The A's Top-5 All-Star Candidates
The Oakland A's have had a quiet, frustrating season thus far. They have been hit with a series of injuries and own one of the worst records in the entire league. Seasons starting this way leave very little to be excited about as an A's fan, but thankfully this year's All-Star game may see a few A's players in the lineup.
Here are the top 5 candidates A's fans should vote for:
1. Stephen Vogt, C
We believe in Stephen Vogt. Oh yes, we do. He is leading all AL catchers in batting average (.319), home runs (10), RBIs (33), triples (2), games played (45) and walks (24). His OPS is above 1.000 and he is putting the A's offense on his back. He will most definitely make the All-Star team, assuming he stays healthy and performs like he has thus far.
2. Marcus Semien, SS
This is a stretch, but as of now the young shortstop is leading all AL shortstops in OPS with .792 and home runs with six. His average has hovered around .285 all season and he strikes out quite a bit, but the 24-year-old has played in all 49 games this year. His league-leading 17 errors raise eyebrows, but hopefully he can turn his defense around before the All-Star game.
3. Josh Reddick, RF
Reddick has been with the A's since his career-best season in 2012. The last couple of years since then, we have seen his power drop and his offense take a step back. This year, it appears he has turned it around. Ranked second in the AL for right fielders in OPS behind only Nelson Cruz, Reddick is also tied for second in RBIs and tied for third in home runs. He can certainly earn a spot on the roster if he can separate from the rest of the right fielders.
4. Sonny Gray, SP
Gray has been outstanding this season. There's really nothing else to say. He leads the AL in ERA (1.77) is third in WHIP (1.00) and is 5-2 over ten starts. He is the ace of the A's and is competing among the stars of Felix Hernandez and Dallas Keuchel.
5. Evan Scribner, RP
This has been the biggest surprise out of the bullpen this year. Scribner has been the busiest reliever on the team (27 innings) and he holds a healthy 2.33 ERA with 31 strikeouts and only - get this - two walks. Two walks! He has been as impressive as a reliever can get and if he keeps it up, he could end up on his way to Houston mid-July.
-Russell Preston/KHTK Sacramento
