July 2nd
We’ll preview the All Star selections, so this will be a bit of a longer entry.
#Awards
Lots of awards, as we moved into a new month!
First, the smaller ones. Houston‘s Jeff Bagwell was the National League Player of the Week, hitting .409 with 5 homeruns while Eric Davis of the juggernaut New York Black Yankees was the American League Player of the Week, hitting .481 with 5 homers in the same span.
In the monthly awards, the American League Rookie of the Month for June was San Francisco‘s Turkey Stearnes, who hit .378 with 11 homeruns in the month.
Kansas City‘s A. Rube Foster was both the National League Rookie of the Month and the NL Pitcher of the Month, going 3-1 with a 1.65 ERA, as the young hurler announced himself as, at least so far, a premier WBL starter. The American League Pitcher of the Month was Bump Hadley, Stearnes’ teammate in San Francisco. Hadley was 5-0 in June with a 2.66 ERA.
Ottawa‘s star backstop, Gary Carter, was the National League Batter of the Month, hitting .397 with 14 homeruns in June while in the American League, unsurprisingly, the award went to the stellar Ty Cobb. The Detroit OF hit .408 with 11 homers in June, which actually brought his overall average down in that span (Cobb is leading the WBL in BA at .418).
#Team Performance
Yawn.
The Black Yankees and the Sea Lions continue to be the 2 best teams in the league, leading their divisions by 5 and 11 games respectively.
The Effa Manley Division might offer some excitement in the second half, as Brooklyn still leads Homestead by 4 and the New York Gothams by 5.5. But the only true race is in the Marvin Miller Division, where Kansas City has overtaken Indianapolis, now leading the ABC’s by 2.5 games.
The Houston Colt 45’s are 8-2 over their last 10 games, but still sit 5 games under .500. Detroit and Philadelphia are moving in the other direction, with each team managing only 2 wins in their last 10 contests.
Birmingham still has the worst record in the league, but they have moved over .400, sitting at .410 (34-49).
#Player Performance
Batters
It’s still Ty Cobb’s world, although Babe Ruth is doing Babe Ruth things, and reached the 40 homerun plateau during the last week.
José Canseco (MCG). 254/375/734. 36 HR.
Oscar Charleston (IND). 336/386/642. 103 H, 9 3B.
Ty Cobb (DET). 416/464/885. 116 H, 37 2B, 8 3B, 5.8 WAR.
Josh Gibson (HOM). 392/481/748. 5.1 WAR.
Tony Gwynn (HOU). 389/425/601. 116 H.
Pete Hill (HOU). 291/371/487. 10 3B.
Joe Jackson (CAG). 356/398/588. 103 H, 39 2B.
Stan Musial (KCM). 329/392/573. 37 2B.
Babe Ruth (NYY). 292/426/775. 40 HR, 90 RBI, 82 R, 68 BB, 5.0 WAR.
Larry Walker (OTT). 293/369/721. 36 HR, 85 RBI.
Rickey Henderson (San Francisco) and Tim Raines (Ottawa) continue to be 1-2 in the league in steals, but it’s getting closer, with Henderson’s edge now 60 to 53.
Pitchers
Starters
While his performance has been somewhat below par, the New York Gothams’ Christy Mathewson continues to be definition of workhorse, leading the WBL with 20 starts, 2 ahead of a bevy of hurlers with 18.
7 pitchers have reached double-digits in wins, with Luis Padrón (Indianapolis) leading the way at 11-2. All 7 are included below. Houston’s Toad Ramsey was so dominant for so long, he is still the top starter in the league despite a recent dip in form, but I would probably choose Lefty Grove of San Francisco or the emergent A. Rube Foster.
Frank Castillo (KCM). 10-1, 4.22.
A. Rube Foster (KCM). 5-1, 2.30. .203 BABIP, 0.98 WHIP, 3.70 FIP.
Lefty Grove (SFS). 10-4, 3.71. 126 IP, 132 K, 3.1 WAR.
Ron Guidry (NYY). 8-4, 3.86. 143 K, 3.80 FIP, 3.2 WAR.
Bump Hadley (SFS). 11-4, 4.21, 3.50 FIP, 3.0 WAR.
Orel Hershiser (BRK). 10-4, 3.87.
Luis Padrón (IND). 11-2, 4.21. 3.57 FIP, 3.3 WAR.
Eddie Plank (SFS). 11-3, 3.54.
Toad Ramsey (HOU). 11-4, 2.77. 124 IP, 152 K, 0.89 WHIP, 2.80 FIP, 5.2 WAR.
Ed Walsh (CAG). 6-3, 3.41. 1 Sv, .201 BABIP.
Smokey Joe Williams (BRK). 7-7, 3.41. 3.66 FIP, 3.4 WAR.
Relievers
We’ve listed the top 3 leaders in saves, all 5 of the relievers who have reached double digits in Holds, as well as all 5 with an ERA below 2.00.
18 IP minimum.
Rod Beck (SFS). 3-2, 3.47. 21 Sv.
Rheal Cormier (NYY). 0-2, 6.03. 11 H.
Eric Gagne (BRK). 1-1, 2.92. 19 Sv.
Ken Howell (SFS). 4-1, 1.72. 1 Sv, 4 H.
Michael Jackson (HOM). 1-4, 4.13. 1 Sv, 10 H.
Brad Kilby (PHI). 1-2, 4.39. 2 Sv, 10 H.
Craig Kimbrel (KCM). 2-1, 1.14. 2 Sv, 11 H.
Josh Lindblom (HOM). 4-2, 3.45. 20 Sv.
Rob Murphy (IND). 1-3, 3.75. 1 Sv, 11 H.
Robb Nen (NYG). 3-2, 1.95. 9 Sv, 6 H.
Ron Robinson (SFS). 1-0, 1.64. 3 Sv, 3 H.
BJ Ryan (OTT). 1-2, 4.15. 1 Sv, 10 H.
Harley Young (BBB). 1-0, 1.23. 3 Sv, 5 H.
#Injury Report
Portland lost half of their backstop platoon as AJ Pierzynski will be out for close to a month. News was worse for Ottawa, as SP Bob Moose is out for close to a year.
Houston’s Casey Stengel and Kansas City’s Lou Brock are awaiting diagnosis on their current injuries.
Baltimore’s Bobby Wallace, Detroit’s Billy Hoeft, and the Black Yankees’ Dave Righetti should all begin rehab assignments this week.
#The All Star Candidates
We’ll look at these by position, mixing the two leagues for the time being.
For each position, we’ve included as many players as it takes to have at least 3-4 candidates from each league, highlighting some pretty severe disparities in talent between the AL and the NL.
If players don’t qualify for the batting stats, their playing time is noted, as are some other potentially influencing factors. This indicates a leader at that position among the players listed (but not necessarily overall).
Each league can only select 32 players for the All Star Game itself (usually 20 or 21 position players and 11 or 12 pitchers), so quite a few of the players listed here will be left on the outside looking in.
#C
The NL dominates here, with 3 catchers with an OPS over 1.000. That means some worthy candidates–most notably NYG’s Buster Posey –are likely to miss out.
| Name | Tm / Lg | OPS | Reg Stats | Other |
| Josh Gibson | HOM / NL | 1.229 | 5.1 WAR; 67 RBI | 3.1 FRM |
| Gary Carter | OTT /NL | 1.073 | 28 HR | 47.1 RTO% |
| Mike Piazza | BRK / NL | 1.042 | 29 HR; 65 RBI | 4.87 CERA |
| Ed Bailey | DET / AL | .972 | 57 G/216 PA; 43.6 RTO% | |
| Jim Pagliaroni | BBB / NL | .925 | 61 G/231 PA | |
| Mickey Cochrane | SFS / AL | .917 | 10 SB; 4.39 CERA | |
| Ted Simmons | KCM / NL | .900 | 63 G/256 PA; 4.15 CERA | |
| Buster Posey | NYG / NL | .870 | 3.8 FRM | |
| Joe Mauer | POR / AL | .856 | 14 SB | |
| Curt Blefary | BAL /AL | .826 | ||
| Carlton Fisk | CAG / AL | .800 | 67 G/254 PA; 11 SB |
The other stalwart defensive catchers–Miami‘s Iván Rodríguez and Indianapolis’ Johnny Bench–just haven’t hit enough, although a late surge by Bench has moved him up these lists.
I don’t think there is any question in the NL, where it’s Gibson, Carter, and Piazza. Cochrane and Mauer should be in for the AL, with a question of whether you go with Bailey’s bat in more limited appearances or Blefary. Should the NL decide to carry 4 backstops, the choice between Pagliaroni and Simmons (and, perhaps, Posey) is close.
Gibson and Cochrane should be the starters.
#1B
The AL has a slight edge here, but there’s a lot of talent throughout.
| Name | Tm / Lg | OPS | Reg Stats | Other |
| Lou Gehrig | NYY / AL | 1.057 | 28 HR; 21 2B; 65 RBI | .995 Fldg |
| Will Clark | NYG / NL | 1.006 | ||
| Frank Thomas | CAG / AL | 1.004 | ||
| Hank Greenberg | DET / AL | .991 | 26 HR | .998 Fldg; 3.1 ZR |
| Mike Epstein | HOM / NL | .965 | ||
| Anthony Rizzo | HOD / NL | .964 | ||
| Lance Berkman | CLE / AL | .957 | ||
| Jim Thome | MCG / AL | .927 | 28 HR; 64 RBI | |
| Jeff Bagwell | HOU / NL | .923 | 66 RBI | .995 Fldg |
| Boog Powell | KCM / NL | .920 | .995 Fldg; 9.23 RF; 2.9 ZR |
Gehrig and Clark are almost certainly the starters, and the AL will likely take Thomas and Greenberg as well. In the NL, it gets a little trickier, as Powell (along with Greenberg) is one of the better 1B defensively. Epstein’s offense will carry him, but after that my guess is Rizzo gets the selection (but cannot participate via injury), and is replaced by Powell, with Bagwell having a legitimate complaint.
#2B
The NL is ridiculously stacked in terms of offensive-minded 2B.
| Name | Tm / Lg | OPS | Reg Stats | Other |
| Joe Morgan | IND / NL | 1.088 | 47 G/199 PA | |
| Roberto Alomar | OTT/ NL | 1.008 | 21 2B; 18 HR; 64 RBI; 31 SB; 3.5 WAR | |
| Ryne Sandberg | HOD / NL | .995 | 28 HR; 60 RBI; 2.9 WAR | .997 Fldg; 5.00 RF |
| Jackie Robinson | BRK / NL | .938 | ||
| Rogers Hornsby | POR / AL | .919 | 53 G/234 PA | |
| Charlie Gehringer | DET / AL | .876 | 57 G/225 PA; .989 Fldg; 5.09 RF | |
| Eddie Collins | CAG / AL | .850 | 36 SB | |
| Bobby Grich | LAA / AL | .845 | 15 HR | |
| Craig Biggio | HOU / NL | .841 | ||
| Chase Utley | PHI / NL | .781 | 4.92 RF; 9.3 ZR | |
| Cookie Rojas | MCG / AL | .766 | 27 2B | .987 Fldg |
Joe Morgan is included just for interest–he missed too much time to injury to warrant serious consideration. Detroit’s Charlie Gehringer, on the other hand, probably makes the cut, despite starting the season in the minors.
In the NL, it’s pretty clear: Alomar, Sandberg, and Robinson, with the starter being decided between Sandberg and Alomar over the next week. The AL is trickier, but I think it ends up going according to form: Eddie Collins to start, with Gehringer and Hornsby behind him.
#SS
It’s pretty impressive there are this many shortstops that can hit, and Ernie Banks‘ production is incredible.
| Name | Tm / Lg | OPS | Reg Stats | Other |
| Ernie Banks | HOD/ NL | .978 | 30 HR; 71 RBI | |
| Cal Ripken, Jr. | BAL / AL | .967 | 39 G/140 PA; .993 Fldg; 4.90 RF | |
| Carlos Correa | HOU/ NL | .929 | 18 2B; 2.8 WAR | |
| Arky Vaughan | CLE / AL | .887 | 19 2B; 2.4 WAR | 6.3 ZR |
| Álex Rodríguez | OTT / NL | .885 | 23 HR | |
| Robin Yount | MCG / AL | .845 | 15 HR | 5.8 ZR |
| Jim Fregosi | POR / AL | .793 | ||
| Dick Lundy | SFS / AL | .783 | 7 3B; 2.1 WAR; 33 SB | |
| Derek Jeter | NYY / AL | .762 | ||
| Dobie Moore | MEM / AL | .750 | 22 SB | .983 Fldg |
| Ozzie Smith | KCM / NL | .672 | 19 2B; 25 SB | .994 Fldg; 6.3 ZR |
Ripken, Jr. is really not a serious contender, but he has been impressive in the 40 G’s he’s played. That gives us Banks, Correa, and Rodríguez in the NL and Vaughan, Yount, and either Fregosi or Lundy in the AL.
Smith is included because of his superlative defense, but doesn’t probably make the cut.
This is an interesting position: Vaughan and Rodríguez changed teams in the off season, and Correa’s performance has been a bit of a shock.
#3B
The top 5 are locks, beyond that, it gets much trickier, especially in the NL.
| Name | Tm / Lg | OPS | Reg Stats | Other |
| Albert Pujols | KCM / NL | 1.046 | 32 2B; 60 RBI; 2.8 WAR | |
| Ron Cey | BRK / NL | .967 | 2.4 WAR | .976 Fldg; 3.3 ZR |
| Gary Sheffield | MCG/ AL | .929 | 22 HR; 55 RBI; 15 SB | |
| Evan Longoria | CLE / AL | .926 | 2.2 ZR | |
| Mike Schmidt | NYY / AL | .926 | 23 HR; 55 RBI | 2.59 RF |
| Scott Rolen | PHI / NL | .922 | 2.1 WAR | .974 Fldg; 2.7 ZR |
| Ron Santo | HOD /NL | .906 | 52 G/192 PA | |
| Eddie Mathews | BBB / NL | .904 | 24 HR | .978 Fldg; 2.66 RF |
| Wade Boggs | MEM / AL | .896 | 26 2B |
After Pujols and Cey, it’s hard in the NL. Matthews and Rolen edge ahead of Santo due to defense and Santo’s relative low usage, but picking between the two of them is very challenging, to the point the NL may go with 4 players at the hot corner.
#OF
All of the OF spots are a bit combined in the end, but we’re keeping them separate for the sake of comparison.
#LF
When Detroit’s Ty Cobb plays the OF, he plays here as well, making the AL selections pretty simple.
| Name | Tm / Lg | OPS | Reg Stats | Other |
| Babe Ruth | NYY / AL | 1.201 | 40 HR; 90 RBI; 5.0 WAR | .988 Fldg; 5.1 ZR |
| Ted Williams | MEM / AL | 1.063 | 23 2B; 65 RBI | |
| Frank Robinson | BAL / AL | 1.035 | 24 HR; 64 RBI; 2.3 WAR | 1.000 Fldg |
| Adam Dunn | IND / NL | .906 | 24 HR | .989 Fldg; 3.41 RF |
| Roy White | BRK / NL | .866 | ||
| Oscar Gamble | DET / AL | .852 | ||
| Rickey Henderson | SFS / AL | .840 | 2.8 WAR; 60 SB | 7.2 ZR |
| Tim Raines | OTT / NL | .773 | 7 3B; 53 SB |
So, Ruth, Williams, and Robinson are in, and perhaps Henderson’s 60+ SB warrant a spot. In the NL, it’s more challenging. Dunn seems to be a lock, and White is a bit of a sentimental choice. It may be just those 2 from this group.
#CF
Tris Speaker, as despicable of a human being as he is, is the best in the AL right now, especially considering the defensive contribution. Over in the NL, Willie Mays probably edges Oscar Charleston as the starter.
| Name | Tm / Lg | OPS | Reg Stats | Other |
| Rick Monday | OTT /NL | 1.172 | 41 G/136 PA | |
| Tris Speaker | CLE / AL | 1.088 | 31 2B; 4.0 WAR | 2.68 RF; 5.1 ZR; 6 Kills |
| Turkey Stearnes | SFS / AL | 1.065 | 7 3B; 24 HR | |
| Eric Davis | NYY / AL | 1.058 | 26 SB | 41 G/188 PA; 1.000 Fldg |
| Julio Rodríguez | MCG / AL | 1.052 | 39 G/177 PA | |
| Oscar Charleston | IND / NL | 1.027 | 9 3B; 60 RBI; 24 SB | |
| Willie Mays | NYG / NL | .977 | 31 HR; 62 RBI; 2.9 WAR | .990 Fldg; 2.70 RF; 7.7 ZR |
| Mike Trout | LAA / AL | .965 | 24 2B; 2.8 WAR; 21 SB | 1.000 Fldg |
| Carlos Beltrán | OTT / NL | .916 | 63 RBI; 21 SB | |
| Alejandro Oms | MCG / AL | .883 | 5 3B | 6.3 ZR |
| Curtis Granderson | BBB / NL | .876 | 26 HR | 3.01 RF |
Monday, Davis, and Rodríguez aren’t really in contention, but their performances in limited action have been pretty spectacular.
Speaker, Stearnes, and Trout are pretty much locks in the AL, with Oms being a hard luck case. Beltrán deserves the spot behind Mays and Charleston.
#RF
A deep, deep group, probably 4 deep in each league.
| Name | Tm / Lg | OPS | Reg Stats | Other |
| José Canseco | MCG / AL | 1.109 | 36 HR | |
| Larry Walker | OTT / NL | 1.090 | 36 HR; 85 RBI; 22.4 WAR | 3.89 RF |
| Reggie Jackson | SFS / AL | 1.027 | 63 RBI; 2.8 WAR; 24 SB | |
| Tony Gwynn | HOU / NL | 1.026 | 6 3B; 24 2B; 2.8 WAR | |
| Aaron Judge | PHI / NL | .994 | .992 Fldg | |
| Mickey Mantle | NYY / AL | .993 | 30 HR; 76 RBI | |
| Joe Jackson | CAG /AL | .986 | 39 2B; 27 SB | |
| Stan Musial | KCM / NL | .964 | 37 2B | 5.5 ZR |
| Johnny Callison | NYG / NL | .945 | .993 Fldg | |
| Mookie Betts | MEM / AL | .865 | 24 2B | 1.000 Fldg |
Canseco, Mantle, and the 2 Jacksons seem locks in the AL, with Walker, Gwynn, and Judge in the NL. It’s possible Musial misses the cut, as ridiculous as that sounds.
#DH
The pressure here is immense, given the competition for the other OF spots.
| Name | Tm / Lg | OPS | Reg Stats | Other |
| Ty Cobb | DET / AL | 1.350 | 37 2B; 8 3B; 26 HR; 73 RBI; 5.8 WAR; 31 SB | |
| Kal Daniels | LAA / AL | 1.023 | 21 2B; 2.3 WAR; 30 SB | |
| Manny Ramírez | MEM / AL | .986 | 56 G/224 PA | |
| Ryan Braun | MCG/ AL | .982 | 31 HR | |
| Willie Stargell | HOM / NL | .980 | 27 HR | |
| Gavvy Cravath | BAL / AL | .926 | 22 2B; 69 RBI | |
| Benny Kauff | NYG / NL | .909 |
Cobb is, of course, a lock, and it would be hard to keep Daniels off the roster. Beyond that, though, it gets difficult to justify a pure DH, although Braun, Stargell, and Cravath all have decent arguments.
#P
Pitching is, of course, a constant crapshoot, and a lot could change in the outings this week.
All pitchers are sorted by ERA.
#SP
This list has everyone with an ERA under 4.00 or 10 or more wins.
| Name | Tm / Lg | W-L; ERA | Reg Stats | Other |
| Toad Ramsey | HOU / NL | 11-4, 2.77 | 152 K; 0.89 WHIP; 5.2 WAR; 2.80 FIP | 71% QS; 5 CG; 2 SHO; 2.34 SIERA; 1.7 WPA |
| Doc Gooden | LAA / AL | 7-5, 3.17 | ||
| Hardie Henderson | PHI/ NL | 9-6, 3.18 | ||
| Smokey Joe Williams | BRK / NL | 7-7, 3.41 | 3.4 WAR | |
| Ed Walsh | CAG / AL | 6-3, 3.41 | 1.06 WHIP | |
| Eddie Plank | SFS / AL | 11-3, 3.54 | ||
| Roger Clemens | HOU / NL | 9-4, 3.71 | 65% QS | |
| Lefty Grove | SFS / AL | 10-4, 3.71 | 132 K | 4 CG; 3 SHO; 2.87 SIERA |
| Johnny Cueto | IND / NL | 8-4, 3.75 | 67% QS | |
| Rube Foster | IND / NL | 6-4, 3.80 | ||
| Ron Guidry | NYY / AL | 8-4, 3.86 | 143 K | 2.58 SIERA |
| Orel Hershiser | BRK / NL | 10-4, 3.87 | ||
| Brett Anderson | LAA / AL | 7-2, 3.91 | 1.06 WHIP | |
| Andy Pettitte | NYY / AL | 9-5, 4.05 | ||
| Bump Hadley | SFS / AL | 11-4, 4.21 | 3.50 FIP | |
| Luis Padrón | IND / NL | 11-2, 4.21 | 3.3 WA; 3.57 FIP | |
| Frank Castillo | KCM / NL | 10-1, 4.22 | 3 CG; 2 SHO | |
| José Méndez | MCG / AL | 6-4, 4.45 |
Right now, I would guess the starting matchup is Toad Ramsey for the NL and Eddie Plank for the AL.
Beyond that, in the AL, I see Gooden, Walsh, and Grove as easy picks. Guidry is likely in as well, leaving Anderson and Hadley on the bubble.
The NL is much harder to figure out. Henderson, Hershiser, Padrón, and Castillo feel like they deserve selections, with Williams having a very strong case as well. That would leave some excellent performances–Clemens and Cueto especially–on the outside looking in.
#Swingmen / Long Relivers
These are players who are either swing starters or have seen more innings than the finishers below. As is often the case, there are a few folks here who, for whatever the reason, took a while to be inserted into the rotation.
| Name | Tm / Lg | W-L; ERA | Reg Stats | Other |
| A. Rube Foster | KCM/ NL | 5-1, 2.30 | 0.98 WHIP | 7 GS; 90 IP; 86% QS; 2 SHO; 1.0 WPA |
| Jim Whitney | BBB / NL | 4-2, 3.26 | 1 Sv; 2 H; 1.03 WHIP | 11 GS; 94 IP; 73% QS; 1.9 WPA |
| Tom Brewer | SFS / AL | 0-1, 2.33 | 1 Sv; 2 H | 2 GS; 27 IP |
| Fernando Valenzuela | BRK / NL | 5-0, 2.37 | 1 Sv; 4 H; 0.96 WHIP | 1 GS; 60 IP; 1.0 WPA |
| Rheal Cormier | NYY / AL | 0-2, 6.03 | 11 H |
Foster and Valenzuela seem clear selections, with Brewer and Cormier missing the cut and Whitney being on the bubble.
#Closers & Setups
20 IP Minimum, with a possible exception for Brian Wilson of the New York Gothams.
| Name | Tm / Lg | W-L; ERA | Reg Stats | Other |
| Brian Wilson | NYG/ NL | 1-0, 1.08 | 11 Sv | 17 IP |
| Craig Kimbrel | KCM / NL | 2-1, 1.14 | 2 Sv; 11 H; 0.89 WHIP | 15 SD; 5.6 IRS%; 2.90 SIERA; 2.0 WPA |
| Harley Young | BBB / NL | 1-0, 1.23 | 3 Sv; 5 H | |
| Ron Robinson | SFS / AL | 1-0, 1.64 | 3 Sv; 3 H | |
| Ken Howell | SFS / AL | 4-1, 1.72 | 1 Sv; 4 H | |
| Robb Nen | NYG / NL | 3-2, 1.95 | 9 Sv; 6 H | |
| Eddie Guardado | KCM / NL | 2-1, 2.08 | 1 Sv; 5 H | 2.92 SIERA |
| Tug McGraw | HOU / NL | 3-3, 2.16 | 7 Sv | |
| Ross Reynolds | LAA / AL | 2-0, 2.19 | 1 Sv; 1 H | |
| Goose Gossage | NYY / AL | 2-3, 2.32 | 9 Sv; 8 H | .90 Sv% |
| Lee Smith | HOD / NL | 4-1, 2.73 | 5 Sv; 6 H; 0.73 WHIP | |
| Eric Gagne | BRK / NL | 1-1, 2.92 | 19 Sv | 17 SD |
| Justin Hampson | BAL / AL | 0-0, 3.00 | 7 H; 0.95 WHIP | |
| Terry Adams | CLE / AL | 1-2, 3.18 | 15 Sv; 2 H | .94 Sv% |
| Josh Lindblom | HOM / NL | 4-2, 3.45 | 20 Sv | .95 Sv%; 16 SD; 1.3 WPA |
| Rod Beck | SFS / AL | 3-2, 3.47 | 21 Sv; 0.73 WHIP | 15 SD |
| Rob Murphy | IND / NL | 1-3, 3.75 | 1 Sv; 11 H | |
| Michael Jackson | HOM / NL | 1-4, 4.13 | 1 Sv; 10 H | |
| BJ Ryan | OTT / NL | 1-2, 4.15 | 1 Sv; 10 H | |
| Brad Kilby | PHI / NL | 1-2, 4.39 | 2 Sv; 10 H | 2.73 SIERA |
| Rob Dibble | IND / NL | 2-2, 5.25 | 16 Sv | |
| Jeff Pfeffer | KCM / NL | 1-3, 5.61 | 16 Sv |
A difficult set of choices for sure. Of the true closers, Gagne, Lindblom, and Beck seem locks, with Kimbrel, Young, Howell, Nen, McGraw, Gossage, and Smith deserving nods as well.
That would give the NL 7 selections, likely keeping Wilson from making the team. It would also give the AL only 3, opening the door for Adams and even Reynolds or Hampson.