The National League All-Star team may as well be named the Chicago Cubs.
On Tuesday, Major League Baseball released the rosters for the July 12 Midsummer Classic, which emanates from Petco Park in San Diego, and five of the starting position players are Cubs.
First baseman Anthony Rizzo, second baseman Ben Zobrist, third baseman Kris Bryant, shortstop Addison Russell and outfielder Dexter Fowler will start for the NL squad when it takes on the American League All-Stars with home-field advantage in the World Series hanging in the balance.
Despite their recent struggles, the Cubs have had a great start to the season, entering Wednesday with a 52-31 record. Still, not every starting Cub is deserved. Here's a position-by-position look at which All-Stars should remain starters, and which shouldn't.
First Base
When we projected what the starting lineups should be last week, it came down to the wire between Rizzo and Diamondbacks star Paul Goldschmidt, who will serve as a backup. While we ultimately went with Goldschmidt, we have no problem seeing Rizzo get the start. Rizzo, 26, leads all NL first baseman in homers (20, tied), RBIs (61), slugging percentage (.563) and OPS (.964).
Verdict: Rizzo.
Second Base
Zobrist, 35, has had a strong start to his tenure in Chicago, but Daniel Murphy seems to be the clear choice here -- despite his recent cold stretch. Murphy leads the NL with a .345 batting average and owns the NL lead with 110 hits. The Nationals second baseman also ranks second in total bases (183) and third in slugging percentage (.581). His .969 OPS, which ranks third in the NL, dwarfs Zobrist's (.862). Murphy also has a 14-11 edge in homers and a 56-43 advantage in RBIs. Both made the roster.
Verdict: Murphy.
Third Base
It was a tough contest between Bryant and Rockies star Nolan Arenado, but last week we picked the 2015 NL Rookie of the Year and it seems the voters agree. Bryant, 24, leads the NL with 25 homers and 68 runs, while he's second in RBIs (64), third in total bases (181) and fifth in slugging percentage (.578). Arenado and Cardinals third baseman Matt Carpenter will also play third base at the All-Star Game.
Verdict: Bryant.
Shortstop
Not only is Russell non-deserving of a start, he shouldn't even be an All-Star. Russell, 22, is batting a grisly .242 with a .338 on-base percentage and has averaged a strikeout per game. There are plenty of better options to start the game, including the Dodgers' Corey Seager (.304/17HR/41RBI) and Rockies' rookie Trevor Story (.259/19/50). Seager will serve as a backup on July 12, while Story is one of five NL players left in the final vote.
Verdict: Seager.
Outfield
Fowler, 30, has had a solid year for the Cubs, posting a .290/.398/.483 slash line with seven homers, 28 RBIs and 41 runs, and is a plus-3 in defensive runs saved, according to Fangraphs. If Bryce Harper and his .258 batting average can make it, there's no reason to harp on Fowler getting a nod and it's well-deserved.
Verdict: Fowler.
