fifth, a bouncer over third base against St. Louis reliever Pat Neshek.

Trout became the youngest All-Star MVP, about 3 1/2 months younger than Ken Griffey Jr. was in 1992. Trout becomes the 4th player to win the All Star game MVP award playing for the Angels, joining Leon Wagner (1962), Fred Lynn (1983) and Garret Anderson (2003). This night, in my book, was kind of seen as a bit of a passing of the torch. You saw the final All Star game in the hall of fame career of Derek Jeter, and the big coming out statement from Mike Trout, who has the potential to win many MVP's in this midsummer classic.

The American League improved to 9-3 since the All-Star Game started deciding which league gets World Series home-field advantage. The only times the National League has pulled off wins in the All Star game were 2010-2012. The American League has won the last two games. Whichever team comes out of the American League, by the time we get to the World Series, will have a serious advantage in the Fall Classic. The team that has the potential to host four of the seven World Series games has won 23 of the past 28 titles. Even though the American League has dominated the last few years at the All Star game, the National League is 43-40-2, with the two ties coming in 1961 and 2002.

Major League Baseball First Half Recap

At long last, the All-Star Break is upon us in Major League Baseball. Even though most teams have already played 90 or more games during this long schedule, the All Star Break gives teams and players a chance to rest and relax a little, all those who aren't playing in the mid-summer classic that is. To this point in the season, we have seen teams and players have outstanding performances that have surprised us and gotten us to the edge of our seats. Some teams and players have really surprised us, while others have really been a bit of a disappointment to this point in the year. We will now take a look back at some of the great moments from the first half of the year, we will give out the best of and worst of from that first half and so much more. So with all that in mind, lets take a look back at some of the highlights of the first half of the 2014 Major League Baseball season.

We haven't had a hitter hit for the cycle this season, at least not yet, in the big leagues, but a few hitters have reached some pretty big milestones. On May 12th against thew New York Mets, Yankees outfielder Alfonso Soriano became the seventh player in Major League history to amass 1,000 hits in both the American and National Leagues. He joins Dave Winfield, Frank Robinson, Vladimir Guerrero, Fred McGriff, Carlos Lee, and Orlando Cabrera. Albert Pujols joined the record books when he hit his 500th career home run in the fifth inning against the Washington Nationals on April 22. He became the 26th player to reach this mark. The league also saw two new members join the 2,000 hit club in the form of Miguel Cabrera and Raúl Ibañez. Cabrera collected his 2,000th career hit with a home run in the eighth inning against the Baltimore Orioles on April 4, while Ibañez picked up his 2,000th career hit with a home run in the ninth inning against the New York Mets on April 12.

So here's what we have as the leading hitters in each league at the All-Star Break:

In the American League:
Batting Average - Adrian Beltre (TEX) .337
Home Rruns - José Abreu (CWS) 29
Runs Batted In - Miguel Cabrera (DET) 75
Runs Scored - Brian Dozier (MIN) 69
Hits - Jose Altuve (HOU) 130
Stolen Bases - Jose Altuve (HOU) 41

In the National League:
Batting Average - Troy Tulowitzki (COL) .345
Home Runs - Giancarlo Stanton (MIA) Troy Tulowitzki (COL) 21
Runs Batted In - Giancarlo Stanton (MIA) 63
Runs Scored - Troy Tulowitzki (COL) 71
Hits - Andrew McCutchen (PIT) Casey McGehee (MIA) 115
Stolen Bases - Dee Gordon (LAD) 43

Jose Abreu has been one of the bigger offensive surprises in the American League. The rookie is hitting .292 for the year, but leads the league in homers, just ahead of Nelson Cruz of the Baltimore Orioles, and is two RBI behind Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers for the league lead in that department. This kid has been knocking the cover off the ball and has been one of the few bright spots on the season for the White Sox, who sit near the bottom of the American League Central.

That's just the offensive highlights around the big leagues. We still have pitching to get to. The roughest start of the year for a pitcher has to go to Jeff Samardzija of the Cubs, who became the first pitcher in Major League history (since 1876) to go winless in his first eight starts of a season despite not allowing more than three runs in any outing. Things have gotten better for Samardzija, as he's now playing for the Oakland Athletics, and has a record of 3-8 on the year with a 2.70 ERA. Now for the positives and we had three big ones this year. To this point, there have been three no hitters thrown in the big leagues: Josh Beckett of the Dodgers tossed the first no hitter of the year, and the first no-hitter of his career on May 25 against the Philadelphia Phillies. Then Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers Pitched the first no-hitter of his career on June 18 against the Colorado Rockies. In 107 pitches, he struck out 15 batters, and walked none. Finally, Tim Lincecum of the Giants tossed his second no-hitter of his career on June 25 against the San Diego Padres. So pitching has been solid this year in the big leagues.

Here's what we got for the league leaders in Pitching.

From the American League:
Wins - Rick Porcello (DET) Masahiro Tanaka (NYY) 12
Loses - Kevin Correia (MIN) 11
Earned Run Average - Chris Sale (CWS) 2.08
Strikeouts - David Price (TB) 164
Innings Pitched - David Price (TB) 147.2
Saves - Fernando Rodney (SEA) 27

Masahiro Tanaka has been leading the league in wins for the New York Yankees, which puts him into the conversation for both American League Cy Young and AL Rookie of The Year. He was dominating the league like it was nobodies business. The fact that he is now injured and is going to miss at least six weeks hurts his cause, that's for sure. Tanaka had been one of the most outstanding pitchers in the game, in either league, and with the injury now, it takes away from that. Plus having him out of the rotation really hurts the Yankees, who are already banged up as it is, especially in regards to their pitching staff.

Another surprise pitcher from the American League this year has been Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers. Verlander is 8-8 with a 4.80 ERA, numbers that are pretty bad, at least by his standards. Verlander is normally a guy who you would expect to totally dominate teams, but this year at times has looked average at best.

That was the American League. Now here's the league leaders in Pitching for the National League:
Wins - Alfredo Simon (CIN) Adam Wainwright (STL) 12
Loses - Eric Stults (SD) 11
Earned Run Average - Clayton Kershaw (LAD) 1.78
Strikeouts - Stephen Strasburg (WAS) 149
Innings Pitched - Johnny Cueto (CIN) 143.2
Saves - Craig Kimbrel (ATL) 29

Clayton Kershaw and Adam Wainwright have been the two dominate pitchers in the National League this year. Kershaw, who is the reigning Cy Young award winner in the NL, is having another career year, with a 11-2 record and a 1.78 ERA, both of which have the Dodgers sitting at the top of the NL West. Same can be said about Wainwright, who is 12-4 with a 1.83 ERA, both of which have helped the Cardinals into a tie with Brewers for the best record in the NL Central.

A big disappointment in the NL has been Matt Cain of the San Francisco Giants. Any other year, Cain would be viewed as the main guy in the Giants pitching rotation. That's not the case this year. Cain right now is 2-7 with a 4.18 ERA. This comes as a bit of a shock, considering the fact that the Giants are in 2nd in the NL West, right behind the Dodgers. Cain has got to step it up and play better to help the Giants get over the push of the Dodgers.

Now that we are at the break, here's what the Standings look like in Major League Baseball:
AL East
Baltimore Orioles 52-42
Toronto Blue Jays 49-47
New York Yankees 47-47
Tampa Bay Rays 44-53
Boston Red Sox 43-52

AL Central:
Detroit Tigers 53-38
Kansas City Royals 48-46
Cleveland Indians 47-47
Chicago White Sox 45-51
Minnesota Twins 44-50

AL West:
Oakland Athletics 59-36
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 57-37
Seattle Mariners 51-44
Houston Astros 40-56
Texas Rangers 38-57

NL East:
Washington Nationals 51-42
Atlanta Braves 52-43
New York Mets 45-50
Miami Marlins 44-50
Philadelphia Phillies 42-53

NL Central:
Milwaukee Brewers 53-43
St. Louis Cardinals 52-44
Cincinnati Reds 51-44
Pittsburgh Pirates 49-46
Chicago Cubs 40-54

NL West:
Los Angeles Dodgers 54-43
San Francisco Giants 52-43
San Diego Padres 41-54
Colorado Rockies 40-55
Arizona Diamondbacks 40-56

Now that we know where everybody sits at the halfway point of the season, its time to give out some awards. Here is who we have for the first half of the season award winners.

Manager Of The Year:
AL: Bob Melvin Oakland Athletics
There are no real household names in this Oakland Athletics lineup, like you see with the other clubs around the Big Leagues. With that being said, at the All Star break, the Athletics have the best record in all of baseball, with Melvin at the helm. You could make a case for John Gibbons of the Toronto Blue Jays as he has them near the top of the AL East after the flop of last season. But still the Athletics don't have a major name in the lineup and have the best record in the game for a reason.

NL: Ron Roenicke, Milwaukee Brewers
Here we have a team who finished near the bottom of the NL Central division and right now they are in first place, a game ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals. Roenicke's Brewers play in a division that yielded three playoff teams a season ago. Not only do they lead said division, but they also find themselves on pace for a franchise-record 97 wins. You could make a very strong argument for first year manager Bryan Price of the Reds, who are still very much in the race in the Central, despite all the injuries, but I have to give it ton Roenicke for all he has had to deal with.

Rookie Of The Year:
AL: Jose Abreau, Chicago White Sox
In this case it had been a close race between him and Masahiro Tanaka, of the Yankees, but right now its Abreau. Tanaka has 12 wins a 2.10 ERA. His injury has him out of action for quite some time to come, which puts him in a hole. Abreau has been hitting the cover off the baseball this season. As of now, Abreau is second in baseball in homers (27), fourth in RBI (69) and seventh in OPS (.951). And he's doing this in a pitching-dominated era. He has been putting up unreal numbers and deserves the award.

NL: Billy Hamilton, Cincinnati Reds
The National League has a surprisingly weak rookie class this year. Hamilton is presently batting a semi-useful .281/.312/.402, but bear in mind that he also adds a tremendous amount of value with his base-running and his excellent defense in center field. Easy choice. The only one even in contention is Chris Owings of the Arizona Diamondbacks, but with him being out injured, Hamilton is a run away with this award.

Cy Young:
AL: Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners
Again this is a topic in which you could make a case for Tanaka of the Yankees, with the numbers he has put up. But, with the injuries and his numbers starting to fall off just a little bit, King Felix gets the nod here. Why? Well lets see. Among AL ranks for the season on the whole, Hernandez is second in ERA (2.11), WHIP (0.89) and innings (136.1), as well as third in strikeouts (145) and batting average against (.201). Here's a scary thought: As great as Hernandez has been to this point in his 10-year career, 2014 is shaping up to be his best season yet.

NL: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers
The argument could be made for Adam Wainwright of the Cardinals, who has been steady this year, but Kershaw has been flat out dominate. He's 11-2. with a 1.78 ERA which is near the tops in baseball. I know he has a talent loaded offense to be able to score runs for him, but you still need to be able to get guys out and he can do that quite well.

MVP:
AL: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
This guy has been off the charts this season. Trout is hitting .310 with 22 long balls and 73 driven in. He's crushing right-handers (.990 OPS), and he's crushing left-handers (1.079 OPS). He's producing at an elite level at home (1.025 OPS), and he's doing the exact same thing on the road (1.009 OPS). All of that, of course, is in addition to his outstanding base-running (10-for-10 in steals, and he's taken the extra base an impressive 67 percent of the time) and plus defense in center.

NL: Giancarlo Stanton, Miami Marlins
I know he doesn't play on a team that has been ultra competitive team, but still this guy deserves the award. I know Troy Tulowitzki of the Rockies and Andrew McCutchen of the Pirates are putting up MVP worthy numbers in their own right, but I still feel it should go to Stanton. My reason being is that he leads the National League in homers and RBI and is a big reason why the Marlins have hung around in this division. Lets face facts, when the season started, nobody really gave the Marlins much of a chance at all. Now I can tell you that they won't be able to overtake either the Nationals or the Braves, but they have been able to stay somewhat relevant in this division, and Stanton is a very big reason why.

2014 MLB All Star Rosters Announced

 What exactly is an All Star? By definition, an "All-star" in sports is an individual named to an "all-star" roster or team representing the top performers during and before the end of a season in a given sport. It's supposed to mean they are the best players in their sports at a given time. We have hit the time of year in Major League Baseball where we get the best players in the game of baseball right now to one spot, in this years case, Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The best players on the field this year will get together, with the winning league getting home field advantage in the World Series. That has been a topic of debate the last few years, as to whether or not home field should be determined by the All Star game, but at the end of the day it really does add another level of excitement to the game. But lets move on shall we.

The game is set for July 14th at 8PM and, since we are a week away from the game, the rosters have been announced for the big day. Some guys got in who deserved to be, while others really got snubbed and left out in the cold. So lets take a look at the guys who got into the mid-summer classic, and then the guys who were left out.

Lets start with the National League.

Starters:
C Yadier Molina Cardinals (6th appearance)
1B Paul Goldschmidt Diamondbacks (2nd appearance)
2B Chase Utley Phillies (6th appearance)
3B Aramis Ramírez Brewers (3rd appearance)
SS Troy Tulowitzki Rockies (4th appearance)
OF Andrew McCutchen Pirates (4th appearance)
OF Carlos Gómez Brewers (2nd appearance)
OF Yasiel Puig Dodgers (1st appearance)

National League Reserves:
C Jonathan Lucroy Brewers (1st appearance)
C Devin Mesoraco Reds (1st appearance)
1B Freddie Freeman Braves (2nd appearance)
2B Dee Gordon Dodgers (1st appearance)
2B Daniel Murphy Mets (1st appearance)
SS Starlin Castro Cubs (3rd appearance)
3B Matt Carpenter Cardinals (2nd appearance)
3B Todd Frazier Reds (1st appearance)
OF Charlie Blackmon Rockies (1st appearance)
OF Josh Harrison Pirates (1st appearance)
OF Hunter Pence Giants (3rd appearance)
OF Giancarlo Stanton Marlins (2nd appearance)

National League Pitchers:
Madison Bumgarner Giants (2nd appearance)
Aroldis Chapman Reds (3rd appearance)
Johnny Cueto Reds (1st appearance)
Clayton Kershaw Dodgers (4th appearance)
Zack Greinke Dodgers (2nd appearance)
Craig Kimbrel Braves (4th appearance)
Pat Neshek Cardinals (1st appearance)
Francisco Rodriguez Brewers (5th appearance)
Tyson Ross Padres (1st appearance)
Julio Teherán Braves (1st appearance)
Adam Wainwright Cardinals (3rd appearance)
Tony Watson Pirates (1st appearance)
Jordan Zimmermann Nationals (2nd appearance)

With the National League, there were a few names I was surprised got snubbed from the mid-summer classic. First off lets start behind the plate. The starting catcher, there is not argument, Yadier Molina deserves the nod. He has been the gold standard at the position in the National League for quite some time now. As far as the backup catchers go, there's one guy who should have gotten stronger consideration, in the minds of some at least, that being Buster Posey of the Giants. Now Jonathan Lucroy has been outstanding for the Brewers, as he's the best hitting catcher in the league right now. So that one was a given. Same thing with Molena. But Posey hasn't put up the MVP type numbers people are used to seeing. The three NL catchers have had better years than Posey, which is why he got snubbed. There are two guys who have put up good numbers but are gonna miss out on the game are Casey McGee of the Marlins and Anthony Rendon of the Nationals (both of whom are nominated for the final spot in the National League). Both of those guys are hitting better than Aramis Ramirez of the Brewers, who was elected starter. That's one of the things that has always bothered me about fan voting, because it becomes a popularity contest rather than who really is the best. But I digress. Both guys, Rendon and McGee have better RBI, Power and average numbers than Ramirez. So you figure it out.

That's what the National League looks like. Now here's the Starters for the American League:
C Matt Wieters# Orioles (3rd appearance)
1B Miguel Cabrera Tigers (9th appearance)
2B Robinson Canó Mariners (6th appearance)
3B Josh Donaldson Athletics (1st appearance)
SS Derek Jeter Yankees (14th appearance)
OF José Bautista Blue Jays (5th appearance)
OF Mike Trout Angels (3rd appearance)
OF Adam Jones Orioles (4th appearance)
DH Nelson Cruz Orioles (3rd appearance)

*Salvador Perez was named starter in place of Matt Wieters due to injury, and Kurt Suzuki was named as the roster replacement for Wieters.

American League Reserves:
C Salvador Pérez Royals (2nd appearance)
C Derek Norris Athletics (1st appearance)
C Kurt Suzuki Twins (1st appearance)
1B José Abreu White Sox (1st appearance)
1B Brandon Moss Athletics (1st appearance)
2B José Altuve Astros (2nd appearance)
3B Adrián Beltré Rangers (4th appearance)
3B Kyle Seager Mariners (1st appearance)
SS Alexei Ramírez White Sox (1st appearance)
OF Michael Brantley Indians (1st appearance)
OF Yoenis Céspedes Athletics (1st appearance)
OF Alex Gordon Royals (2nd appearance)
DH Edwin Encarnación Blue Jays (2nd appearance but hurt and replaced by Kyle Seager)
DH Víctor Martínez Tigers (5th appearance)

Finally the American League Pitchers:
Dellin Betances Yankees (1st appearance)
Mark Buehrle Blue Jays (5th appearance)
Yu Darvish Rangers (3rd appearance)
Sean Doolittle Athletics (1st appearance)
Félix Hernández Mariners (5th appearance)
Greg Holland Royals (2nd appearance)
Jon Lester Red Sox (3rd appearance)
Scott Kazmir Athletics (3rd appearance)
Glen Perkins Twins (2nd appearance)
David Price Rays (4th appearance)
Max Scherzer Tigers (2nd appearance)
Masahiro Tanaka Yankees (1st appearance)

The American League got it right on the best players in the league. The only one who got left off was Alex Rios of the Texas Rangers, but at the same time there are just too many talented players in the Outfield, and he just happened to be the odd man out. Otherwise the American League got it right by sending the best players.

The game is set for July 14th at 8PM on Fox!