Cleveland Indians: Where do they stand in recent All-Star voting update?

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It is without question that the Cleveland Indians have at least one All-Star caliber player on the active roster this season. But fans around the country don’t necessarily agree.

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In the latest All-Star game voting updates released, the Indians don’t have a single player ranked in the top five (catcher, first base, second base, third base and shortstop) or top 15 in the outfield, according to MLB.com.

Salvador Perez (catcher), Eric Hosmer (first base), Jose Altuve (second base), Xander Bogaerts (shortstop), Manny Machado (third base), and Jackie Bradley Jr, Mike Trout and Lorenzo Cain (Outfield) are the top vote-getters at their respective positions.

No big surprises there, as all of the aforementioned players are having All-Star caliber seasons. It his, however, surprising that the Indians don’t have a single player listed among the field.

Let’s take a position-by-position look at where the Tribe players stack up compared to the rest of the American League.

Next: Napoli and Kipnis have a case?

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First Base – Mike Napoli

Top Five: Eric Hosmer, Miguel Cabrera, Chris Davis, Hanley Ramirez, Jose Abreu

Napoli’s .234 batting average and .304 on-base percentage rank eighth amongst first basemen in the American League, but his 14 home runs are the most for any player at the position.

Additionally, he leads all first basemen with 42 RBI.

Additionally, he leads all first basemen with 42 RBI. He is a consistent run-producer, without a doubt, but his -0.8 dWAR brings down his value.

Second Base – Jason Kipnis

Top Five: Jose Altuve, Omar Infante, Robinson Cano, Dustin Pedroia, Ian Kinsler

Kipnis is one of the better all-around second basemen in the game. While he is not having an outstanding season, he has solidified his status as a solid offensive contributor and strong defender. But is that enough to earn him an All-Star nod?

All of the second basemen in the top five, except for Omar Infante are deserving of the votes they have received. Altuve is having an outstanding season and with Cano, Pedroia, and Kinsler makes up the top four second basemen in total WAR.

Kipnis is seventh amongst AL second basemen in WAR at 0.7, but he ranks fifth in on-base percentage (.319) and RBI (29). And while he is a solid defender, his 0.3 dWAR is only middle-of-the-pack amongst his fellow second basemen,

Kipnis is having a good season and might eventually crack the top five in voting, but it his doubtful he will be named an All-Star in 2016.

Next: Lindor is Deserving

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Third Base – Juan Uribe

Top Five: Manny Machado, Mike Moustakas, Josh Donaldson, Nick Castellanos, Travis Shaw

Outside of Machado or Donaldson, there are not real All-Star caliber players in the top five. Moustakas is capable of being an All-Star, but he is done for the year following his ACL injury.

Castellanos and Shaw are both having fine seasons but are each seeking their first All-Star appearances. They will likely stay in the top five and won’t get any competition from the Indians’ starting third baseman, Juan Uribe.

Uribe is a grizzled veteran player, but he is having a down year at the plate and a so-so year in the field. His value to the team comes from his leadership. Uribe has been a nice addition to the Tribe, but will fall well short of All-Star consideration.

Shortstop – Francisco Lindor

Top Five: Xander Bogaerts, Alcides Escobar, Troy Tulowitzki, Carlos Correa, Elvis Andrus

Lindor probably has the best chance at becoming an All-Star because with Michael Brantley injured, he is their best player.

As previously discussed, Lindor is proving his worth and making a name for himself as one of the league’s best shortstops.

The problem is, four of the players in the top five in voting have been named All-Stars before. Bogaerts is the only one who hasn’t and there’s a good chance he will earn the top spot this year and rightfully so; he’s having a tremendous year and leads all American League shortstops with a 3.0 oWAR.

That’s where Lindor comes in. He ranks second with a 2.7 oWAR. His .304 batting average is the third-best among AL shortstops, trailing only Bogaerts (.340) and Eduardo Nunez (.328). He has matched Bogaerts with six home runs and his 29 RBI trails the top vote-getter by seven.

Lindor has the edge on the defensive side of the ball, as his 0.9 dWAR is second in the American League – the currently injured Anderlton Simmons leads with a 1.0 dWAR – and bests Bogaerts’ 0.5 dWAR, which ranks seventh.

One can make the case for Lindor being the top shortstop in the American League. His 3.6 total WAR ranks higher than Bogaerts’ mark of 3.5. In fact, Lindor would lead the all of the top five shortstop vote-getters in total WAR. Escobar has a -0.8 total WAR, Tulowitzki sits at 0.5, Correa at 1.2 and Andrus at 2.1.

Lindor is having an incredible season and has the numbers to back it up. He deserves to be an All-Star.

Next: Ramirez Has a Shot?

Catcher – Yan Gomes

Top Five: Sal Perez, Matt Wieters, Brian McCann, Russell Martin, Blake Swihart

Yan Gomes trails McCann and is tied with Perez with seven home runs, the second best mark amongst AL catchers, but his .176 is well below the Mendoza Lisecond-best

2 total WAR is lower than four of the top five catchers, excluding Martin and his -1.0 WAR. Gomes has the potential to be an All-Star caliber player, but hasn’t lived up to the hype this season.

He has struggled at the plate and while he has power and is a pretty consistent run-producer, he will not be an All-Star in 2016.

Outfield – Jose Ramirez, Rajai Davis

Top Fifteen: Mike Trout, Lorenzo Cain, Jackie Bradley Jr., Mark Trumbo, Jose Bautista, Mookie Betts, Alex Gordon, Paulo Orlando, Adam Jones, Melky Cabrera, Carlos Beltran, Kevin Pillar, Michael Saunders, Joey Rickard, Colby Rasmus

Ramirez and Davis are the only two Cleveland outfielders who merit All=Star consideration. The Indians’ other outfield candidates include the suspended Marlon Byrd and rookie Tyler Naquin.

Of the two candidates, Ramirez is more likely to be an All-Star. His 1.3 oWAR trumps that of Davis (-0.3) and he has the ability to play multiple positions, something that AL manager Ned Yost believes is important during the All-Star game.

Check out our previous story on Ramirez and his All-Star caliber season to see why he can – at the very least – be in the consideration for an All-Star roster spot.

Davis, on the other hand, is too far off. He can be a valuable player with his speed and propensity to steal bases and has shown decent power with six home runs and 24 RBI so far this season.

But despite his solid offensive numbers, he does not come close to being an All-Star caliber player.

Next: The Verdict?

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Designated Hitter – Carlos Santana

Top Five: David Ortiz, Kendrys Morales, Edwin Encarnacion, Victor Martinez, Nelson Cruz

Santana has having a so-so season as the Indians’ designated hitter. He boasts a lowly .224 batting average but has slugged 10 home runs and 27 RBI to go along with a strong-but-not-great .327 on-base percentage.

He is a solid bat in the middle of the lineup, but there is too much competition here. Ortiz is having a stellar season and leads all designated hitters with a 2.9 oWAR. Martinez, Cruz, and Encarnacion also boast higher WARs than Santana, who currently boasts a 0.1 oWAR. Of the top vote-getters at the position, only Morales has a lower oWAR (-1.1).

Santana is a nice player and is capable of being an All-Star. 2016 just isn’t his year.

Next: Cleveland Indians: Who Could they draft tonight?

The Verdict?

Having gone through Cleveland’s lineup only Lindor and Ramirez probably merit All-Star consideration. Lindor is right up there with the best shortstops in the American League and Ramirez is a valuable utility player who is in the midst of a terrific regular season.

The question now becomes whether or not they will get the votes. What do you think? Sound off in the comments.

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