There has not been much joy for the Chicago National League ball club the past three weeks. The Cubs are limping both metaphorically and literally, with seemingly-all of their players recovering from leg injuries as we head into the All-Star Break. It is easy to forget, these days, just how good and talented the 2016 incarnation of the Chicago Cubs really are. The All-Star Selection Show this evening offered a chance to reflect on that, with the Cubs sending seven representatives to San Diego.
The Cubs matched some history with their selections this evening. The Cubs are only the second team ever to have an entire infield start the All-Star Game, matching the 1963 Cardinals. Meanwhile, the Cubs’ seven representatives are also the second-most in team history, behind only the 2008 Cubs’ eight. The 1945 Cubs also had seven representatives, but to an All-Star Game that was never played due to World War II. The 2008 Cubs’ eight representatives, meanwhile, come with an asterisk because Kerry Wood had to sit out the All-Star Game due to a blister issue. The Cubs’ eighth representative was Carlos Marmol, who replaced Wood on the roster.
Anthony Rizzo received the most votes of any National League player. This is his third straight All-Star Game appearance but his first start in the Midsummer Classic. Rizzo has been the driving force for a powerful and dynamic Cubs lineup, at least for most of this season. Rizzo ranks second in the NL in WARP (3.48) to Paul Goldschmidt (4.10), but the difference in WARP largely rests on FRAA, where Goldschmidt has a commanding lead of 13.6 to 3.0. Rizzo has been the best offensive first baseman in baseball with a .348 TAv.
Ben Zobrist, meanwhile, was selected to his third All-Star Game. Zobrist was named to the American League All-Star team for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2009 and 2013, but this is his first start. Zobrist has made a fine transition to the National League, hitting .296/.404/.473. Unfortunately, Cub killer Daniel Murphy has been the better player by both WARP and TAv. Murphy has rated lower than Zobrist defensively, though both have rated as below average defenders in the small half season sample size. Zobrist has a case for the start, but it is a weak one.
Addison Russell might be this year’s Omar Infante. The young Cubs shortstop is supremely talented and likely has a bright future on the northside of town. But his performance in 2016 does not warrant a selection, much less a start, in San Diego. A new golden age of shortstops is upon us with the emergence of Carlos Correa, Francisco Lindor, Manny Machado and the should-be NL starter Corey Seager. The Dodgers’ phenom has posted an impressive 4.02 WARP and .330 TAv. Russell’s 1.39 WARP places him at ninth-best in the NL shortstop ranks, between Asdrubal Cabrera and Jordy Mercer. Russell’s .274 TAv rates as tenth-best in the NL.
Kris Bryant is going to his second straight All-Star Game, and he continues the theme of first ever starts. Kris Bryant is actually second in TAv to Matt Carpenter at .359 to .352. Carpenter has an incredibly robust slash line of .305/.427/.581, but Bryant has the edge in WARP largely due to defense ratings. The Cubs slugger leads the National League in home runs by two.
Dexter Fowler was named to his first All-Star Game and, as I noted last month, he becomes the first true center fielder to start an All-Star Game for the Cubs since Augie Galan in 1936. Fowler ranks third in the NL in TAv at .320. Yoenis Cespedes .350 is the clear leader, and Marcel Ozuna at .336 is third. Ozuna is the NL leader at WARP with Cespedes in second place. Odubel Herrera actually slides in front Fowler at third place. Fowler’s WARP numbers have been hurt by his FRAA ratings all year. Cespedes was rightfully named a starter, and Ozuna made it as a reserve.
The Cubs also send their co-aces to San Diego. This matches the number of All Star pitchers the Cubs have had from 2015 through 2010 combined. This is the reigning Cy Young award winner’s first All Star appearance and Jon Lester’s fourth. The recent struggles of the starting staff have depressed the rankings of the Cubs pitchers. John Lackey currently is the Cubs’ staff leader in WARP and DRA. That is, of course, before this afternoon’s performance. Arrieta checks in at thirteenth in the NL in DRA. Jon Lester is much lower due to his inability to hold runners. The pair fare better when looking at the more traditional ERA, with Arrieta’s 2.33 third and Lester’s 2.67 ninth in the National League.
The Cubs were the talk of the night. The selection of Addison Russell was used as a talking point for the silliness of fan voting, but that is really the only case where the fans were blatantly wrong. There is little doubt that the other six Cubs deserved to be there, even if you could quibble with a starting spot or two. It should be a fun night in San Diego.
Lead photo courtesy Dennis Wierzbicki—USA Today Sports.