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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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Brandon Moss St. Louis Cardinals
Jun 1, 2016; Milwaukee, WI, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Brandon Moss (37) hits a solo home run in the ninth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports /

Brandon Moss

Worthiness: 7/10, Likelihood: 2/10

Though he’s under-appreciated because of his pedestrian .251 batting average and his status as a platoon player (at least until the past few weeks), Brandon Moss has made a perfectly reasonable case to be an All-Star again through the first half of 2016. As of Tuesday night, he ranks 14th in OPS (.907) among NL players with 150 or more at-bats. As a frame of reference, his OPS is eight points higher than Bryce Harper’s. Moss is also one of 18 NL players with 15 or more home runs this season.

The competition is almost certainly better than it was when he made the All-Star team as a member of the Oakland A’s in 2014, but his numbers to this point are arguably better than they were in the first half of that campaign. Though he’ll have fewer plate appearances prior to the All-Star break than he had in 2014 (364 then, he has 227 right now), his .251/.339/.568 slash line and 16 homers through almost three months put him in good position to match his .268/.349/.530 slash with 21 homers from the first half of 2014.

Ultimately, Moss could get selected as either a first baseman or an outfielder, which helps his odds somewhat. The first base competition is definitely too tough for him to have a chance, but in an outfield where there hasn’t been a whole lot of standout talent throughout the first half, maybe he has a glimmer of hope. Still, it’s more likely than not that guys like Harper, Dexter Fowler, and Gregory Polanco will end up getting an edge because they’re better defensive outfielders and have more at-bats this season.

Next: Matt Holliday

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