5 possible All-Stars
DETROIT — White Sox starter Lance Lynn knew he was facing his final batter.
The Sox had a one-run lead and the Detroit Tigers had runners on first and second with two outs in the sixth inning Friday at Comerica Park.
As he has done throughout the season, Lynn made the big pitches when he had to and struck out Jake Rogers. Lynn is pitching like an All-Star — and on Sunday he’ll find out if he made the American League team.
“To have that opportunity would be cool for me,” Lynn said after Friday’s 8-2 win. “I would cherish it. And I couldn’t have done it without the team behind me if that happens.”
The AL Central-leading Sox didn’t have anyone voted as an All-Star starter. But they should be well-represented for the July 13 game in Denver, particularly from their pitching staff.
Here are five potential options when the pitchers and reserves are announced Sunday.
Liam Hendriks, pitcher
2021 stats (through Saturday): 3-2, 2.57 ERA, 21 saves, 53 strikeouts, 4 walks
The closer has been as good as advertised after the Sox signed him to a fouryear deal this offseason. He leads the AL in saves and is sixth among relievers in strikeouts.
His highlights include recording three saves in two days May 29 and 30 against the Baltimore Orioles.
Hendriks has been effective against both sides of the plate: Right-handed hitters have a .177 average against him, and lefties are batting .188.
He should be a lock.
Carlos Rodón, pitcher
2021 stats: 6-3, 2.37 ERA, 122 strikeouts
The Sox non-tendered Rodón in December but re-signed him in February.
He had to battle to earn a spot in the rotation.
Rodón had a terrific spring camp and has built on it during the season: He is third in the AL in ERA and WHIP (0.94) and fourth in strikeouts.
His 0.58 ERA through five starts was the lowest by a Sox pitcher since the AL began tracking earned runs in 1913.
That stretch included a no-hitter on April 14 against the Cleveland Indians at Guaranteed Rate Field. Rodón also took a no-hitter into the seventh inning June 13 at Detroit before allowing a one-out double.
It would be a surprise if he weren’t one of the starters heading to Denver.
Lance Lynn, pitcher
2021 stats: 8-3, 2.02 ERA, 99 strikeouts
The Sox acquired Lynn in a trade with the Texas Rangers in December to give the team a much-need rotation depth. He has delivered.
Lynn did not allow an earned run over his first 18 ⅔ innings of the season, the longest such streak by a Sox pitcher since Wilbur Wood went 21 innings in 1976.
Lynn has continued to excel. Entering Saturday, Lynn was second in the AL in ERA, tied for fourth in wins and is fourth in WHIP (1.03).
That type of consistency should be enough to earn an All-Star selection.
Yasmani Grandal, catcher
2021 stats: .190/.388/.441., 14 HR, 38 RBIs, 59 BB
Grandal’s batting average sticks out to detractors, but the overall production has been there.
He leads the team in home runs and is second in the majors in walks.
His weighted runs created-plus (wRC+) — which estimates a player’s offensive contribution in terms of total runs and adjusts that number to account for external factors such as ballpark and era — is 135, according to fangraphs.com. The major-league average is 100, meaning Grandal is 35% above that.
His 2.0 WAR is tied for second among AL catchers, according to FanGraphs.
Grandal recently has been the team’s most consistent hitter with hits in 10 of his last 11 games. He’s 12-for-35 (.343) with four homers, 14 RBIs and a 1.129 OPS during the stretch.
Grandal left Friday’s game with left calf tightness and was not in Saturday’s starting lineup.
Yoán Moncada, third base
2021 stats: .280/.403/.394, 5 HR, 35 RBIs
Moncada’s 2020 season was affected by the lingering effects of COVID-19. But he has bounced back this season and is second in the AL in on-base percentage.
Moncada ranks third among AL third basemen in WAR (2.7), according to fangraphs.com, and his weighted runs created-plus is 129.
Moncada missed Friday’s game with a bruised right hand and is unlikely to play this weekend.
The pitchers and reserves — 24 for the National League and 23 for the AL — are being determined by “Player Ballot” choices and selections made by the commissioner’s office.