Stats of the Day: All Star Balloting Begins

MLB.com has made their online ballot available for the 2008 All Star Game. Today I'm looking at some surprise players who could be making appearances in the game this year and who you should consider when voting.

AL Second Basemen
Ian Kinsler

	R	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	OBP	SLG	AVG
2008	20	2	13	9	20	7	.354	.404	.298

Ian Kinsler is on pace to be the best second basemen in the AL this year and after an impressive showing last year in limited ABs there should be little doubt about what this guy can do in the majors. He probably isn't a .300 hitter due to his strikeouts, but the power and speed are there and he has come charging out of the gate. I think Kinsler is for real and could end up comparable to Brandon Phillips, who was drafted much earlier, at the end of the season.

AL Third Basemen
Joe Crede

	R	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	OBP	SLG	AVG
2008	12	7	22	8	14	0	.320	.527	.258

Joe Crede has come back to earth a bit after a hot start, but looking at his 2006 numbers we can see his upside. With all the talent at third base this year he may not end up an All-Star, but after spotting himself 7 homers in April he may reach 30 and have a season similar to 2006 where he had 30 homers with a .283 average.


AL Outfielders
Josh Hamilton

	R	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	OBP	SLG	AVG
2008	16	6	32	11	15	0	.370	.576	.322

Josh Hamilton has been an offensive force this year with a grand slam last night furthering his major league RBI lead. Hamilton is new to the AL, so pitchers may have yet to figure him out, but he has shown no signs of slowing down. If Hamilton is going to slump it's probably not going to happen until the second half as more teams see him. Enjoy the ride for now.

Carlos Quentin

	R	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	OBP	SLG	AVG
2008	21	7	21	14	15	2	.433	.619	.298

Check out Carlos Quentin's K/BB ratio when asking if he is for real. I think he should be a serious consideration for an All-Star and he should remain a good offensive player if he continues seeing the ball this well.

NL Shortstops
Rafael Furcal

	R	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	OBP	SLG	AVG
2008	28	3	11	18	15	7	.459	.586	.371

If it wasn't for Hanley Ramirez, Rafael Furcal may be the best SS in the league right now. Not bad for a guy who was drafted long after Hanley, Jose Reyes, and Jimmy Rollins were gone. He is no doubt an excellent offensive player and is still only 30 years old.

NL Catchers
Geovany Soto

	R	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	OBP	SLG	AVG
2008	12	5	21	15	25	0	.421	.615	.330

Geovany Soto has been the best offensive catcher in baseball to date, but he is also the most likely on this list so far to fall back to Earth at some point. His time in the majors has been short and he strikes out enough to fall into a slump at some point. His average probably won't end up at .300, but the power is legit.

NL Outfielders
Xavier Nady

	R	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	OBP	SLG	AVG
2008	15	4	26	8	19	1	.378	.523	.327

Xavier Nady is leading the NL in RBIs in the middle of the Pirates offense. He also strikes out enough to probably not end up at .300, but at this point in the season he is deserving of some All-Star votes. He isn't scoring a lot of runs due to batting fifth with nobody to drive him in, but the RBIs are for real as long as the rest of the lineup keeps hitting in front of him.

Nate McLouth

	R	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	OBP	SLG	AVG
2008	24	7	25	15	15	2	.412	.635	.330

Another Pirate having an impressive season so far, Nate McLouth might be the breakout player of the year. His batting eye has been great and he is crushing the ball. There were some fears he may slump after his hitting streak came to an end, but he has kept on hitting and looks to be for real. If this keeps up the Pirates could have a very good outfield for a few years to come.