Major League Baseball celebrates the 86th annual All-Star Game on July 14 from Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati and the event has already garnered a lot of attention.
Not all of the attention has been good, as some fans are up in arms over the fact that the MLB revealed the last time it tabulated the fan votes that eight Kansas City Royals players are currently leading their positions in voting and are in line to start the Summer Classic.
While the defending American League champions boast several All-Star-worthy players, not all of them should start.
Here is a position-by-position look at who should start the All-Star Game in the American League.
Starting Pitcher: Sonny Gray, Oakland Athletics
While there are many capable players who deserve to start the game, Gray is having a tremendous year for the lowly A's. Gray is first in the AL with a 1.95 ERA and he has won eight games, good enough to tie him for second in the league on a team that enters Monday with a 31-41 record. Gray is also second in WHIP (0.95) and average allowed (.196) thus far this season. Felix Hernandez, Chris Sale and Dallas Kuechel should all make the trip to Cincinnati, but Gray deserves the start.
Catcher: Stephen Vogt, Athletics
The battery should belong to the A's on the AL side as Vogt has had an awe-inspiring start to the campaign. Vogt is tied for the AL lead with 51 RBI and ranks fourth in the league with a .938 OPS and fifth with a .393 on-base percentage while his 13 homers lead all AL catchers. He has thrown out 12 base runners while allowing 25 to steal on him.
First Base: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
Cabrera is third in the MLB and first in the AL with a .346 batting average while he's third in the majors in on-base percentage (.450) and OPS (1.043) and fifth in slugging percentage (.593) -- leading the AL in all of those categories. Cabrera is also tied for the AL lead with 51 RBI, is knotted for fourth with 84 hits, has sole possession of fourth with 144 total bases and his 45 walks rank third. He has made just one error in 639 chances this season.
Second Base: Jason Kipnis, Cleveland Indians
Kipnis has had an amazing first half for Cleveland as he ranks first in the AL with 92 hits and second with a .345 batting average, 21 doubles (tied) and a .423 on-base percentage. Kipnis leads all second baseman with 33 walks and has two errors on 275 chances.
Shortstop: Jose Iglesias, Tigers
It's a tossup between Iglesias and Xander Bogaerts of the Boston Red Sox, but with Iglesias ranking fifth in the league with a .323 batting average, it's hard to ignore him. Iglesias leads all AL shortstops with a .377 on-base percentage and a .767 OPS, though his nine RBI are pretty underwhelming.
Third Base: Josh Donaldson, Toronto Blue Jays
There's a case to be made for Mike Moustakas of the Royals, but aside from his impressive .325 batting average, Donaldson has him beat in almost every category and has a dazzling .302 batting average to his credit. Donaldson is first in the AL with 56 runs and 154 total bases while his 85 hits rank him third. His 17 homers and 46 RBI dwarf Moustakas' (6 HR, 27 RBI) and he leads all AL third baseman in slugging percentage (.528), OPS (.911) and doubles (18). His defense, however, trails Moustakas as he has 10 errors compared to five for the man at the hot corner for the Royals.
Outfield: Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels; Adam Jones, Baltimore Orioles; Nelson Cruz, Seattle Mariners
There are plenty of worthy outfielders to choose from, including the Royals' Lorenzo Cain, the Cleveland Indians' Michael Brantley, the Tigers' Yoenis Cespedes and the Toronto Blue Jays' Jose Bautista, but these three seem to have the best numbers to warrant starting.
Trout is second in the AL with 151 total bases, a .581 slugging percentage and a .967 OPS while he's third in runs (52) and homers (18, tied) and owns a .384 batting average all while being a difference-maker on defense. Last time votes were counted, Trout was the only non-Royal to be leading as a starter.
Jones is hitting .298/.346/.486 with a .832 OPS, 10 homers, 36 RBI and 35 runs scored while he's made just one error on 154 chances and has five assists.
Cruz is having an incredible year as he ranks second in the AL with 19 homers and third with 147 total bases, a .572 slugging percentage and a .954 OPS. Cruz is hitting .315 with 36 runs and 44 RBI.
Designated Hitter: Kendrys Morales, Kansas City Royals
Here's where the Royals finally come into play, though a case could be made for Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees. Morales is hitting .289/.347/.463 with eight homers and 43 RBI on the campaign.
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