The 2014 MLB All-Star teams have been announced! All recipients of this honor are very much deserving of it for the performance they have given this season and we congratulate them. That’s enough real-life talk for now; the Heavy Hitters Blog is going to analyze each star’s fantasy impact in the first half of the season.
Troy Tulowitzki, Four-Time All-Star
Let’s kick things off with the leading vote receiver. If the season were to end today, there is little doubt that Tulo would be this year’s MVP. Tulo owns an amazing slash line of .350/.442/.605 so far this season with 18 long balls. He only had 25 homers last year in an injury-plagued season so that will undoubtedly be passed this year. The injury bug has not been the usual culprit for Tulo this season, and hopefully it stays that way so we can see some truly monster numbers from the Rockies slugger.
Andrew McCutchen, Four-Time All-Star
Mr. Reliable has played no less than 154 games since 2010. He rewarded fantasy owners with an MVP season last year and would be on his way toward another one if weren’t for the player right above him in this blog. Cutch is slashing a cool .324/.390/.503 with 13 homers and 13 steals so far this season. His home run total was down last year so hopefully a second half surge could see him get closer to his career high 31 bombs in 2012. It’s all really just nit-picking with this fantasy stud.
Paul Goldschmidt, Two-Time All-Star
Goldschmidt was NL MVP runner up last year for a reason. This guy is a stud. He slashed .302/.401/.551 last season with 36 bombs and 15 steals. First base is a position where home runs are expected and Goldy provides plenty of those, buts it’s the stolen bases that set him apart from other sluggers. Eighteen stolen bases is his career high, so fantasy owners are hoping for 20 this season.
Chase Utley, Six-Time All-Star
Utley, 35 years old, has been battling injuries since the 2009 season. He has shaken that off this season and has had a productive run thus far in 2014. Utley is a six-time All-Star and is regarded as a Hall-of-Famer by some, but his production from a fantasy perspective is not what it used to be. Gone are the days of mashing homers and stealing bags, but he does get on base and score runs. No doubt Utley is deserving of his All-Star selection, but from a fantasy perspective there are better options this year.
Aramis Ramirez, Three-Time All-Star
Much like Utley, Ramirez is a bit on the old side to say the least at 36 years old. This is his first All-Star appearance since 2008, which goes to show how productive he has been this season. Ramirez is a solid option for your fantasy squad, slashing .287/.339/.474 with 11 homers and 41 RBIs and one injury. The injury is what you should keep your eye on as he is only getting older. Here’s to hoping for an injury free, power-filled second half.
Yadier Molina, Six-Time All-Star
Molina is making his sixth straight All-Star appearance, which speaks volumes to the high standard of play he continuously produces. Yadi is slashing .292/.347/.414 so far this season with seven home runs and 30 RBIs. His offensive numbers are down from last year and he is hitting more ground balls than normal. If he can get his on-base percentage and slugging percentage back to career norms, he will have a fine second half. If you are an owner of his you understand how hard it is to complain about this guy.
Yasiel Puig, First-Time All-Star
Puig has a great name to generate a great fantasy team name from. My favorite is Fly Like a Puigle, in reference to the Steve Miller song. Other than his name, his production is quite fun to have on a fantasy team. Puig has an aggressive approach and is slashing .307/.393/.516 this season with 12 home runs and 50 RBIs. He also steals bases. Puig does it all and should be a top fantasy player to own for the next decade.
Carlos Gomez, Two-Time All-Star
Gomez burst onto the scene a year ago and finished in the top 10 for National League MVP voting. Gomez put it all together last year, but base stealing has always come easy for him. He stole 37 bags in 2012 and 40 bags last year. He is 28 years old and is his prime years for monster production. Besides his stellar play, Gomez has also become known for his temper, so he may sit out for suspensions every now and then. Other than that, Gomez is a five-tool talent and produces like one in real life and fantasy.