The late-night/early-morning spot for Cubs fans asks which Cubs should make the All-Star Game.
It’s Tuesday evening at BCB After Dark: the hippest hangout for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in out of the heat. We still have a few tables available. The cover charge is waived. Bring your own beverage.
BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.
The Cubs downed the Guardians 5-2 tonight in their first game back after a seven-game road trip. Matthew Boyd continues to impress and he got his eighth win of the year. Daniel Palencia got his ninth save. Seiya Suzuki homered and Michael Busch was 3 for 3 with a walk. Carson Kelly was 2 for 2 with a walk and two doubles. Two more like that one please.
Last night I asked you for your interest in disgruntled Athletics pitcher Luis Severino. While of course it would depend on the price (and that’s hard to judge without knowing the market), 39 percent of you gave that a “Yay!’ and 38 percent gave it a “meh.”
On Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, I don’t normally do a movie piece. But I always have time for jazz, and that time is now.
We still mourning the loss of composer, conductor and jazz pianist Lalo Schifrin last week. I played his most famous work, the theme from “Mission: Impossible” last week just two days before he passed. And I featured a lesser-known piece yesterday. Tonight I’m going with Schifrin’s second-most famous composition, the theme song to “Mannix.”
Welcome back to everyone who skips the music.
There has been a lot of trade talk chatter and I’ve tried to reflect that here over the past few weeks. But tonight, I just need a break from that. So we’re going to talk about the All-Star Game.
Depending on when you read this, you still have a few hours to vote in the second round of All-Star Game balloting. As things read now, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker are in position to be elected as starting outfielders and Carson Kelly will fall short to the Dodgers’ Will Smith for the starting catcher spot.
So let’s assume that PCA and King Tuck get named starters. There are still reserves and pitchers to be named. My question tonight is: which Cub is most-deserving to be named to the All-Star Game in addition to Crow-Armstrong and Tucker?
Now I know you may think that more than one of these players should be named to the All-Star game in Atlanta. (Err, somewhere in the general vicinity of Atlanta.) But there are roster considerations and other teams to be represented, so pick the one who would be your first choice.
The candidates that I’m proposing are as follows. All stats are from before tonight’s game.
Carson Kelly: The National League needs a second catcher even if Kelly isn’t elected a starter. Kelly has cooled off a bit from his hot start, but he’s still hitting .259/.362/.465 with 9 home runs and a OPS+ of 137. Maybe that’s not as good as Will Smith, but is there a different catcher in the NL who is more deserving to be the backup?
Michael Busch: Busch was good last year, but this year he’s having a breakout season that is turning him into one of the best first basemen in the game. His .273/.363/.512 with 14 home runs gives him an OPS+ of 150, second-highest on the Cubs.
Nico Hoerner: This would be a selection based on defense, although his offense has been fine with an above-average OPS+ of 108. Hoerner’s bWAR of 3.3 is third on the team behind Crow-Armstrong and Tucker.
Seiya Suzuki: Leads the team with 22 home runs. (Yes, I know he hit his 23rd tonight.) He leads the league in RBI with 69. His .258/.313/.540 is a 141 OPS+.
Matthew Boyd: Boyd is 7-3 with a 2.65 ERA heading into tonight’s game. (And yes, I know he won tonight.) With the injuries to Justin Steele and Shōta Imanaga, he’s been the ace of the team.
Shōta Imanaga: Maybe a stretch after he missed almost seven weeks with a hamstring strain, but we know some players get selected to the All-Star roster based on what they did the year before. Besides, Ronald Acuńa Jr. looks like he’s getting named a starting outfielder despite playing his first game of the season on May 23. Imanaga is 4-2 with a 2.54 ERA.
So which one of these players would be your third choice for the All-Star Game? Yes, I know that most of you think more than one of them should go. But list your first choice for a third Cub in Atlanta.
Thanks for stopping by tonight. We always enjoy your company. Please get home safely. Let us know if we need to call a ride for you. Recycle and cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomorrow night for more BCB After Dark.