My 2023 AL MLB All Star Selections - Gabe
Alright, here goes. Welcome to the first official Blog Post on The G and K Show website. It's been a long time coming for all of this. I can't really begin to describe how fun it's been so far, and we're just getting started. Apologies for slowing down on the football podcast. The NFL Offseason has been slow since the draft, we have big plans as training camp ramps up and the season gets closer.
In the meantime, America's Pastime has taken a national stage. Baseball has always stood the test of time, and with it comes summer, hot dogs, fireworks, and sunflower seeds. It's something I hold very near and dear to my heart. I owe much of who I am to baseball, and the many things it has taught me. But those are stories for other posts. This one is about the All Stars.
As the MLB season runs along (162 games takes quite a long time), the All Star Break quickly approaches during the summer months. The game takes place July 11th, at T-Mobile Park in Seattle, Washington. Seattle has long been overdue for another All Star Game, and that city will be a fantastic stage to showcase all of baseball's best through the first half of the 2023 season.
In a change of tone, I absolutely hate fan voting as the deciding factor for who starts in the ASG. It has become a popularity contest and the best players miss out on playing in the game, as they have deservedly been better than whoever the fans select for that spot. In a small and probably ineffective effort to combat this, I'm going to give you, the reader, with my picks as to who should be starting for the American League on July 11th in Seattle. I'll come out with my National League Predictions in the coming days as well. Maybe the rest of the guys will hop on this and you'll see how ridiculous some of their opinions are. Not saying mine will be much better, but I like to think I've got a better proverbial finger on the pulse of the game than those guys do. Anyway, my 2023 All Star Game Predictions.
American League:
C: Adley Rutschman
Ironically enough we're starting with the most biased pick I will make today, but I believe it is justified. Adley is the captain of a surging Orioles team led by a dynamic young core, and he has improved from his impressive rookie season in every facet and has even added a little more pop from the right side of the plate vs lefties.
1B: Yandy Diaz
No shot Vlad Jr should be in this spot. Vlad's power numbers are down, and Yandy Diaz bats at the very top of the order for a Tampa team that looks unstoppable this year. They've been impressive to watch in every facet, and a huge part of the success for them, sporting a nearly .400 OBP and still hitting at .304 as of June 19th.
2B: Marcus Semien
Off a scalding hot May, Marcus has cooled off in June, but still sports one of the best slash lines in baseball (.279/.342/.466) on a Rangers team that has looked everything like the contender we thought they could be to the defending champion Astros.
SS: Wander Franco
This one is a gimme. Wander has been off the charts this year. He's second in the league in steals, hovering his batting average at .300, and is on pace for nearly 30 home runs. Not many other AL shortstops come close to Wander, and he is an easy choice for me here.
3B: Jose Ramirez
J-Ram. That's right. I said it. JRam has been one of baseballs hottest hitters over the last few weeks, ballooning his stat lines to well above league average and he's cemented himself back as the AL's premier 3B once again, and he should be starting in Seattle.
OF: Austin Hays
Yes, this is another Oriole here. But hear me out. Hays is batting .320 with an .875 OPS here on June 19th. He has to be the choice, especially after his recent hot street and hit .480 the week of June 12th-18th. Oh, and I forgot to mention, he's in the top tenth percentile in throwing arm strength.
OF: Masataka Yoshida
Maybe a sleeper for Rookie of the Year, Yoshida has been every bit worth what the Red Sox gave him. He's got flashes of that massive power he showed in Japan, and has had little to no trouble adjusting to major league pitching, as he still sports an average above .300 in the middle of June.
OF: Randy Arozarena
Honorable mention here to Leody Taveras (sorry, Joe) but Arozarena has been a top 3 AL Outfielder this year. He's got a unique mix of power and speed, and bats in the heart of the Rays order that has been so lethal through the first half of the season.
DH: Shohei Ohtani
Kenji's pissed I put him at the end of this list I'm sure. There's not much I can say about Ohtani that hasn't already been said. He's the most unreal player we've ever seen. He's better than Babe Ruth. He pitches like a Cy Young Winner and currently leads the league in homers. Not sure what else you need. Must watch TV whenever Ohtani is playing.
SP: Shane McClanahan
Another Tampa player here. Shane has been the best pitcher in baseball and continues to shut down some of the best offenses in baseball week after week. Teams that play Tampa give them everything they have in hopes of knocking down MLB's top team, but McClanahan seemingly navigates through difficult lineup after difficult lineup without much trouble.
CP: Felix Bautista
102 MPH Fastball. Splitter with a foot plus of vertical drop and a 58.5% whiff percentage, and a .076 expected batting average against. They call him The Mountain for a reason. He's a lock to be in Seattle in a few weeks.
Full summary of my picks below!
Agree or Disagree? Let us know in the comments or email us. Thanks for reading.
