ASG candidates: Micro starters

The Micro Conference doesn't seem to have the depth at starting pitcher that the Diamond Conference has, but that doesn't mean there's no all-star quality names to consider for the potential roster.

If no-hitters are a qualification for your all-star ballot, then Vancouver's Johnny Cueto is your man. His no-no in June helped his otherwise to-this-point mediocre stats and fueled an Iron First resurgence after a slow start. He's now 7-5 and lowered his ERA to 3.81 and his WHIP to 1.21. Teammate Matt Latos deserves a look, with a lower ERA (3.05), WHIP (1.18) and better winning percentage, 7-4.

Rookie Tanner Roark is probably the least-heralded name in the Allentown rotation but he leads the squad with a 2.88 ERA (good for 10th in the league) and stands at 7-5. Lefty David Price is the veteran of the rotation, and despite just an 8-7 mark, he's among the league leaders in WHIP (1.01), strikeouts (126), innings (127.1) and complete games (5) to go with 2 shutouts. A couple of other Mules might warrant consideration. Hishahi Iwakuma is 7-3 with a 3.12 ERA and 1.18 WHIP while John Lackey is 8-6 with a 3.81 ERA and 1.20 WHIP. Roark and Lackey also have a conference-leading 12 quality starts.

Collin McHugh is the strongest candidate for Poovey Farms. He is second in the conference with a 1.04 WHIP and stands at 9-4 with a 3.07 ERA.

Hoboken is led by an unlikely candidate. Hiroki Kuroda, in his final season, is tops in the conference with 10 wins, to go with 11 quality starts, 3.12  ERA and 1.17 WHIP. Two other Cutters are on opposite sides of the ballot. Despite a 4.59 ERA, Kyle Lohse has been lucky enough to go 9-4 while Clayton Kershaw is just 6-7 despite leading the league virtually all year in strikeouts (150) and among the most innnings pitched (121.7). He's also third in K/BB (6.5) and though his 3.77 ERA isn't all-star like he sports a 1.17 WHIP and 3 complete games.

Corey Kluber is Sardine City's best hope for an all-star starter. Another candidate with a weak record (6-5), the righty is carrying the rotation, with a league-high 5 complete games, in addition to 2 shutouts. He's also among the conferences elite in strikeouts (123) and WHIP (1.14) and innings (118.2).

Blue Ridge dealt its best pitcher, Jon Lester, earlier in the year. He was 6-3 with a 2.72 ERA in 12 starts. Now the Bombers are left with Matt Garza as their best hope. Though he's 5-6, the veteran righty has a 3.64 ERA and among the conference's best in WHIP (1.12) and quality starts (11).

Arkansas ripped off a huge winning streak toward the midway point of the season, thanks mostly to its offense, but Matt Shoemaker and Alex Cobb have been among the beneficiaries. Shoemaker has improved to 8-4 with a 1.14 WHIP though his 4.05 ERA could be a turn-off. Cobb has the better ERA (3.28) but weaker WHIP (1.26) yet he's 7-5 in 10 quality starts. Rookie Marcus Stroman also is 7-5 with a 1.17 WHIP and 3.82 ERA.

ASG ballot: Diamond starters

At one point after All-Star Game ballots were released, the Diamond Conference featured nine of the top 10 league leaders when it comes to ERA. With only five spots on the ballot, there could be the potential for a few snubs in the Diamond Conference's rotation.

San Francisco's Chris Sale was humming along, leading the league in ERA (1.33), K/9 (11.5), shutouts (4), and second in several other categories, until he left Sunday's outing after 7 innings with an injury. The lefty is expected to land on the DL for the second time this season, this time for almost three weeks. Voters may have to overlook his 11 starts, five fewer starts than most hurlers in contention.

Teammate Henderson Alvarez looked like he could challenge Sale for the starting nod after a torrid start to the season, jumping out to a 9-1 mark. But his ERA has ballooned to 3.16 after returning from the DL and getting bombed in Sunday's start. Yet another SF starter can make a case, as Anibal Sanchez was tied for the league lead in wins with a 10-2 record.

Meanwhile, Marietta's Phil Hughes was the first to 10 victories and followed that up with a 12-strikeout complete game on Sunday. He improved to 11-4, a league high in wins, extended his league lead in K/BB (9.6), and matched three others with a league-best 5 complete games (to go with a league-high 38 doubles allowed). Michael Pineda may not have the wins (6-5) that Hughes does for Marietta, but he's still spinning an all-star caliber first half, with a 2.42 ERA (5th in the league) and 0.91 WHIP (3rd in the league).

There are plenty of new faces to consider for the All-Star ballot too. Hillsborough's Garrett Richards, acquired from Hoboken at least year's deadline, consistently has been atop the league leaders in ERA (2.12), to go with a 7-2 record in 16 starts and a 1.13 WHIP. He pairs with Julio Teheran to form a solid duo for the Hit Men, with both logging a league-high 13 qualify starts. Teheran improved to 9-3, trails Richards in ERA (2.31) but also boasts 3 complete games and 2 shutouts along with a top 10 WHIP (1.03).

Several first-round picks have made an impact and could make the mid-season squad. After a slow start, Hopatcong's Mike Fiers has been on fire, including a near perfect game. He leads the league in WHIP (0.87),  is tied for the lead in complete games (5), and is first in batting average against, runners and hits per nine innings, to go with a top 10 ERA (2.68). El Paso first-rounder rookie Jacob deGrom is only 4-3 but has been consistent through the first half, sporting a top 10 ERA (2.85). A 2014 first-round pick as an ineligible prospect, Masahiro Tanaka of El Paso has paid dividends with an 8-3 record, to go with a 2.69 ERA and 12 quality starts.

Another candidate to earn the starting nod could be Tucson's Jake Arrieta, who has a league-leading 13 quality starts and is top five in strikeouts (124), WHIP (1.00) and ERA (2.35). He's 7-3 and now is joined in the rotation by another potential all-star. Tyson Ross spent most of the first half with Livingston, nearly throwing a no-hitter, before getting dealt. Combined, he's 8-4 with a 1.04 WHIP (5th in the league). The Scorpions can also boast one of the top lefties in Madison Bumgarner, who's quietly tossed 12 quality starts with a 3.16 ERA, although his 1.35 WHIP could be one reason why it's a quiet 9-1 record.

Ross left behind Felix Hernandez to anchor Livingston's rotation. He's trying, with 121 Ks (tied for 2nd in the league), and 2 complete games, but the 5-8 record belies his 3.80 ERA and 1.16 WHIP. He and former teammate Andrew Cashner have both logged 10 quality starts. Cashner was leading Diamond starters -- before being dealt to the Micro Conference's Vancouver Iron First -- with 122.2 innings and 4 complete games heading into the break, despite a 4-9 mark. Chris Archer leads The Lords of Swing with a 9-3 record and a respectable 3.19 ERA but an iffy WHIP of 1.45.

All-Star Candidates: Relievers

CLOSERS

Diamond

Marietta's Pat Neshek (1.31, 19 saves, 0.82 WHIP, 47/6 K/BB) leads the league in saves. Hopatcong's Aroldis Chapman (2-0, 2.32, 11 saves,  64 K) leads the Floating Fish. El Paso's Drew Storen (1.87, 8 saves, 1.07 WHIP) tops an otherwise mediocre Chihuahua pen. Tucson's Ken Giles (3-0, 1.11, 11 saves, 0.79 WHIP, 49 K) has come out of nowhere to close the door for the Scorpions.

Others to consider: Hillsborough's Zack Putnam (9 saves), San Francisco's Kenley Jansen (14 saves)

Micro

First-place Allentown closer Craig Kimbrel (2.48, 14 saves, 1.05 WHIP, 50K) has anchored one of the league's top pens. Sean Doolittle (5-0, 1.88, 15 saves, 0.98 WHIP, 46/6 K/BB) is the rock of the Vancouver bullpen. The Falcons' Zach Britton (2.47, 16 saves) has emerged as the top dog in the Arkansas pen. Hoboken's Mark Melancon (2.39, 15 saves, 43/4 K/BB) is the key to the Cutter's solid bullpen. Poovey Farms Justin De Fratus (2.66, 13 saves, 0.93 WHIP, 41/5 K/BB) anchors the Dairy Cow relief corps.

Others to consider: Sardine City's Nick Hagadone (7 saves, 0.88 WHIP, 48/5 K/BB). Tucson's Greg Holland (14 saves, 4 W, 45 K).

RELIEVERS

Diamond

Tucson's Pedro Strop (3-0, 1.15, 5 saves, 0.93 WHIP, 34 K) has spent most of his season with the Bombers, but has done well in limited duty. Dellin Betances (3-2, 1.96, 0.93 WHIP, 60 K) and Jeurys FAmilia (2.29, 4 saves) also deserve mention for the Scorpions. Empire City makes up for their shaky closer with a triple threat of Seth Maness (2-0, 1.28, 0.99 WHIP, 30/9 K/BB), Santiago Casilla (3-0, 1.33,  0.70 WHIP), and David Robertson (2.12, 5 saves, 1.06 WHIP, 56 K). Tyler Clippard (2.12, 0.98 WHIP) of Hopatcong has been reliable for the Fish. Livingston's Joe Smith (1.81, 0.85 WHIP) has been solid despite some bad luck (0-4). The Lords have had better luck out of mid-season acquisition Wade Davis (4-0, 1.33, 5 saves, 0.98 WHIP, 54 K). San Francisco's duo of Darren O'Day (2.59, 3 saves, 0.77 WHIP) and Francisco Rodriguez (1.85, 0.85 WHIP) have bailed the Experience out of several jams.

Others to consider: Marietta's Luke Gregerson (2.15, 1.01 WHIP, 35/9 K/BB),

Micro

Allentown's Jonathan Papelbon (3-0, 1.03, 4 saves, 0.78 WHIP) is ready to step into the closer role at a moment's notice. Cory Rasmus of Arkansas (2-0, 1.91, 1.09 WHIP, 45 K) and Kevin Jepsen (2.36, 0.99 WHIP, 41 K, league leader in holds) have shortened games for the Falcons. Vancouver's bullpen has been a strong spot for them, supported by Joaquin Benoit (2.36, 4 saves, 0.77 WHIP), and Koji Uehara (3.11, 3 saves, 0.90 WHIP, 43/8 K/BB). Hoboken's Josh Edgin (0.90, 0.97 WHIP, 35/7 K/BB) has been stellar, with Bryan Shaw (1.83, 5 saves, 1.02 WHIP) backing him up. Blaine Boyer (1.95, 3 W) and Anthony Varvaro (2.43) are Sardine City's best. Trevor Rosenthal (1.65, 1.17 WHIP, 54 K) and J.P. Howell (1.91 ERA, 30 K) top the Poovey Farms list.

Others to consider: Allentown's Adam Warren (2.70, 1.00 WHIP, 26/9 K/BB), Philly's Mike Morin (2.72, 49 K, 1.17 WHIP).

All-Star Candidates: Outfielders

Diamond Conference

El Paso's Corey Dickerson, the first overall pick in the 2015 draft, has put up worthy numbers, hitting .271/.314/.466 with 13 homers, 45 runs, and 47 RBIs. His teammate Melky Cabrera has been enjoying a solid year (.297/.345/.432, 16 2Bs, 46 R). Marietta's duo of Angel Pagan (.321/.357/.402, 36 R) and Oswaldo Arcia (.271/.322/.454, 8 HR, 37 RBI) provide a nice combo in the Mighty Men's lineup. Hillsborough's Kole Calhoun is a top offensive contributor for the Hitmen, batting .268/.324/.446 with 6 triples, 9 homers, and 41 RBIs. Livingston's Jason Heyward sparks the Lords with a .300/.377/.425 line with 31 runs. Tucson's Michael Brantley has built upon his breakout 2014 season with a .287/.343/.453 line with 8 homers, 38 runs, and 33 RBIs.

Others worth considering: Empire City's Adam Jones (12 HR, 38 RBI); Hopatcong's speedy pair, Billy Hamilton (15 SBs) and Brett Gardner (10 SBs); Livingston's Matt Holliday (.256/.353/.412, 9 HR, 37 R); Tucson's Nelson Cruz (13 HR, 37 R).

Micro Conference

Vancouver's J.D. Martinez is enjoying a career year, hitting .307/.320/.573 in the heart of the Iron Fist batting order with 19 homers,46 runs, and 54 RBIs. Arkansas' first rounder Steven Pearce is having a breakout year, with 23 homers, 53 RBIs, 45 runs, and a .291/.375/.615 slash line. Teammate Lorenzo Cain is also having a solid year, hitting .294 with 22 doubles and 8 steals. Blue Ridge's Andrew McCutchen has been a cornerstone of the Bombers' franchise for years. He's having another good season, hitting .282/.360/.509 with 17 homers, 47 runs, and 44 RBIs. Allentown's big first half is due, in part, to two of their top outfielder, Mike Trout (.246/.336/.488, 18 HR, 52 R, 46 RBI) and Giancarlo Stanton (.255/.356/.489, 16 HR, 52 R, 37 RBI). Hoboken's power duo of Jose Bautista (.258/.353/.413, 11 HR, 41 R, 39 RBI) and Kevin Kiermaier (.269/.308/.486, 12 HR, 3 3B, 36 R, 38 RBI) keep their lineup threatening every game. Poovey Farms A.J. Pollock (.291/.339/.485, 7 3Bs, 7 HR, 41 R, 35 RBI) and Yasel Puig (.279/.339/.449, 7 HR, 46 R, 34 RBI) have helped place the Dairy Cows atop the Van Slyke Division.

Others worth considering: Blue Ridge's Justin Upton (.443 SLG, 10 HR, 38 RBIs), Philadelphia's Leonys Martin (.263, 3 3Bs, 6 HR, 7 SB), Allentown's Matt Kemp (10 HR, 32 RBI, 31 R), Sardine City's Ryan Braun (.245, 4 3Bs, 29 R), Poovey Farms Marcell Ozuna (9 HR, 41 RBI), Vancouver's Carlos Gomez (.270/.342/.392, 6 HR, 36 R, 12 SB).

All-Star Candidates: Shortstop and DH

SHORTSTOPS

Diamond Conference

Tucson's Troy Tulowitzki has spent a lot of time on the disabled list, but has produced when in the lineup to the tune of .252/.347/.505 with 8 homers. San Francisco's Hanley Ramirez has also spent a significant amount of the season on the DL but hasn't been as productive as Tulo. Han-Ram is hitting only .260/.319/.393. It's been a tough year for Diamond shortstops, as Marietta's Justin Turner has just returned from an injury as well. Turner has put up some numbers when healthy: .304/.357/.376. Livingston's Alcides Escobar has been healthy, hitting a solid .275 with 17 doubles and 6 stolen bases. Hopatcong's Jordy Mercer has put up a .277 average with 3 triples, 25 runs, and 35 RBIs.

Micro Conference

Hoboken's rookie Wilmer Flores has had a strong debut season, hitting .299/.311/.453 with 16 doubles and 5 homers. Vancouver's Danny Santana is having a fine rookie season, hitting .262 with 3 triples and 11 stolen bases. Poovey Farms Alex Ramirez holds down the fort with a .279/.314/.355 line. Sardine City's Starlin Castro is putting up a decent year, batting .261 with 12 doubles. Philly's Jean Segura provides a solid bat for the last place Green Rage, hitting .265 with 6 triples. Blue Ridge's Ben Zobrist is having a mostly pedestrian season, batting .258 with 14 doubles.

DESIGNATED HITTERS

Diamond Conference

San Francisco's Victor Martinez is having a banner year, batting .285/.364/.534 with 19 homers, 46 runs, and 51 RBIs. El Paso's Delmon Young is leading the offense with a .306/.338/.422 line with 16 doubles and 28 RBIs. The Lords traded Josh Hamilton to Tucson recently. Hamilton has been having a resurgent year, batting .325/.361/.523 with 32 RBIs and 17 doubles. Hopatcong's C.J. Cron has quietly posted .268/.304/.540 while smacking 16 homers, 40 RBIs, and 32 runs. Hillsborough's Garret Jones popped 8 homers platooning against righthanders with a .454 SLG.

Micro Conference

Allentown's Jose Abreu is having an MVP debut season with a .316/.353/.599 slash line to go along with 21 homers, 43 runs, and 59 RBIs. Sardine City's Eric Hosmer is having an excellent sesason for the struggling Straphangers, hitting .291/.330/.393 with 5 homers and 30 RBIs. David Peralta of Vancouver provides a solid bat against right handers, batting .273 with 4 triples, 6 homers, and 25 RBIs. Hoboken's David Ortiz has underwhelmed but still managed to hit 14 homers with 39 RBIs. Arkansas' Justin Morneau is still plugging away, producing at a  .266/.316/.416 clip with 5 homers and 33 RBIs.

All-Star Candidates: Second Basemen and Third Basemen

SECOND BASEMEN

Diamond Conference

Tucson's Jose Altuve is the tablesetter for the Scorpions, hitting a sweet .317/.365/.396 atop the lineup with 43 runs and 18 steals. Hopatcong's Rickie Weeks has had a nice comeback season. He leads the Floating Fish with a .280 average and also has a .350 OBP, .420 SLG with 36 runs scored. Howie Kendrick has been a nice contributor for the Mighty Men, hitting .300/.332/.406. Dee Gordon of Hillsborough is known for his blazing speed, leading the league with 28 stolen bases. San Francisco's Neil Walker is having a solid season, slashing .271/.329/.442 with 4 triples, 9 homers and 42 RBIs.

Micro Conference

Arkansas' Scooter Gennett has spent some time on the DL, but has otherwise turned in a solid rookie season, hitting .300/.328/.500 with 20 doubles and 35 runs scored. Another top rookie, Poovey Farms' Joe Panik is hitting .301 with 14 doubles. Other possible candidates include Allentown's Ian Kinsler (.258/.282/.357, 33 R), Philadelphia's Dustin Pedroia (.254/.313/.348), and Blue Ridge's Jason Kipnis (.267/.336/.370).

THIRD BASEMEN

Diamond Conference

San Francisco's Juan Uribe is one of the powerful lineup's leaders with a .313/.341/.401 slash line. Tucson's recently acquired Josh Harrison is having a great year, hitting .328/.347/.577 between Tucson and Blue Ridge, with 12 homers, 24 doubles, 3 triples, 35 runs, and 33 RBIs. Livingston's David Wright is having a nice season for the Lords, hitting .296/.321/.417 in limited time. Empire City's Adrian Beltre has been a solid contributor at the hot corner, hitting .260 with 6 homers and 16 doubles. El Paso's Lonnie Chisenhall is hitting .263 with 31 RBIs. Hillsborough's Todd Frazier provides some power with 11 homers and 35 RBIs.

Micro Conference

Arkansas' Pablo Sandoval has led the Falcons to a 13-game winning streak with his league-leading .363 average and .424 OBP. He's also slugging .498 with 40 RBIs and 37 runs. Poovey Farms' Kyle Seager is challenging Sandoval for top 3B honors with his .316/.372/.500 line. Seager has hit 11 homers and scored 44 runs. Vancouver's Anthony Rendon has had an up and down season, but still has 11 homers, 42 RBIs, and 41 runs scored. Allentown's Pedro Alvarez is providing a solid bat for the Mules (.256/.326/.436). Hoboken's Conor Gillaspie has given the Cutters some production from third base, hitting .268/.330/.406 with 4 triples.

All-Star Candidates: Catchers and First Basemen

We'll be taking a look at some of the candidates for this year's All-Star game. Here's the cream of the crop of the catchers and first baseman.

CATCHERS

Diamond Conference

San Francisco's Jonathan LuCroy seems to be the frontrunner for Team Diamond. LuCroy is slashing .304/.353/.526 with 29 doubles, 3 tiples, 10 homers, 44 runs scored, and 40 RBI. Tucson aquired Yadier Molina recently from the Green Rage, but he's not done much for the Scorpions. Overall, he's batting .283 with a .309 OBP and .386 SLG. Livingston's Salvador Perez is a bit disappointing with his .248 average and .278 OBP, but he does have 9 homers, 15 doubles, 31 RBIs, and .424 SLG. El Paso's Brian McCann provides a little punch to the Chihuahua lineup with his 9 homers and 30 RBIs. Hillsborough's Russell Martin hasn't done much, but his .324 OBP is relatively solid.

Micro Conference

Arkansas' Buster Posey is a key cog in the Falcons rise to the top. Posey is batting .282 with a .326 OBP, .425 SLG, 39 runs scored and 33 RBIs. Vancouver's Devan Mesoraco's power is a key part of the Iron Fist lineup - 10 homers, 32 runs, 19 doubles, .441 SLG. Poovey Farms has been a bit of a surprise atop the Van Slyke Division and Willin Ramos is a part of their success, batting .288 with 24 RBIs.
Blue Ridge's Evan Gattis has spent a lot of time at DH, but his overall numbers are solid (.251/.274/.409, 10 homers, 34 RBI). Sardine City's offense overall has suffered though Alex Avila's .322 OBP and 14 doubles are among his team's leaders.

FIRST BASE

Diamond Conference

Livingston's Paul Goldschmidt anchors the Lords lineup with his .292/.373/.465, 8 homers, 46 runs, and 37 RBIs. Marietta's Adam Lind is having a solid season, hitting .304/.332/.406 with 16 doubles. Lucas Duda provides some pop to the Scorpions lineups with 19 homers and 40 RBIs. Hopatcong's Joey Votto leads his team with a .367 OBP and 22 doubles. Albert Pujols is still hanging on, powering El Paso with his 14 homers, 21 doubles, 50 RBIs, and .485 SLG.

Micro Conference

Hoboken relies on Miguel Cabrera as one of the cornerstones of their lineup. Cabrera is having another solid season, slashing .283/.351/.516 with 11 homers, 46 runs, and 35 RBIs. Arkansas' Anthony Rizzo is having a nice season with a .274/.362/.552 line and 15 homers and 43 RBIs. Freddie Freeman is one of the offensive leaders for Poovey Farms with his .294/.384/.424 batting line with 15 doubles, 37 runs, and 42 RBIs. Matt Adams is a platoon player in Vancouver, hitting .286/.314/.449 with 31 RBIs mostly against right handers. Allentown's Adrian Gonzalez provides some power with 23 doubles and 12 homers, despite his disappointing .244 average.

Cueto throws Vancouver's first no-hitter

The long and storied history of the Vancouver Iron First, an original franchise, includes four league championships but until Saturday night, did not include a no-hitter.

Johnny Cueto struck out 10 Dairy Cows in a 5-0 in over Poovey Farms, throwing the 14th no-hitter in DMBL history and the first since last season, when there were three. He walked one and hit a batter.

Cueto lost his chance at the DMBL's first-ever perfect game when he plunked Joe Panik in the 3rd inning. Panik was promptly erased on a Wilson Ramos double play. Cueto's lone walk came to Freddie Freeman leading off the 8th inning.

Cueto lowered his ERA to 3.85 and WHIP to 1.18 while improving to 6-5 in 15 starts on the season.

The 5-0 win was one of three shutouts Saturday night.

Cueto's masterpiece comes after two close calls this season, first by Hopatcong's Mike Fiers and later by Tyson Ross for Livingston, who has since been dealt to Tucson.