Orioles angling for showcase berths
Machado, Britton are locks, but they could have plenty of company
SEATTLE — Orioles manager Buck Showalter said throughout the past month that he wants all his players who are worthy to get a chance to play in the All-Star Game. But the honor of selecting the rosters goes to the fans, the players and Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost, whose team was last year’s American League representative in the World Series.
That leaves Showalter to simply stump for his deserving players to be included in the midseason showcase July 12. Entering Saturday night’s game atop the AL East at 47-32, the Orioles have a long list of candidates who are worthy of consideration. Here are the players the Orioles could send to the Midsummer Classic in San Diego, along with their chances of selection, as the Tuesday roster announcement approaches:
Third baseman Manny Machado: The only Oriole seemingly guaranteed a spot is Machado, who despite a seven-week sojourn at shortstop is far and away the best third baseman in the AL. The fan voting, which he led all spring, proved that. In a way, so did his time away from the position.
Machado entered Saturday batting .330/.387/.601 with 18 home runs, 29 doubles and 50 RBIs, and fourth in the AL in wins above replacement (4.1). He is assured of spending his All-Star break in San Diego for his third appearance in the showcase game. Verdict: Lock.
Closer Zach Britton: It’s hard to imagine a world where Britton isn’t atop the reliever list in the AL.
His 0.81 ERA and league-leading 23 saves in 23 chances entering Saturday prove that. There are probably dozens of hitters who thought about worthy relievers, cringed at the thought of their at-bats against Britton’s high-90s sinker, then wrote the lefthander’s name on their ballots. Verdict: Lock.
Outfielder Mark Trumbo: Were Trumbo on the ballot as a designated hitter instead of an outfielder, he might still be a starter through the voting. Tied for the major league home run lead with 23 entering Saturday, Trumbo faces some good competition.
He was fifth in fan voting in the last balloting update, and with the hamstring injury to Royals center fielder Lorenzo Cain, who was fourth, Trumbo will likely be the highest nonstarting vote-getter in the outfield. Plus, Major League Baseball will probably want his bat for the Home Run Derby. Verdict: Near-lock.
Catcher Matt Wieters: Two years ago, Wieters needed Tommy John elbow reconstruction and couldn’t make what would have been a deserving start in the All-Star Game. He won’t start this year — that will go to runaway fan-vote leader Salvador Perez of the Royals — but Wieters has a great shot at completing his comeback and earning a fourth All-Star nod.
Wieters entered Saturday batting .274 with nine home runs and a .780 OPS, and tied with Stephen Vogt of the Oakland Athletics for second among AL catchers behind Perez with a 1.1 WAR. Verdict: Near-lock.
First baseman Chris Davis: Voters won’t see that Davis’ 20 home runs entering Saturday came around long fallow periods for the reigning home run king, but that’s OK. He’s on pace to drive in more than 100 runs to lead the division, has led the league in home runs two of the past three years and has the numbers to warrant a spot.
Davis trails first basemen Eric Hosmer of the Royals and Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers in the voting, but three first basemen have traditionally made the roster. There’s no clear threat to Davis’ being one of them. Verdict: Near-lock.
Reliever Brad Brach: Brach’s case is what makes the All-Star Game interesting, both in a good way and a bad one. There’s a fierce contingent of people associated with the Orioles who don’t see how a reliever who entered Saturday with a 1.04 ERA and pitches in every role imaginable shouldn’t be honored with a bid. There are also large swaths of casual fans who have never heard of Brach, and almost nobody in between.
Anywhere between one and three non-closer relievers typically get tapped for the All-Star Game during the player and manager selection process. Yost himself has Kelvin Herrera as a candidate, and Will Harris of the Houston Astros thrived in that role earlier in the season before he became a closer. Verdict: On the fringe.
Starter Chris Tillman: At 10-1 with a 3.11 ERA about a week ago, Tillman looked every bit an All-Star for the second time in his career and first time since 2013. In his past two starts, he has allowed 10 runs in 92⁄3 innings and seen his ERA inflate to 3.71.
This year hasn’t been one in which big-name starters have dominated in the AL, but pitchers such as Danny Salazar of the Cleveland Indians, Marco Estrada of the Toronto Blue Jays and knuckleballer Steven Wright of the Boston Red Sox have set a standard that few have lived up to. Verdict: Unlikely, after past week.
Second baseman Jonathan Schoop: Schoop is on pace for a career year, entering Saturday batting .300 with 13 home runs and 21 doubles. He’d be even better than that if not for a two-week stretch in April when he was lost at the plate.
Such numbers have been fine for an All-Star spot in the past, but this year’s field has Schoop struggling for attention behind Astros star Jose Altuve, Seattle Mariners slugger Robinson Cano, Boston’s Dustin Pedroia and even Detroit’s Ian Kinsler. Verdict: One year away.