Cleveland Indians: Danny Salazar and Francisco Lindor Named All-Stars

Danny Salazar and Francisco Lindor Named To All-Star Team

A pair of Cleveland Indians will be representing the club at the All-Star game this summer as both RHP Danny Salazar and SS Francisco Lindor were named to the team.

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It’s the first selection for both players and the first time the Indians have had more than one All-Star selection since 2013 when both

and

were All-Stars. Danny Salazar entered Tuesday with the lowest ERA in the American League at 2.36, and the second lowest batting average with hitters batting just .194 off him this season. He ranks first in the AL in strikeout percentage, striking out 28.3% of batters he’s faced this season. He was also is third in the American League with a 3.30 FIP (fielding independent pitching) behind teammate

(2.96) and

(3.20), neither of which made the All-Star team.

The big question now with Salazar: could he be the starting pitcher for the American League? His credentials above are obviously very worthy not to mention here are his ranks among starting pitchers currently on the American League All-Star staff:

"ERA: 1st, 2.36BAA: 2nd, .194 (Estrada)FIP: 1st, 3.30K%: 1st, 28.3%WHIP: 3rd, 1.14 (Sale, Estrada)xFIP: 2nd, 3.70 (Sale)fWAR: 2nd, 2.4 (Sale)rWAR: 1st, 4.1"

The consensus seems to be that Chicago’s Chris Sale will get the ball to start the game, and while he’s not a bad pick, Salazar could easily be viewed as the better pick…

Francisco Lindor was all smiles upon hearing he would be an All-Star this season as he continued his impressive big league start.  After finishing second to Houston’s Carlos Correa in the Rookie of the Year voting last year (where he was robbed by the way), he been just as good in his second season, proving that sophomore jinxes aren’t for everyone. The 22-year-old entered Tuesday ranked eighth in the American League in fWAR at 3.3 and has since moved up to seventh. He’s hit .299/.356/.450 with 10 home runs and 13 stolen bases, second-most among American League shortstops.

Of course, where Lindor really shines is on defense where he ranks first in the American League among shortstops with a +11 DRS (defensive runs saved) and +9.9 UZR (ultimate zone rating).  In fact, only four players at any position have saved more runs than Lindor this year in the American League: right fielder Adam Eaton (+17), third baseman Adrian Beltre (+13), and center fielder Kevin Pillar (+12). While All-Star voting rarely comes down to defense it’s great to see Lindor get recognized in part due to his superior defense. He’ll make a great backup to starter Xander Bogaerts who was voted in by the fans and was the only everyday shortstop who posted a higher first half WAR than Lindor (3.8).

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Notably missing from the All-Star roster were starters Corey Kluber, Trevor Bauer, and Josh Tomlin. Each had a legit claim to be on the team, but the American League only has five starting pitchers on the roster while carrying (for now) nine relievers. There’s still time for one to be added as Wade Davis is already on the disabled list and will need to be replaced and there’s a chance more pitchers will drop out before the game begins. However, for the time being, the first place Indians will have to settle for just two on the team as they try and help the American League win the game and secure home-field advantage for the league in the World Series, which with how the Tribe has played this year, could be extra important…

The game will take place Tuesday, July 12th at Petco Park in San Diego.