The 2015 Major League Baseball All-Star Game is only a week away and the rosters are set except for the Final Vote.
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The MLB announced the starters (as voted in by the fans) on Sunday and followed it up with the All-Star Selection Show on Monday, which revealed the pitchers and reserves for the Midsummer Classic.
While the rosters are almost complete, the Final Vote contestants were also unveiled on Monday as five players from each league have emerged as possible selections for a trip to Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati.
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Before the fans decide on who goes to the All-Star Game next Tuesday, here are our predictions.
American League
Xander Bogaerts, Boston Red Sox SS (.302 BA, 3 HR, 37 RBI)
Bogaerts, 22, is off to a tremendous start to the season for Boston and ranks first among all AL shortstops with 89 hits and 18 doubles while his batting average places second at his position and for the Red Sox. He has five errors on the season.
Yoenis Cespedes, Detroit Tigers OF (.292/11/45)
Cespedes, 29, is third in the American League with 25 doubles and is second on the Tigers with 94 hits and 48 runs while his 45 RBI rank first among AL left fielders. He has five errors and seven assists.
Brian Dozier, Minnesota Twins 2B (.260/17/42)
Dozier, 28, ranks tied for first in the AL with 63 runs and in sole possession of second place with 26 doubles thus far on the campaign. His 17 homers and 42 RBI are first among AL second baseman while he leads the Twins with 84 hits, a .517 slugging percentage and a .849 OPS. He has three errors this year.
Brett Gardner, New York Yankees OF (.297/9/39)
Gardner, 31, is having a fantastic season in the Bronx and he leads all AL left fielders with his batting average as well as in runs (60), OPS (.854) and stolen bases (15). His 15 swipes place him fourth in the AL. He leads New York in batting average and with 21 doubles. He has two errors and four assists in 78 games.
Mike Moustakas, Kansas City Royals 3B (.301/7/31)
Moustakas, 26, has been very productive for the defending American League champions. Moustakas leads the Royals with 87 hits and ranks tied for first among AL third baseman in batting average. He has six errors in 75 games.
The Pick: All five of these players are All-Star worthy, but Gardner was a very notable snub on Monday and should get the nod for having a surprisingly good season.
National League
Johnny Cueto, Cincinnati Reds RHP (5-5, 2.84 ERA, 100 strikeouts)
Cueto, 29, got lost in the shuffle due to all the stellar pitching in the NL, but he deserves consideration for the vote. Cueto is third in the NL in WHIP (0.92) and average allowed (.199) this season while his 6.54 hits per nine innings rate places him fourth in the Senior Circuit.
Jeurys Familia, New York Mets RHP (2-0/1.13/41)
Familia, 25, has converted 23 of 25 saves as he took command of the closers role in New York. His 23 saves rank him tied for fourth in the National League.
Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers LHP (5-6/3.08/147)
Kershaw, 27, leads the majors with his 147 strikeouts and with his 11.98 strikeouts per nine innings. The reigning NL Cy Young and MVP Award winner is also third in the NL in innings pitched (114.0) and fourth in strikeouts per walk (5.44).
Carlos Martinez, St. Louis Cardinals (9-3/2.70/105)
Martinez, 23, is tied for third in the NL with nine wins and owns a 1.250 WHIP with 100 innings pitched thus far this season. Him being the fourth pitcher on the Final Vote countdown shows how stacked the NL is on the mound.
Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado Rockies SS (.321/9/44)
Tulowitzki, 30, is fourth in the NL in average while he leads all NL shortstops in batting average, on-base percentage (.358), slugging percentage (.489) and OPS (.847). He has seven errors in 69 games this season.
The Pick: This is a very tough one to decide, but despite Tulowitzki having an amazing year with the bat, this last spot should really be awarded to one of the pitchers. Kershaw's rocky start may keep him out while Familia has had a solid campaign thus far, but it seems Cueto should get the nod based on the year he had and the location of the game.
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