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Which St. Louis Cardinals Players are Truly All-Star Game Worthy?

By Patrick Karraker

Jul 13, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; National League catcher Yadier Molina (4) of the St. Louis Cardinals talks with outfielder Matt Holliday (7) of the St. Louis Cardinals during workout day the day before the 2015 MLB All Star Game at Great American Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 13, 2015; Cincinnati, OH, USA; National League catcher Yadier Molina (4) of the St. Louis Cardinals talks with outfielder Matt Holliday (7) of the St. Louis Cardinals during workout day the day before the 2015 MLB All Star Game at Great American Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports /
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Matt Carpenter St. Louis Cardinals
Jun 10, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Matt Carpenter (13) rounds the bases after hitting a three run home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the eighth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

Matt Carpenter

Worthiness: 10/10, Likelihood: 9/10

Though Matt Carpenter got off to a cooler-than-usual start this year, at least in terms of making contact, he’s been on fire since taking the birth of his first child in late May and now leads the entire National League in OPS (1.012). After batting .230 and doing most of his damage via the walk in April, Carpenter has been a better player than ever over the last two months.

At this point, the only argument surrounding Carpenter’s All-Star status should surround which position a player needs to be subtracted from in order to accommodate Carpenter. Though he started the season as a third baseman, he’s now moved back to second base and has started his past 17 games at that position. It’s a tighter squeeze at second, where arguably the league’s two best hitters this season, Daniel Murphy and Ben Zobrist, need to make the team, and D.J. LaMahieu is also having an All-Star worthy season.

Meanwhile at third, there are three players who should be shoo-ins: Nolan Arenado, Kris Bryant, and Jake Lamb. There’s no reason that Carpenter should be punished because of his versatility, and it’s almost impossible to see him being left off the team since his OPS is better than those of all the players listed above, but it will be a tough call to decide where he fits in. In the end, LaMahieu or Lamb will probably have to be pushed into the group of players eligible for the annual “final vote” contest, with the hope that their fans will be dedicated enough to send them to San Diego.

Next: Brandon Moss

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