Kuzul

San Francisco Giants first baseman Brandon Belt and Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Michael Saunders won the final roster spots for the 2016 Major League Baseball All-Star Game on Friday. 

MLB‘s official Twitter account confirmed the news:   

Belt has been on the verge of stardom for years, finally having his big breakout in 2016. The 28-year-old is on pace for career highs in batting average (.300), on-base percentage (.399) and slugging percentage (.519). 

In May, Owen Watson wrote about Belt for FanGraphs, comparing the Giants’ star to another former National League MVP:

From this early evidence, it appears as if Belt is morphing into a version of Joey Votto: an incredibly patient, contact-driven, powerful, all-fields hitter. The thing is, Mike Podhorzer already made that connection last season, and that was before this season’s ridiculous strikeout and walk rate jumps. Belt’s already hit an infield fly ball this season, so some of the more inhuman abilities aren’t there yet (that’d be asking a lot), but the similarities are apparent.

The Giants have been in control of the National League West this season thanks largely to the strength of their pitching staff, but Belt’s growth as a hitter has offset injuries to Angel Pagan, Matt Duffy, Joe Panik and Hunter Pence. 

Saunders took home the American League final vote for what has easily been the best season of his career. The 29-year-old has nearly matched his career high in homers (19) with 16 through 79 games. He’s also on pace to have high-water marks in batting average (.298), on-base percentage (.372) and slugging percentage (.559). 

When the initial voting results were released with Saunders leading in the AL, he explained his emotions and his gratitude to all Blue Jays fans, via Mike Wilner of SportsNet.ca:

The Blue Jays got off to a slow start this season but have turned things around before the All-Star break thanks to a potent offense that is firing on all cylinders—even with Jose Bautista on the disabled list—particularly Saunders. 

With the AL and NL rosters now set for the 2016 All-Star Game, the players can focus their attention on doing what it takes to secure home-field advantage for their league in the World Series.

Based on their teams’ current positions in the standings, Belt and Saunders will have a lot to play for when the Midsummer Classic takes place at Petco Park in San Diego next Tuesday.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Washington Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer will replace teammate Stephen Strasburg on the 2016 National League All-Star roster, MLB announced on Friday.

Scherzer, 31, is 9-6 with a 3.21 ERA and 0.97 WHIP through his first 18 starts. He’s struck out 155 batters in 120.2 innings and will be making his fourth straight appearance in the Midsummer Classic.

Strasburg, 27, was considered a potential NL starter after going 11-0 with a 2.71 ERA and 1.03 WHIP in 15 starts. The game is also in Strasburg’s hometown of San Diego, so it’s a bit of a surprise that he won’t be making the trip.

But with the Cy Young Award contender due to pitch on Friday night against the New York Mets, Strasburg likely decided there wasn’t enough rest time.

Scherzer’s selection comes within hours of the Mets announcing that starter Bartolo Colon earned All-Star honors in place of Madison Bumgarner.

After struggling for the first two months—especially in regard to home runs allowed—Scherzer has been back in fine form in June and July. He went 4-1 with a 1.96 ERA and 58 strikeouts in 41.1 innings in June. Junior Guerra of the Milwaukee Brewers out-dueled him in a 1-0 battle on Independence Day, but Scherzer still gave up just four hits over six innings.

“I think he’s an All-Star, personally,” Nationals manager Dusty Baker said, per Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post. “Not because he’s on my team, which helps. But this guy, he can easily win 20. So don’t count him out.”

The right-handed flamethrower’s only issues this season have been with the long ball. His 21 homers allowed are tied for the second-most in Major League Baseball with Josh Tomlin, Ian Kennedy and Jered Weaver—none of whom are sniffing the All-Star Game (though Tomlin has been very good).

“I’m not going to sit here and just beat myself up over home runs,” Scherzer said, per Janes. “I’m gonna attack the zone. I know that, and I’m gonna give up some solo blasts. I’m okay with that.”

It speaks to how well Scherzer is pitching between those dingers that he’s been able to overcome them and make the roster.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

New York Mets pitcher Bartolo Colon is headed to his fourth All-Star Game after Terry Collins, his manager in New York and of the National League All-Star team, selected him Friday to replace San Francisco Giants ace Madison Bumgarner for Tuesday’s Midsummer Classic, per James Wagner of the New York Times.

Bumgarner is scheduled to start the Giants’ game Sunday against the Arizona Diamondbacks and will not be able to pitch in San Diego on short rest. 

He will be the fourth Mets player and third pitcher to represent the organization on July 12, joining starter Noah Syndergaard, closer Jeurys Familia and outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, who was voted in as a starter.

The 43-year-old Colon is in his 19th MLB season and will make his first All-Star appearance since 2013 when he was a member of the Oakland Athletics. He was also an All-Star in his Cy Young Award-winning season in 2005 with the Los Angeles Angels and in 1998 as a 25-year-old with the Cleveland Indians.

Colon is 7-4 this season with a 3.28 ERA and 10 quality starts as a veteran presence inside a loaded Mets rotation that is stacked with young talent.  

Even though he’s a bottom-end starter in New York, he’s still capable of spinning some gems. He recently outdueled reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Jake Arrieta of the Chicago Cubs on July 2, going six innings and allowing just two runs while striking out five in a 4-3 Mets win.

The man nicknamed “Big Sexy” has become a cult favorite not only with Mets fans but with baseball enthusiasts across the country due to his laid-back style and ability to make plays despite his 5’11”, 280-plus pound stature. 

But one of his finest moments of the season came in the batter’s box of the same ballpark where the All-Star Game is being held. In a game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park in May, Colon launched his first career home run off James Shields:

With this being the last year on his deal with the Mets, via Spotrac, and given his age, this could well be Colon’s final season in Major League Baseball. If it is, then baseball fans everywhere will get at least one more opportunity to see such a universally loved player on the national stage. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The MLB All-Star rosters have been announced for each league, but there are still unanswered questions heading into the Midsummer Classic.

There will be a few changes to the rosters in the coming days, including injury replacements and fill-ins for pitchers who won’t be able to go on short rest. There is also the final vote that will add one more hitter to each squad.

However, it will be just as interesting to follow the managerial decisions within the lineup about who will play and when. Here is a look at the full rosters along with some questions that will be answered before Tuesday night.

Top Storylines

Who’s the American League Starting Pitcher?

Danny Salazar has had a great season to this point. He leads the American League in ERA by a wide margin at 2.36, only once allowing more than three runs in a game. His .195 opponent batting average trails only Toronto’s Marco Estrada, and Salazar’s play is a major reason the Cleveland Indians are in first place in the AL Central.

Boston’s Steven Wright has been one of the best stories of the baseball season as an out-of-nowhere knuckleball pitcher who has been one of the top starters in the majors.

However, the favorite to start the All-Star Game remains Chris Sale of the Chicago White Sox. The left-hander has a 0.98 WHIP and a solid 2.93 ERA, but the truly eye-popping number is his 14-2 record. Although wins have been devalued in baseball as of late, there is still something to be said for having this many victories in the first half of the year.

Sale pitches deep into games and is as consistent as they come, not just this season, but for the last five years as a starter.

Despite the heavy competition, Sale should be named the starter.

Will Dexter Fowler Be Back in Time?

Considering five different Chicago Cubs position players were voted in as starters, no one would be too upset if one of them couldn’t play in the All-Star Game. However, Dexter Fowler remains a question mark after dealing with a hamstring injury for the past few weeks.

The outfielder was eligible to come off the disabled list Monday but is just beginning his rehab assignment Friday, per Carrie Muskat of MLB.com.

While the Cubs have certainly missed their leadoff hitter, returning for the All-Star Game has been just as important as returning to his team, as manager Joe Maddon discussed.

“He wants to play in the All-Star Game,” Maddon said of Fowler, per ESPN.com’s Jesse Rogers. “Don’t anyone fault him for that. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And I’m all for it. Let’s see how this plays the rest of the weekend, but the overriding concern is that he plays for us the rest of the year.”

It wouldn’t be hard to replace Fowler if he is unable to play. Colorado’s Carlos Gonzalez and Pittburgh’s Starling Marte might be more deserving of the honor anyway after posting strong numbers in the first half. However, this is the veteran outfielder’s first chance to play in this exhibition in eight years in the majors.

Although Chicago fans would rather see him rest for an extra few days and come back healthier, it’s understandable for Fowler to do whatever it takes to be in San Diego.

How Will National League DH Be Used?

The starters are voted on by fans at each position, but New York Mets manager Terry Collins will get the opportunity to add one more starter at designated hitter.

This is an excellent chance to make up for an oversight by the fans at any position. This could include Washington’s Daniel Murphy, Colorado’s Nolan Arenado, Los Angeles’ Corey Seager or anyone else who arguably should have started if not for some ballot-stuffing by Cubs fans.

On the other hand, A.J. Cassavell of MLB.com provides another idea for the DH spot:

In addition to the convenience of shuffling the lineup, Wil Myers would provide the San Diego fans with a hometown player to cheer for right out of the gate.

Myers is also in the midst of the best season of his young career, so he is also deserving of the spot. While other players might have better numbers, there likely won’t be too many complaints if the 25-year-old hitter is added to the starting lineup.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for year-round sports analysis.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

While the outcome of the MLB All-Star Game matters, the Celebrity Softball Game is nothing but fun for the players and fans.

Actors, models, musicians and more will try to show just how athletic they really are, competing alongside Hall of Famers and former All-Stars. Of course, Jennie Finch will probably embarrass all of them anyway.

The score isn’t important, but every competitor will want to go home with a few plays he or she can be proud of, either at the plate or in the field. Regardless of who does well, we should at least see some memorable moments from both teams.

All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game

When: Sunday

Where: Petco Park, San Diego

Time: Following the MLB Futures Game, which begins at 7 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN (Monday following the Home Run Derby, which begins at 8 p.m. ET) 

While the non-athletes always want to show what they can do, the real stars are usually the former baseball players. When you can hit the ball out of a major league park with regularity, it isn’t too much trouble to knock a softball out with the fence brought in.

Tim Raines, Ozzie Smith, Andre Dawson and Fred Lynn are some of the hitters to watch during the softball game, although the most fun might be Vladimir Guerrero. The nine-time All-Star made a career out of hitting every ball that was anywhere near the plate. In a game like this, expect him to swing away on every pitch with the possibility of hitting the ball far.

Still, the most popular player in attendance will likely be Trevor Hoffman. The closer spent 16 years with the San Diego Padres, tallying 552 of his 601 career saves, and he is certain to get quite a few cheers from the hometown fans.

As Becki Schildhouse of NBC San Diego also notes, Sunday will be a busy day for the seven-time All-Star:

Meanwhile, a handful of athletes in other sports will try to show their versatility, including soccer star Landon Donovan and Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints.

For Brees, the key might be to avoid getting overconfident. He struggled in his last celebrity softball game, explaining afterward it was the result of a lack of practice.

“I hit every ball hard, I just hit every ball on top of it,” the quarterback said, per Joel A. Erickson of the Advocate. “Obviously, I probably should’ve gotten in the cage a little bit before I got out here, but I feel like I should just be able to pick the bat up and hit it whenever I want, wherever I want on the field.”

The rest of the field is filled with musicians such as Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy and Tim Foreman of Switchfoot, as well as actors such as Jamie Foxx and Mark-Paul Gosselaar, also known as Zack Morris from Saved by the Bell.

One sleeper whom fans might want to watch out for is J.K. Simmons, whose strength was on display recently:

He and Terry Crews might battle for the biggest muscles in the game, which could translate to some long balls at the plate.

While all the hitters will need to come up with big showings in order to top last year’s 25-21 final, the game should be fun regardless of the outcome.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for year-round sports analysis.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Prior to Tuesday’s 2016 MLB All-Star Game, a red-carpet parade through the streets of San Diego will take place so fans can flock to see the biggest names in baseball in the event they aren’t attending the Midsummer Classic.

Beginning at 4 p.m. ET and 1 p.m. PT, the parade will go from the Manchester Grand Hyatt hotel all the way to the game’s venue and home of the Padres, Petco Park. It can be viewed through live stream on MLB.com and on TV at MLB Network.

The All-Star Game’s official Twitter account provided a snapshot of the complete parade route:

As the above post mentioned, Chevrolet is the sponsor for the 12th annual event, meaning the automobiles are at the foundation of the showcase.

Prolific Padres closer Trevor Hoffman and Hall of Fame outfielder Dave Winfield will be riding through San Diego in Corvettes as the parade’s grand marshals, per the San Diego Union-Tribune‘s Kirk Kenney.

Also included in Kenney‘s report is a summary of what else to expect from the pregame spectacle.

National League manager Terry Collins and American League skipper Ned Yost are next up in the parade after the grand marshals and will appear in Camaros. Collins and Yost are followed by the All-Stars themselves, with Silverado trucks as their mode of transportation.

This year marks the first time San Diego has hosted the MLB All-Star Game since 1992, when it was held at Jack Murphy Stadium, which would eventually become Qualcomm Stadium. The city also hosted the event in 1978.

First baseman Wil Myers will be the Padres’ only All-Star representative, so he should draw plenty of cheers as fans line the blocks to welcome him and the other players.

The All-Star participants face a lengthy journey that winds through the city and is best followed on the posted map. They’ll arrive in a classy stadium that opened in 2004—but a venue that still recognizes the heritage of years past.

A focal point throughout the All-Star festivities and the glamorous red-carpet introduction will be celebrating another San Diego legend in addition to Hoffman and Winfield: the late, great Mr. Padre himself, Tony Gwynn.

San Diego’s official Twitter account posted a photo of the ballpark, featuring a statue in Gwynn’s honor that was unveiled in 2007 just beyond the outfield:

A 15-time All-Star who died in June 2014 at the age of 54 due to salivary gland cancer, Gwynn’s legacy looms over the Padres franchise, where he played his entire MLB career from 1982 to 2001. Adding a unique element to the All-Star attractions is the impending opening of the Tony Gwynn Museum, per 91X.com.

Although the museum is miles off the route of the parade, it’s worth mentioning as a special supplement to San Diego’s hosting of the All-Star Game, paying homage to Gwynn’s perpetual presence in Padres lore.

The Padres may well miss the playoffs for the 10th consecutive season this year, but the All-Star Game will be a nice interlude to celebrate their glory of the past, with Hoffman, Winfield and Gwynn as central symbols of those times.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Matt Carpenter won’t be able to take part in his third All-Star Game on July 12, but the St. Louis Cardinals will send Aledmys Diaz to San Diego in his place.  

Per Jon Morosi of Fox Sports, Diaz was named to the National League squad after Carpenter went on the disabled list with an oblique injury.

Carpenter is on the short list of NL MVP candidates this season. He leads the league with a .420 on-base percentage and .414 weighted on-base average and ranks fifth in wins above replacement (3.5), per FanGraphs, and sixth in slugging (.568).

During Wednesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Pirates, Carpenter appeared to tweak his side on a check swing and had to be taken out for examination.

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said after Wednesday’s game that he has “a high level of concern” regarding Carpenter’s injury, per Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com.  

Diaz has been one of MLB’s biggest surprises this season. The 25-year-old rookie is hitting a robust .319/.382/.534 with 35 extra-base hits in 77 games. He was never regarded as a top prospect in the Cardinals system, not even making the team’s top 30 prospects in 2015, per MLB.com. 

San Francisco Giants shortstop Brandon Crawford would have seemed like a more deserving replacement for Carpenter. He has a longer track record of success, was an All-Star last year and ranks eighth in the NL with 3.3 wins above replacement, per FanGraphs.

Since Carpenter and Diaz play for the same team and there’s a reasonable case to be made that Diaz should have been on the initial roster, he is not an egregious replacement choice.

Carpenter was also St. Louis’ only All-Star selection, and MLB likes to have all 30 teams represented in its summer showcase event, so Diaz became the logical option if the Cardinals needed to send someone to San Diego.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

An injury to Toronto Blue Jays starter Marco Estrada opened the door for Cleveland Indians ace Corey Kluber to join the 2016 American League All-Star team.  

Per Major League Baseball‘s official Twitter account, Kluber was named to the squad as an injury replacement after Estrada went on the disabled list with back problems. 

Kluber, who won the 2014 AL Cy Young Award, has not made an All-Star team prior to this year, even though he’s been one of the league’s best pitchers over the last three years. 

The one stat for Kluber that jumps out this year is his high 3.79 ERA, which would be his worst mark over a full season since a 3.85 mark in 2013. 

However, as ESPN.com’s Keith Law noted in his breakdown of All-Star snubs, everything else Kluber has done made him worthy of inclusion on the team:

Kluber’s ERA is unsightly at 3.79, but he has the best FIP in the AL at 2.96, and the gap is really about Kluber’s having a bizarre, probably flukish time with men on base, especially with men in scoring position: Hitters have slugged .529 off him in 82 such plate appearances. That’s well above his career slugging percentage allowed with men on base (.430), which is why I say it’s likely a fluke and not a good reason to leave off the roster someone who is clearly one of the top 10 pitchers in the league.

In addition to Kluber’s stellar fielding independent ERA, he is tied for first in the AL with 3.1 wins above replacement, per FanGraphs, fourth with 114 innings pitched and fifth with 114 strikeouts. 

It would be one thing if this were a one-year fluke for Kluber, but he’s been one of the AL’s best pitchers over the last three seasons. He doesn’t stand out as much in Cleveland’s rotation as he once did, however, because Danny Salazar made his first All-Star team this year, Carlos Carrasco has been terrific since returning from the disabled list and Trevor Bauer is having a breakout season. 

Kluber gives the first-place Indians three All-Star representatives, along with Salazar and shortstop Francisco Lindor. It’s been a great summer for sports in Cleveland already, and now the city’s baseball team will be well-represented on the Midsummer Classic stage to show the country it is a legitimate contender. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The criticism about the MLB All-Star Game providing the winning league home-field advantage in the World Series has some merit. The advent of interleague play would provide the perfect opportunity to give the league that has the better record the edge of playing the seventh game of the World Series at home, and it would probably be a better way to make the determination.

There would probably be criticism of that solution, just as there is of the current one. But the critics often fail to bring up the fact that it was a nonissue prior to assigning the winning league the advantage of playing a potential four games at home in the World Series.

The American and National League simply alternated home-field advantage every year, and while having the sixth and seventh games at home appears to be a significant advantage, the teams that did not have the advantage won the World Series eight straight years from 1965 through 1972.

Playing for home-field advantage keeps both teams involved. While managers still have to work the majority of players into the All-Star Game, they are compelled to try to win the game for their league.

That may be one of the reasons that the American League has nine relief pitchers on its roster. Kansas City Royals manager Ned Yost has had success turning baseball games over to his talented bullpen, and he will try to employ that same philosophy with relievers like Craig Kimbrel of the Boston Red Sox, Andrew Miller of the New York Yankees, Brad Brach of the Baltimore Orioles and Will Harris of the Houston Astros.

The National League has eight starting pitchers, including Jake Arrieta of the Chicago Cubs, Noah Syndergaard of the New York Mets, Jose Fernandez of the Miami Marlins and Madison Bumgarner of the San Francisco Giants. The best National League pitcher, Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers, has been sidelined by a trip to the disabled list with a bad back.

The American League starting lineup features outfielder Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels, third baseman Manny Machado of the Orioles, second baseman Jose Altuve of the Astros and catcher Salvador Perez of the Kansas City Royals.

Trout is considered by many to be the best all-around player in baseball, and the numbers tend to back him up. He is hitting .323 with 18 home runs and 56 RBI. Machado has played shortstop for the majority of the season, but he is a remarkable fielder at third base and has 19 homers and 53 RBI.

Altuve is making a run at the AL MVP Award with his .350 average and 14 home runs, while Perez has 12 homers and 37 RBI through the first half of the year.

The National League will be heavily dependent on its all-Cubs infield. Anthony Rizzo has belted 20 home runs and driven in 61 runs while compiling a .402 on-base percentage. Kris Bryant may be outdoing Rizzo on the opposite side of the infield at third base. Bryant has already hit 25 homers while driving in 64 runs.

Second baseman Ben Zobrist and shortstop Addison Russell are the other Cubs in the infield, while Buster Posey of the Giants will be behind the plate. Posey has a reputation as one of the game’s best clutch hitters, and he has hammered 11 home runs and knocked in 41 runs while hitting .289.

If the game comes down to the reserves, both teams have plenty of firepower. The American League will depend on Robinson Cano of the Seattle Mariners, Ian Desmond of the Texas Rangers and reigning AL MVP Josh Donaldson of the Toronto Blue Jays.

The National League will look to Nolan Arenado of the Colorado Rockies, power-hitting Paul Goldschmidt of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Wil Myers of the host San Diego Padres.

All-Star Weekend will get underway with the All-Star Futures Game Sunday at 7 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on MLB Network. The Home Run Derby will be held Monday night at 8 p.m. ET and will be televised by ESPN, while the All-Star Game will be played Tuesday night at 7:30 p.m. ET and televised on Fox.

All statistics courtesy of MLB.com.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

There are snubs every year, but for the most part, the best players in baseball will take part in the 2016 MLB All-Star Game.

The fans made their calls on the starters, while player voting and the managers helped fill out the bench and pitching staffs. The final vote between five hitters in each league will fill the last spot on each team.

Between all the different ways of getting a bid, only a few quality options will stay home during the break. Jose Quintana and Gregory Polanco might still complain, but otherwise the Midsummer Classic should be a fun showcase of top talent.

Here is what you need to know about the upcoming exhibition.

2016 MLB All-Star Game

When: Tuesday, July 12

Where: Petco Park, San Diego

Start Time: 8 p.m. ET

TV: Fox (Coverage starts at 7:30 p.m. ET)

The big story regarding the starters is the presence of a whole bunch of Chicago Cubs and Boston Red Sox. Although the Cubs are slumping a bit as of late, they are still getting plenty of respect from an impressive start to the year. As for the Red Sox, it’s hard to complain about any of the four starters since they are in the midst of excellent seasons.

Young stars Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Xander Bogaerts are all looking to step into the spotlight, but David Ortiz deserves plenty of credit of his own. The 40-year-old designated hitter has the best batting average of his career (.337) and is on pace for some of his best power numbers in a decade with 20 home runs and 69 RBI.

There are bigger question marks about some of the Cubs starters, including Addison Russell and Dexter Fowler, but this is what happens when the fans get a chance to vote and are excited about their teams.

Second baseman Ben Zobrist described the fan impact, per Carrie Muskat of MLB.com:

I think what that says is we have an incredible fan base that’s in our corner. As players, we become the benefactors. … We’re glad we’re Chicago Cubs now, and I think that’s why a lot of players want to be here.

The start we’ve had to the season has been a big reason why fans have noticed that. The assembly of players we have in here is an All-Star-caliber assembly. It’s not surprising there’s a lot of guys who had a shot to go.

In any case, it’s clear general manager Theo Epstein knows what he is doing based on his time with the Red Sox and Cubs, per Mike and Mike:

Among the players who weren’t selected as starters, quite a few should make an impact off the bench. This includes Daniel Murphy, who built on an incredible postseason run last year to now lead the National League in batting average (.345). He has fallen a bit from when he flirted with a .400 batting average earlier in the year, but he still holds the lead over Washington Nationals teammate and fellow All-Star Wilson Ramos (.335).

As long as Murphy gets his at-bats, he should get over barely missing out on earning a start. ESPN Stats & Info shared the minute difference in the voting totals:

On the other hand, former manager Terry Collins could just decide to put him in the starting lineup at designated hitter.

One of the biggest things left to decide is the starting pitchers for each league. Clayton Kershaw would have been the obvious choice in the NL, but he is on the disabled list. The choice comes down to Jake Arrieta or Madison Bumgarner; both have been dominant at times but also inconsistent.

In the American League, the race is between Danny Salazar and Chris Sale. While Salazar has the better ERA (2.36), it’s hard to compete with Sale’s 14 wins in 17 starts.

No matter how the lineups shake out, there will be enough talent on both sides to keep fans entertained.

Follow Rob Goldberg on Twitter for year-round sports analysis.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com