Does Bryce Harper Deserve to be an All-Star?

Bryce Harper has become one of the most likable players in baseball, but that does not mean he is a star just yet.  Last season he was selected to the All-Star Game as an injury replacement, and this season he will be making another appearance, but this time it is as a starter.

This was a huge surprise, since Harper has missed 31 games due to injury, and when healthy, has struggled to produce at the plate.  In his limited amounts of at-bats (178), he is only hitting .281 with 13 home runs and 29 RBIs.

Bryce Harper is going to be one of the biggest stars in the game, and a fixture in the All-Star Game for years, but right now is not his time.  With Carlos Gomez and Michael Cuddyer both having career years and producing at an incredibly high level, Harper does not deserve to be starting in the All-Star Game.

Should Bryce Harper be starting in the All-Star Game? Leave your thoughts below.  

Is Yasiel Puig Deserving of an All-Star Selection?

Since Yasiel Puig was called up to the Los Angeles Dodgers, roughly three weeks ago, he has become an instant star, putting up insane numbers, while energizing the city of L.A.  His performance has many people calling for him to be selected to the All-Star Game.

He has posted eye-popping numbers in his first 20 games (.442 avg., 7 HRs, 14 RBIs, .476 OBP), and deserves to be on the National League All-Star roster.  While it will be a hard decision for National League manager Bruce Bochy to choose Puig over other deserving veteran players, it is a move he needs to make.

Yasiel Puig is someone that fans want to see in the Midsummer Classic, and he would create buzz and excitement unlike any other player selected to the game. Yasiel Puig is the hottest player in the game right now, and he has demonstrated that he is worthy of an All-Star Game selection.

A Star is Born in Milwaukee

Jean Segura has burst onto the scene with the Milwaukee Brewers after being acquired from the Los Angeles Angels last season.  Jean Segura has hit the cover off the ball throughout the first month of the season, hitting .367 with three home runs and nine RBIs.  He ranks first in average and second in on-base percentage and slugging percentage among MLB shortstops.  Segura has been solid on the base pads, besides when he went backwards, stealing seven bases.

Not only has he been an impressive at the plate but he has been a solid defender as well, with a .991 fielding percentage.  Jean Segura has developing into one of the best young shortstops in the game today and has been a great acquisition by the Brewers front office.

Even if Segura does not keep up this extremely high level of production he still deserves to be the National League starting shortstop in the All-Star Game over Troy Tulowitzki.  Tulowitzki does have more pop in his bat, but Segura beats him out in wOBA (.422 to .418).  Segura is also able to hit for a higher average, steal more bases and remain on the field unlike Tulowitzki.

Segura has been the prize of the Zack Greinke trade last July and has had an impressive start to this season, developing into a solid young player.  Although it is early, he does deserve to be the starting shortstop in the Midsummer Classic this season, as long as he is able to produce at a relatively high level.

What are your thoughts on Jean Segura?  As of now is he the NL starting shortstop?  Please leave your comments below.

Bryce Harper is Not Selected to the All-Star Game

Washington Nationals phenom Bryce Harper will not be participating in the All-Star Game this year.  He had the opportunity to be voted in by the fans for the final roster spot, but the fans voted in David Freese instead.  It is a good thing that Bryce Harper wasn't voted onto the All-Star team because he didn't deserve to be considered an All-Star.  Bryce Harper is a good young player who will be a star in the MLB someday, but this season he is only putting up average stats.  

Through 60 games this season, Harper has an average of .283 with eight home runs, 25 RBI's, and an on-base percentage of .355.  Matt Holliday, who is having a great, All-Star caliber season, didn't even make the team, and he is batting .318 with 14 home runs, 56 RBI's, and an on-base percentage of .397.  Michael Bourn also didn't make the team and he is also having a great season.  He is batting .307 with 7 home runs, 32 RBI's, an on-base percentage of .360, and he has 23 stolen bases, which is second best in the National League.  Even though Holliday and Bourn have played in around 20 more games than Harper they still have had better and more productive seasons.  Both these players are huge reasons for their teams success, and if they didn't make the N.L. All-Star roster, Bryce Harper definitely didn't deserve to make the team.  It would have been very fun and exciting to see Harper in the All-Star Game, but there were other veteran players who deserved to be on the N.L. All-Star team before him.

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