As Part 1 of a two-part segment (Part 2 has the National League), I will be presenting the All-Division team for the American League. What this means is I nominate the best at each position in each division, now that the regular season is winding down to the point where there are obvious standouts and obvious busts of 2010 with just over two weeks remaining. For the purpose of this post, the definition of best is most valuable to his team. Following each nomination there is an explanation, and the other players at that position who were in the running. Every team has a shot to get guys on this list and it is by no means a popularity contest like the All-Star Team. To qualify at a position, the player must still be on the team he has been for the entire season. For example, Jose Guillen would not qualify because he was traded to the Giants. Also, only one starting pitcher, the best starter, is in the running for each team. Enjoy!
American League East
Nope, no Jorge Posada here. The Blue Jays lead the AL in home runs by far, and 18 of those have come from Buck, rare power numbers from a catcher. He's hitting .272 which is high for him and has done well working with a young pitching staff which has only five of 146 games started by anyone over the age of 30. The Jays, who are paying him $2 million this season, are getting a lot of bang for their John Buck. Opponents: John Jaso (TB), Jorge Posada (NYY), Victor Martinez (BOS), and Matt Wieters (BAL).
1B Mark Teixeira, NYY
As always, Teixeira started 2010 absolutely terrible. The Yankees watched him endure his annual April slump but then he caught on. On a roll for much of the season since, Mark finds himself with 30 HR and 101 RBI although the batting average sits at .261. He is a good middle of the order guy for the Yankees although they have bought more middle of the order guys than they need over the years. Opponents: Kevin Youkilis (BOS), Lyle Overbay (TOR), Ty Wigginton (BAL), and Carlos Pena (TB).
2B Robinson Cano, NYY
It has certainly been a down year for second basemen, especially in the AL. Cano, however, is enjoying his career-best season just one RBI away from 100 for the first time in his career. He is sure to draw MVP votes as the Yankees head to the postseason yet again. Opponents: Aaron Hill (TOR), Bill Hall (BOS), Julio Lugo (BAL), and Sean Rodriguez (TB).
3B Adrian Beltre, BOS
Here's another guy who will get MVP votes. Beltre is having his best season since the ludicrous 48 homer 2004 with the Dodgers. He's also batting .328 and has been one of few sure, injury-free players on the Red Sox in 2010. His 28 HR and 97 RBI are impressive, highlighted by launching a homer to the upper deck at Safeco Field, against his former team, while falling onto a knee. That's the kind of season it has been for Beltre. Opponents: Alex Rodriguez (NYY), Evan Longoria (TB), Josh Bell (BAL), and Edwin Encarnacion (TOR).
SS Derek Jeter, NYY
Jeter has not had a good year, by his standards. Miraculously, he still wins this award because of extremely weak competition. Jeter is only batting .262, possibly a sign of age on the Yankee captain. He has, however, played in all but four games this season and continues to be a fan favorite in New York. His teammates appreciate his presence. Opponents: Yunel Escobar (TOR), Marco Scutaro (BOS), Cezar Izturis (BAL), and Jason Bartlett (TB).
LF Carl Crawford, TB
Crawford is doing just what he should be in his walk year: making a lasting impression on his team. He is just awesome every year with the Rays, but especially in this one as he's hitting .302 with 43 steals and a surprising 78 RBI. Perhaps he is now a 20-20 threat, something he has never done before, but another surprising stat in 15 HR could suggest so. Crawford's speed leads the Rays to the postseason for the second time in three years. Opponents: Brett Gardner (NYY), Fred Lewis (TOR), Corey Patterson (BAL), and Jeremy Hermida (BOS).
CF Vernon Wells, TOR
Vernon Wells hasn't been in a comfortable spot for some time now. The Jays gave him a $126 million, seven-year deal before 2007 that has widely been viewed as the worst, most overpaid contract in baseball. Much to his delight, he has been able to prove the haters wrong as he approaches his first 30 homer season since 2006, which was also the last time he made the All-Star team until 2010. He sits at 27 HR and a .272 batting average at the moment. Opponents: Curtis Granderson (NYY), Darnell McDonald (BOS), B.J. Upton (TB), and Adam Jones (BAL).
RF Jose Bautista, TOR
No-brainer here. Bautista leads the major leagues with 47 home runs, and is on pace to be the first player since 2007 to hit 50 home runs in a season. Bautista's swing usually ends up with the ball on the third deck of the Rogers Centre. He has come out of nowhere at age 29 after a bunch of less than mediocre seasons with various teams, prompting some skeptics about the source of Bautista's newfound power. Either way, he gets the award. Opponents: Nick Swisher (NYY), Nick Markakis (BAL), Ben Zobrist (TB), and J.D. Drew (BOS).
DH David Ortiz, BOS
The old Big Papi is enjoying a better season than 2009, especially after winning the Home Run Derby at Angel Stadium during All-Star week. He's 34 but has remained healthy unlike most Red Sox in 2010 for most of the season. Although the Red Sox don't have enough to make the playoffs this year, his 30 HR and 91 RBI have helped the cause. Opponents: Luke Scott (BAL), Adam Lind (TOR), Willy Aybar (TB), and Marcus Thames (NYY).
SP C.C. Sabathia, NYY
Big C.C. is a Cy Young candidate looking for his first career 20 win season. This has been Sabathia's finest season, including the fact that he is averaging seven innings per start. His ERA is only 3.03, but he has received a lot of run support which has helped him stay undefeated at Yankee Stadium. He will get the nod in Game 1 of the ALDS whomever the Yankees face. Opponents: Clay Buchholz (BOS), Jeremy Guthrie (BAL), Shaun Marcum (TOR), and David Price (TB).
CP Rafael Soriano, TB
Few people predicted this. Soriano had been in the closer platoon with Mike Gonzalez in Atlanta for quite a while, but he was able to take over the full time solo closer role giving the Rays their best and most consistent closer in franchise history. His ERA is only 1.85 with 43 saves for the playoff bound Rays. Opponents: Mariano Rivera (NYY), Jonathan Papelbon (BOS), Kevin Gregg (TOR), and Alfredo Simon (BAL).
American League Central
The country has cooled off on this guy popularity wise after being AL MVP in 2009 then the cover boy for the best-selling baseball video game, MLB 10 The Show. Somewhat quietly, he has put together another great season. Fans can only wonder where the power went, hitting only 9 HR this season after 28 in 2009, but he is still batting .331 with 74 RBI and has handled a mediocre starting staff very well. Carl Pavano and Francisco Liriano have improved recently with a likelyhood that it had something to do with Mauer. Opponents: A.J. Pierzynski (CWS), Jason Kendall (KC), Lou Marson (CLE), and Alex Avila (DET).
1B Miguel Cabrera, DET
Miguel Cabrera has to be the best under-the-radar slugger in baseball. Not that he is unknown, but rather that he is not the guy on the leaderboard with 50 homers neither is he injured or inconsistent which would make bigger news. He's batting .333 with 34 HR and 118 RBI and is definitely the main run producer for Detroit. If not for Cabrera, the Tigers would likely be in last place. Opponents: Paul Konerko (CWS), Billy Butler (KC), Matt LaPorta (CLE), and Michael Cuddyer (MIN).
2B Orlando Hudson, MIN
The O-Dog has bounced around between teams for the last few years, but the Twins may want to lock him up for at least a few more years. He has done quite an admirable job of rallying his team in the fight for the playoffs, a fight that it appears they will win. He ranks 23rd on the ESPN Web Gem leaderboard, always been known for his defense. Opponents: Gordon Beckham (CWS), Carlos Guillen (DET), Luis Valbuena (CLE), and Mike Aviles (KC).
3B Omar Vizquel, CWS
Vizquel has been an incredible pickup for the White Sox. Batting .283 while playing great defense is impressive enough, but the unbelievable stat is he is only three years younger than his manager. The 43-year-old Vizquel will be back for more in 2011 with the Sox and although it is unlikely he repeats his clutch ability again, this is a season to remember for him. Opponents: Brandon Inge (DET), Wilson Betemit (KC), Jason Donald (CLE), and Danny Valencia (MIN).
SS Yuniesky Betancourt, KC
Betancourt has been solid with 70 RBI and a .258 batting average. The RBI total is tied with Billy Butler for most on the Royals, a team without much run production. Betancourt is necessarily a run producer, but the lack of run producing teammates has kind of allowed him to develop in the area. Opponents: Alexei Ramirez (CWS), Ramon Santiago (DET), J.J. Hardy (MIN), and Asdrubal Cabrera (CLE).
LF Delmon Young, MIN
For the first time in his career, Young became an All-Star this season. And for good reason. Young has been terrific for Minnesota, driving in 102 runs with only 18 homers. That is the sign of a good hitter with runners in scoring position. In fact, he's hitting .359 with Runners in Scoring Position (RISP). He has been carrying this team to the playoffs. Opponents: Alex Gordon (KC), Juan Pierre (CWS), Ryan Raburn (DET), and Shelley Duncan (CLE).
CF Alex Rios, CWS
Rios, picked up by the Sox midseason 2009, did pretty much nothing after the acquisition. In 2010, however, he has resurrected his career with one of his finest seasons yet. He made the 20-20 club this year with 21 HR and 33 SB, and 84 RBI becoming a crucial part of the Sox offense. He looks to keep it going having nailed down the starting spot in center after some competition early on. Opponents: Austin Jackson (DET), Mitch Maier (KC), Trevor Crowe (CLE), and Denard Span (MIN).
RF Shin-Soo Choo, CLE
Shin-Soo Choo may be the only impressive talent on an awful Cleveland club. But at least he is a talent, making the 20-20 club in 2009 and approaching it this season. With Travis Hafner old and not back to his former form, Choo is the only hope for the Indians and thankfully he is delivering with a .286 batting average. Opponents: Carlos Quentin (CWS), Gregor Blanco (KC), Brennan Boesch (DET), and Jason Kubel (MIN).
DH Jim Thome, MIN
Of all the teams Thome has hurt over his career, perhaps none more than the White Sox regret Thome more. In January the Sox (Ozzie Guillen, actually) let him go in favor of the DH by committee method. And Thome has made them pay. Perhaps the MVP of the Twins, Thome wasn't even guaranteed a job out of spring training and is now their veteran leader batting .283 with a team leading 23 homers in only just over half a season's worth of at-bats. No doubt, he has been key for Minnesota. Opponents: Mark Kotsay (CWS), Johnny Damon (DET), Kila Ka'aihue (KC), and Travis Hafner (CLE).
SP Justin Verlander, DET
He hasn't been as dominant as he was in 2009, but Verlander has still compiled a 16-8 record with a 3.48 ERA. His stuff is as good as ever, prompting players to vote Verlander's fastball the toughest in baseball in a poll taken in July. He has struck out 190 hitters in just under 200 innings. Opponents: Fausto Carmona (CLE), John Danks (CWS), Zack Greinke (KC), and Francisco Liriano (MIN).
CP Joakim Soria, KC
It's been a quiet year for Joakim Soria, but he's still getting the job done. He has 38 saves on a team that only has 60 wins. His ERA of 1.65 is practically unbeatable, and he has struck out just under 10 per nine innings pitched. The poor offense of Kansas City gives them a lot of tight, low-scoring games, and Soria has been doing his part to preserve what leads they do get. Opponents: Bobby Jenks (CHW), Chris Perez (CLE), Jose Valverde (DET), and Jon Rauch (MIN).
American League West
Although Napoli has been playing the majority of games at first base since Kendry Morales' injury in May, he has still played more games and defensive innings at catcher. The move hasn't affected him offensively though, as the 28-year-old is enjoying the finest season of his career with a career-high 25 homers. Napoli has been very versatile and a quick fix for the Angels who worried they would not be able to find an able replacement for a season at first base. Opponents: Matt Treanor (TEX), Rob Johnson (SEA), and Kurt Suzuki (OAK).
1B Daric Barton, OAK
This has not been a division that has had many strong first basemen recently, except for the obvious favorite in Kendry Morales, who went down in May with a freak injury. Although Barton is still looked upon as a prospect bust in most baseball circles, Barton is batting .277 and has more walks (101) than strikeouts (90). Barton may not be great, but in this division he's the best. Note: Mike Napoli was disqualified for the running at this position due to his title at catcher. Opponents: Mitch Moreland (TEX), Casey Kotchman (SEA), and Mike Napoli (LAA).
2B Howie Kendrick, LAA
Kendrick is a consistent hitter where one knows what to expect. A freeswinger, Kendrick has 151 hits this season by far a career-high in his first actual full season as a starter, appearing in all but four of his team's 146 games so far. Howie also didn't have much competition for this spot. Opponents: Ian Kinsler (TEX), Mark Ellis (OAK), and Chone Figgins (SEA).
3B Michael Young, TEX
After being an All-Star six years in a row, that streak ended in 2010. However, Michael Young has been as important as anybody on the Texas Rangers who are charging towards the playoffs. Young has played the most career games without a playoff appearance of any active player. His 20 HR and 83 RBI easily beat the competition. Opponents: Kevin Kouzmanoff (OAK), Alberto Callaspo (LAA), and Jose Lopez (SEA).
SS Elvis Andrus, TEX
After receiving a year of tutoring from the veteran Omar Vizquel, Andrus was all on his own to start 2010. Given the starting job and trust from the organization, Andrus came through. His 30 steals lead the team and he is batting .276, not great but not a negative either because he isn't relied upon for his hitting as much. Andrus is a regular on the highlight reels for his flashy defensive play. Opponents: Erick Aybar (LAA), Cliff Pennington (OAK), and Josh Wilson (SEA).
LF Josh Hamilton, TEX
Hamilton is expected to receive many, possibly a majority, of AL MVP votes due to his dynamite offensive and defensive play this season. After suffering through an injury-riddled 2009, Hamilton started where he left off in 2008 with a ridiculous .361 batting average. Oh, and eight steals. And 31 HR and 97 RBI. Opponents: Juan Rivera (LAA), Michael Saunders (SEA), and Rajai Davis (OAK).
CF Torii Hunter, LAA
Hunter is enjoying another fine 20 HR, 80 RBI season, the ninth such season in his career. He is an undoubted vocal leader known to joke and have fun at the ballpark. Torii also looks to reel in his 10th consecutive Gold Glove. Opponents: Coco Crisp (OAK), Franklin Gutierrez (SEA), and Julio Borbon (TEX).
RF Nelson Cruz, TEX
Cruz really came out of no where in 2009, smashing 33 homers which was 24 homers more than his previous career high. This season he has 19 homers. Cruz is a key cog of the Rangers' high-flying offense and together with Josh Hamilton makes them one of the best corner outfielder dous in baseball. Opponents: Bobby Abreu (LAA), Ryan Sweeney (OAK), and Ichiro Suzuki (SEA).
DH Vladimir Guerrero, TEX
This may be the best comeback story in baseball this season. After suffering through injuries in his last season as an Angel, many doubted Guerrero still had any power left in him, and experts have been criticizing his power swoon that saw him only hit 54 homers in his last two full seasons in Anaheim. Currently, however, he leads the Rangers in RBI with 107 and is hitting .305, third-best of the Rangers starters. He has kept his ability to hit the ball with authority no matter the location, something he has become notorious for over the years. Opponents: Jack Cust (OAK), Hideki Matsui (LAA), and Russell Branyan (SEA).
SP Trevor Cahill, OAK
This 22-year-old stud carries a 2.84 ERA and a 16-7 record, the best of a pretty impressive young rotation the Athletics have. His WHIP is only 1.08, leading all Oakland pitchers except relievers Andrew Bailey and Craig Breslow. The A's have hung around .500 and are now in 2nd place ahead of the Angels, and a huge share of the reason comes from Cahill. Opponents: Jered Weaver (LAA), Felix Hernandez (SEA), and C.J. Wilson (TEX).
CP Neftali Feliz, TEX
Neftali Feliz has the best stuff of any reliever in the division. He strikes out 1.04 batters per inning while walking only .27 batters an inning. His 36 saves lead the division, and although his ERA is at 3.00, he has been more conducive to winning for the Rangers than any other closer in the division. Opponents: Andrew Bailey (OAK), David Aardsma (SEA), and Fernando Rodney (LAA).
The amount of representatives is somewhat conducive to the success of the team. See below:
Team Representative Chart:
6 players: TEX
5 players: (None)
4 players: MIN, NYY
3 players: LAA, TOR
2 players: KC, DET, CWS, BOS, TB
1 player: OAK, CLE
0 players: SEA, BAL
Seattle and Baltimore, the two worst teams in the league for most of the season, get the dubious title of not having any players selected. Texas has higher odds of having such a high number of representatives because there are only four teams in the division, making it 20% easier to get on the team. This will be important in the National League issue (coming soon) because the NL Central has six teams which makes it very tough to have more than two on there. I hope everybody learned something today, because I know I did.
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