Dodger Players Heading to the All Star Game in Washington D.C.

In what has certainly been a bizarre year for the Dodgers, why should the All-Star selections be any less bizarre?  As things currently stand, the reigning NL champion Dodgers are only assured of sending two representatives to the 2018 All-Star Game in Washington D.C.

By comparison, the 2017 Dodgers had 6 players named to the All-Star Team.  Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger, Clayton Kershaw and Kenley Jansen all made the team as reserves.  Justin Turner was selected by the fans as the final NL player in a special internet run-off election.  Alex Wood ultimately replaced Kershaw, who was ineligible to participate due to a regularly scheduled start the Sunday before the All-Star Game.  It was the Dodgers best showing for an All-Star Game in nearly 30 years.

This year, 2018, the representation for the Boys in Blue is smaller but there is still a lot to look forward to. As things stand right now, let’s take a look at your 2018 Dodger NL All-Stars.

A Familiar Name in a Familiar Place

Kenley Jansen was chosen to represent the Dodgers in the mid-summer classic for the third year in a row.  Despite an uncharacteristic poor start, Jansen has pretty much regained his status as a lock-down closer.  After blowing 2 saves in  April, Jansen has successfully converted 21 of his last 22 save opportunities.  He lowered his ERA from over 6.00 to 2.34 and reduced his WHIP from over 1.5 to .945.  Simply put, Jansen seems to be right back on track.

The 30-year old reliever has, in years past, been selected to the All-Star team on the player votes. His sheer dominance is well known throughout the league thus he makes the roster but this year was different. Jansen made the star-studded team this year by way of the Commissioner’s Pick. The 6’7 closer had slow enough start to the year that the players choice was not what got the job done. Rather, it was the man in charge of all of baseball.

A Familiar Name in an Unfamiliar Place

The Dodgers will be sending Matt Kemp to Washington as their sole starter.  This also marks Kemp’s third trip to the All-Starr Game with the Dodgers.  But, unlike Jansen, this marks Kemp’s first trip back to the game since 2012.  Kemp’s slash line currently stands at .317/.355/.550/.905.  He leads the  Dodgers with 57 RBI and is tied for third on the Dodgers with 15 HRs.  He’s forth in the league in batting average and is leading the NL in hitting with runners in scoring position.  Not bad for a guy who was basically acquired as part of an exchange of bad contracts to help reset the luxury tax penalty for 2019.

Joining Kemp in the NL Outfield will be Nationals super-star Bryce Harper and first-time All-Star, 34-year old, Nick Markakis. It is a solid group for Kemp to join and having his manager, Dave Roberts in the dugout, should not hurt his chances of having a nice showing in the big game.

The Usual Suspects?

Missing from the list of Dodger All-Stars is veritable Who’s Who of their “best” players.  Seager went down by the end of April with season-ending Tommy John surgery.  Bellinger, while showing some signs of offense, is not playing at the level he did in his stellar rookie campaign.  Justin Turner has already missed over 40 games this year.  He started the season on the Disabled List with a broken wrist suffered in the final days of Spring Training and has yet to fully regain the form that has made him one of the team leaders.

Of course, the Dodger’s most notable absence from the All-Star Game will be Clayton Kershaw.  Two stints on the Disabled List (left elbow tendinitis and a lower back strain) will cause Kershaw to be left off the All-Star roster.   It will be the first time in 8 years Kershaw won’t make the team.  On a side note, the fact that the greatest pitcher of his generation could actually end up playing his entire career without ever starting an All-Star Game is truly mind-boggling!

Notable Slights

Looking through the Dodgers roster, the two most notable slights have to be Max Muncy and Ross Stripling.  Both have been vital contributors to the team’s success in 2018 and both have been unfairly overlooked.

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Although Kenta Maeda, Hyun-Jin Ryu, and Walker Buehler have all shown flashes of brilliance at times, Stripling has arguably been the Dodgers best pitcher this year.  He has managed to solidify himself as one of the most consistent pitchers in the Dodger’s rotation and leads the team with a 7 – 2 record.  In the National League, his 2.22 ERA trails only Jacob deGrom’s 1.79 ERA.  Stripling has also been a model of control, posting nearly an 8 to 1 strikeout-to-walk ratio to lead the league this season.  It’s hard to think he doesn’t deserve the nod.

Arguably, the biggest slight this year has to be Max Muncy.  Muncy is the Dodger’s latest reclamation project causing NL teams to take note.  He is putting up a current slash line of .270/.407/.610/1.017.  His 20 HRs lead the Dodgers and are just 2 off the pace set by Nolan Arenado and Jesus Aguilar (in a lot fewer At Bats!).  But his power isn’t just the result of being a free swinger who occasionally crushes one when he makes contact.  He has shown amazing discipline at the plate, taking his walks and refusing to chase at pitches out of the strike zone.  In fact, with a few more Plate Appearances, his 1.017 OPS will lead the NL and be 4th best in MLB.