AL All-Star Voting – Pitchers

Selecting the pitchers for an All-Star game is always a tricky proposition. You must strike a balance between starters and closers, all while trying to be sure each team is represented if possible (the teams not represented so far will be in the position player reserves). There were some clear and away favorites and definite roster invitees, and then there were dozens of pitchers sitting on the fence, needing a final push. Check out my selection for the AL starting pitcher after the jump.

Disclaimers: For my purposes, I broke the roster up assuming the AL would carry 20 position players and 13 pitchers, like it was done last year. I also accounted for each team needing at least one player on the roster.

SP David Price, TAM Game Starter

Selecting the starting pitcher for the AL this year was a difficult one. It was essentially a 2-horse race, for the spot, the other being Clay Buchholz. Both pitchers have 10+ wins (only 4 in the league have 10+ runs) and their eras are nearly identical, tied at the top. The edge went to Price because he has 20 more strikeouts than Buchholz, and is the only pitcher with 11 wins in the league. Price is having a great year and deserves the nod.

SP Clay Buchholz, BOS

Given the close competition for the starting spot, this is a no-brainer. At 10-4 with a 2.45 era (2nd in the league to Price), Buchholz has earned his opportunity to pitch in the All-Star Game. It says a lot about the young pitching talent in the AL East that the starter was selected between 2 20-something year olds. Assuming Buchholz is healthy, he can add an All-Star bid to his already growing list of accomplishments.

SP Phil Hughes, NYY

The AL East theme continues and I’ll give you a hint, there are more to come. For the last few years, the Yankee management has been raving about Phil Hughes, but it seemed that he just didn’t have a defined role and wasn’t quite at the superstar level yet. This year is his coming out party as he sits at 10-2 with a 3.58 era after 14 starts and has looked dominate in most of those games.

SP C.C. Sabathia, NYY

Surprise, surprise, surprise. C.C. Sabathia is on my All-Star game roster once again. The hefty lefty has been extremely strong in 2010 with a 10-3 record and an era of 3.33. In his 17 starts, C.C. has gone the distance twice and has collected 93 strikeouts. The main reason the Yankees are in 1st place in the AL East is their pitching staff and that shows with their 3 All-Star selections.

SP Andy Pettitte, NYY

Why stop with just 2 Yankees starters in the All-Star game when we can have 3? Andy Pettitte is a timeless pitcher (similar to Mariano Rivera) who seems to continue to dominate even into his 40s. Pettitte has a 9-2 record this year with a 2.72 era in 15 starts. At some point you have to assume his body will begin to break down, but until that point, the lefty keeps going like the energizer bunny.

SP Cliff Lee, SEA

This off-season Cliff Lee took a big hit by moving from Philadelphia to Seattle, but has continued to pitch well. He record is 7-3, but the numbers that really matter are his 2.45 era and as many walks as complete games (5). Lee has 78 strikeouts in just 12 starts (began the year on the DL) and has an unreal 15+ to 1 K to BB ratio. Lee may find a new home before long as he is a hot topic in the rumor mill leading up to the trade deadline.

SP Jered Weaver, LAA

Jered Weaver has been having a quiet but strong season on the west coast. He leads the league in strikeouts with 124 and has a 2.82 era in 17 starts. The Angels currently find themselves looking up at the Texas Rangers in the AL West, despite Weaver’s strong year. The rest of the team is lacking, but Weaver has pitched himself right into the All-Star game.

SP Felix Hernandez, SEA

The last addition to the All-Star pitching squad for me is Felix Hernandez. King Felix has come on strong recently with 3 straight complete games, channeling his teammate Cliff Lee. Hernandez has a 3.03 era and 116 strikeouts in 17 starts, but thanks to a lack of run support, sits with a 6-5 record. Hernandez has had some control issues this year, hitting 5 batters so far.

RP Mariano Rivera, NYY

Is it just me or does Mariano Rivera get better each year like a fine bottle of scotch? I want to hate the guy because he is a Yankee, but have a ton of respect for his impact on the game of baseball. This is certainly not a gift pick, he earned it with his impressive 0.89 era and 18 saves in 19 opportunities. When Rivera finally retires in 2098, he will walk away from the game as a sure-fire Hall of Famer.

RP Neftali Feliz, TEX

Neftali Feliz has made the most of his opportunity to close for the Texas Rangers. When Frank Francisco was injured and then struggled, Feliz yanked the closer job right out of his hands and ran with it. Feliz has racked-up a league best 21 saves in 23 opportunities and has a respectable 2.62 era to boot. The Rangers are a legit contender and much of the credit falls on their ability to close out games.

RP Joakim Soria, KC

The lone Kansas City entry in the All-Star game is a deserving one. Joakim Soria has been an excellent closer for the Royals since his arrival on the scene in 2007. Now in his 4th year, Soria has already eclipsed the 100 save mark thanks to his 20 this season, which ranks him 2nd behind Neftali Feliz. Soria has 36 strikeouts in 29 appearances and has only walked 7 batters on the year.

RP Jose Valverde, DET

Maybe the biggest surprise this year in the closer role has been Jose Valverde of Detroit. He has an unfathomable era of 0.53 and has converted 18 saves in 19 opportunities. Valverde has only allowed 11 hits in 34 innings and has collected 32 strikeouts. After spending time in the NL with the D-Backs and Astros, it appears Valverde has found a home in Detroit.

RP Jon Rauch, MIN

The season started off with a negative blow to the Twins roster in 2010 with their closer, Joe Nathan, going down with an injury. Now halfway through the season, the Twins find themselves in 1st place in the AL Central and much of the credit goes to their fill-in closer Jon Rauch. Rauch has saved 17 games in 21 opportunities. Rauch has only walked 3 batters and struck out 23 in 31 innings so far with a respectable 2.61 era.