As promised here’s a look at my AL all-star starting lineup after the first month of the season. Here’s the link to my NL lineup if you missed it: National League First Month All-Star Lineup
Pitcher – Ervin Santana – Minnesota Twins
The choice for my AL starter wasn’t quite as difficult as selecting my NL starter. Santana has been dealing so far this year for the Twins. He is 4-0 in his five starts, and those four wins are tied for the MLB lead with five other players. In 35 innings Santana has an impressive, MLB best 0.77 ERA. He doesn’t rack up a ton of strikeouts, sitting at 24 so far this year, but Santana has been pitching on another level early in the season.
Catcher – Brian McCann – Houston Astros
Picking a catcher for the AL was pretty tough. There’s a few guys with higher batting averages, but they don’t produce RBIs like McCann does. McCann’s .279 average is seventh among AL catchers, but he is tied for first in homeruns with five, and RBIs with 11.
First Base – Yonder Alonso – Oakland Athletics
The 30-year old first baseman has excelled both at the plate and defensively so far this season for Oakland. Alonso ranks first among AL first baseman in home runs (4), second in RBIs (14), and third in batting average among players with at least 15 at bats (.288). Alonso also ranks first in OPS among AL first baseman with at least 15 at bats with a .923. Defensively he has only been charged with one error in 149.2 innings.
Second Base – Starlin Castro – New York Yankees
Castro has been excellent for the Yankees in the early part of the 2017 season, posting an eye-popping .346/.386/.924 line in 78 plate appearances. His .346 average is the best among AL second baseman. He ranks third in RBIs (14) and second in home runs (4).
Third Base – Joey Gallo – Texas Rangers
The 23-year old third baseman has been a major headache this season for opposing pitchers. Gallo leads AL third baseman in RBIs (16) and home runs (7). He does strikeout quite a bit, with 27 in 69 at bats, but his production has done more than enough to offset the strikeout problem. Defensively Gallo has been charged with just one error in 197.2 innings.
Shortstop – Francisco Lindor – Cleveland Indians
Lindor has picked up right where he left off from his impressive 2016 season. Lindor has a ridiculous line of .301/.368/.983 when you consider his 83 plate appearances are the second most among AL shortstops. He leads all MLB shortstops in home runs with six, and his 14 RBIs are the most in the AL at the position. Lindor was a huge part of the Indians trip to the World Series last season, and he will look to continue playing at a high level to help them win the pennant again.
Left Field – Khris Davis – Oakland Athletics
This was a really tough call with Michael Brantley playing extremely well for the Indians, but I had to give the edge to Davis due to his power. Davis’ seven home runs are the most in the AL in left, and his 12 RBIs are second only to Brantley. Davis’ .951 OPS is second among AL left fielders, as well. Defensively Davis has yet to be charged with an error and has a perfect fielding percentage in 177.2 innings.
Center Field – Mike Trout – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
Trout was probably the easiest choice I made for the AL. His line speaks for itself, posting a ludicrous .337/.406/1.080 with 89 plate appearances. Trout leads AL center fielders in hits (30), home runs (6), and RBIs (15). His .337 average is also first in the AL at center while his 1.080 is the highest in the entire MLB for the position.
Right Field – Avisaíl García – Chicago White Sox
Another tough call here because there are a ton of talented right fielders in the AL. García’s line is another jaw-dropper, owning a cool .373/.420/1.020. His 17 RBIs are tied for first in the AL and second in the MLB among right fielders to only the National’s Bryce Harper. His .373 average is first in the AL among players at the position with at least 14 at bats and second in the MLB, again to Harper.
Relief Pitcher/Closer – Craig Kimbrel – Boston Red Sox
Kimbrel has earned the save in seven out of eight opportunities for the BoSox so far this year. He has given up just two earned runs so far in 9.1 innings and has a solid 1.93 ERA. He’s been a nightmare for hitters this year with 17 strikeouts, and a 0.64 WHIP. Opposing batters are averaging just .125 when Kimbrel is on the mound.
As with the NL roster, there were a lot of tough calls when putting this list together, but it was a lot of fun making the decisions. I hope you enjoyed my first month all-star starting lineups!