2018 All Star Game Was a Joke

While it's no surprise that the All-Star Game usually has a few head-scratchers in the lineup, the 2018 game was full of complete whiffs. SLB has never used fan balloting, stating that their high-powered computer matrix does a better job of picking the teams. Fan voting is prone to homerism and popularity, but the league's system is completely broken.

Let's look at the stats and put together some better starting lineups (hint: this won't be hard to do).

American League


C - Neil Walker (CLE) - The computer got this one right. Walker was hitting .330 and slugging .538 at the break. No other AL catcher was hitting over .300. [CPU - Neil Walker]

1B - Justin Morneau (ATL) - The first of many, many snubs. Morneau had 71 RBI and was slugging .553, both leading all AL first basemen. [CPU - John Atwood (BAL)]

2B - Frank Vanderwal (BAL) - Another pick I can agree with the CPU on. Vanderwal is scalding the ball to the tune of a .361 average and a .609 SLG. [CPU- Frank Vanderwal]

3B - Chest Rockwell (ATL) - Probably the biggest snub on the AL squad. Rockwell hasn't slowed down at all since signing with Atlanta, belting 33 HR and 78 RBI to date. How does he get overlooked? [CPU - Miguel Cabrera (SAV)]

SS - Floyd Larkin (SJ) - Perennial All-Star who did nothing to lose his spot on the team. Nearly a .900 OPS and a team leading 32 BB's. [CPU - Matt Bush (CLE)]

LF - Andy Hunter (PHI) - This was a tough call. The computer took Matt Musser from San Juan, which is a pretty tough guy to argue with. Musser has a better OPS than Hunter, but has just 16 HR, 55 RBI compared to Hunter's 28 HR and 82 RBI. [CPU - Matt Musser (SJ)]

CF - Jay Bruce (PHI) - This is a pretty deep position in the AL. Darren Lemming was the obvious choice, but hit the DL just before the All Star break. Bruce is OPSing 1.021 and just crushing the ball for a ton of extra-base hits. [CPU - Jay Bruce]

RF - Will Hunting (PHI) - Yep, I picked an all-Fever outfield, though you could easily go with all Senadores as well. Hunting is one of the most consistently productive outfielders in recent SLB history. Will he ever win the MVP? [CPU - Will Hunting]


World League

C - Elmer Kennedy (OSKA) - The Ronin rookie has comparable OPS numbers to several other WL catchers, but his run production is better. At 20 HR and 57 RBI, Kennedy has fit right in on the powerful Osaka lineup. [CPU - Al Murphy (IRE)]

1B - Hee-Seop Choi (PAR) - Almost as big a snub as Rockwell in the AL. There are all sorts of great first basemen in the WL (Hamilton, McNulty, Johnson, Posedel) but Choi has been exceptional. [CPU - Mark Hamilton (KYO)]

2B - T.J. Mackey (LON) - Mackey has had an up and down career, but he's been a big part of London's division run so far this year. Gotta love a .561 SLG from a middle infielder. [CPU - Cap Jackson (CHNG)]

3B - Howie Sloat (CHNG) - Where did this guy come from? A .362 average and nearly 80 RBI at the break? How does the CPU bench this guy for Hank frigging Blalock? [CPU - Hank frigging Blalock (SCOT)]

SS - Spaz Dinkman (PAR) - Not much to choose from here. Meh. [CPU - Spaz Dinkman]

LF - Reuben Brown (OSKA) - Finally, the CPU gets something right. Brown has picked up the offensive slack with Montana and Rockwell off on new teams. [CPU - Brown]

CF - Warren McFadden (LON) - This is a legit MVP candidate. His OPS is nearly 1.100. Jesus. [CPU - McFadden]

RF - Joe Belinda (CHNG) - It's a coin flip between Belinda and London's Delmon Young but I took Belinda. So there. [CPU - Delmon Young (LON)]