Diamond Conference all-star starting pitcher possibilities

The leading vote-getter among starting pitchers on All-Star ballots will be awarded the distinction of starting the midseason classic. Who will that be? Let's look at the contenders for the Diamond Conference's five starting spots:

"I might start the All-Star Game?!?"

If your ballot goes straight up by most wins, you're man would be Durham's Sonny Gray (11-3). No one can catch him and he has a chance to add another W in Friday's scheduled start versus Hillsborough. So far, he's also struck out 108 in 108 innings.

Ivan Nova (10-4) of Marietta and San Francisco's A.J. Burnett (10-4) both won their final starts before the break on Tuesday but you'd have to overlook their respective 3.38 ERA/1.41 WHIP and 5.08 ERA/1.50 WHIP. For Burnett, you'd also have to take the extra step of writing him in on the ballot.

Your ballot does include two San Francisco starters worthy of consideration: Chris Sale (8-5) and Anibal Sanchez (9-4). Sanchez is headed toward the break leading the Diamond in ERA (2.35), with 111 Ks (3rd) through 111 innings and second only to Gray (.572) in OPS (.605). Sale has the better WHIP (1.05) than Sanchez (1.19), if not the better ERA (3.56) while throwing more innings (113.7) and fewer strikeouts (102). Sanchez is tied for the conference lead with 13 quality starts.

If a classic power pitcher is what you're looking for, Hillsborough's Max Scherzer (9-5, 3.15) leads the conference in strikeouts with 119. He's also among the conference leaders in innings pitched (114.3), and second only to Bartolo Colon in WHIP (1.08). He's scheduled to face Durham on Friday night.

Sorry Bartolo, it's just too darn easy

In Livingston, the safe bet is to cast a ballot for the always reliably stellar Felix Hernandez (8-4, 3.82), however, he just hit the DL for almost a month. But he might not even have the best numbers on his team as the Lords of Swing boast three 8-game winners.

The ageless Bartolo Colon (8-2, 3.12), who's made 13 starts, ranks first in the conference in WHIP (0.99) and third in OPS (.608). He also has the best runs created ERA (2.30) if that's what you're into and a league-best 1.0 BB/9. There's also Chris Archer (8-3, 3.53) and Tyson Ross (7-3, 3.82) who join King Felix with more than 100 innings. Hernandez also already has reached the century mark in Ks. Where Colon really separates from this group is WHIP, where the trio's numbers don't appear all-star like: Hernandez (1.35), Archer (1.38) and Ross (1.43). Ross tops them all with 11 quality starts, good for fourth in the conference but Archer and Colon are scheduled to start Friday and Saturday, respectively, in their last chance to impress voters.

Gray isn't the only Bull enjoying a good first half in Durham. Kris Medlen (8-4, 3.55) leads the conference in innings pitched at 119 and with Sanchez in quality starts. Another 8-game winner for the Bulls is Stephen Strasburg (8-3, 3.79) though his 1.32 WHIP is a few notches higher than Medlen's 1.24.

Two-time first-round pick C.C. Sabathia of Empire City improved to 9-5 with a win Wednesday night in his 17th start, though his ERA (3.94) and WHIP (1.48) might scare off some voters. Teammate Chris Tillman is a respectable 7-5 but sports slightly better stats (3.76 ERA/1.31 WHIP). Hopatcong's James Shields has always been a workhorse and his 117.3 innings in the first half show it. It's his 9-7 record, 3.99 ERA and 1.27 WHIP that could keep him off ballots.

When healthy, Marietta's Clay Buchholz (8-2, 2.76) looks like he's been strong in only 10 starts, with 64 Ks in 68 innings but has a 1.35 WHIP. He'll have a chance to add to those numbers Saturday versus San Francisco. Teammate Adam Wainwright, a former McDonald Award winner, has powered the Mighty Men's rotation with 116 innings but is only 6-5 to show for it with a 4.32 ERA and 1.30 WHIP.

Tomorrow: A look at the possibilities for Micro Conference starting pitchers.

A look at the Micro all-star ballot

Yesterday we looked at bats who could make the Diamond Conference all-star team, so today we take a gander at the positions players who might warrant your ballot for the Micro Conference.

'The beard? Is fake'

C: Saskatoon's Yadier Molina has been a stalwart behind the plate for years and is enjoying a solid year, leading conference catchers with 91 hits and 26 doubles while hitting 4 HRs and 34 RBI; he's also gunned down 11 would-be base stealers and is tops with 23 assists. Brick City's Wilson Ramos leads the conference's catchers with 17 HRs but if you're looking for defense, you won't find it there: he's yielded a league-high 32 stolen bases. If it's defense you're looking for, Buster Posey of Arkansas leads the Diamonds with 13 caught stealing but there is a drop-off in his offense so far this year with his .230 BA and .624 OPS.

1B: If you're looking for the traditional power first baseman, your man in the Micro Conference might be Adrian Gonzalez of Allentown (.285/.349/.470). He leads the bunch with 13 HR, to go with 54 RBI. Sardine City's Eric Hosmer (.313/.350/.421) leads in hits (99) and matches Gonzo's 54 RBI. Hoboken's Ryan Howard (.297/.351/.459) -- who once blasted 65 HRs in a season -- has hit 24 doubles but just 4 HR and 28 RBI. Michael Cuddyer of Vancouver (.296/.351/.463) also has eligibility in OF and was putting together a fine season before hitting the DL last week with 13 HR, 51 RBI.

2B: An all-star last year, Hoboken's Jed Lowrie (.292/.355/.407) leads Micro keystoners with 98 hits and 48 runs. The man he replaced, Ian Kinsler (.270/.321/.390) who's now in Allentown, has the longest hitting streak in the league this season (22 games), helping to collect 86 hits and 42 runs. If you're looking for some speed, you might consider Saskatoon's Jose Altuve (.303/.318/.352), who has 10 stolen bases and is right behind Lowrie with 94 hits, though not much pop.

'I eat peetchers like you for brea'fast'

SS: Not a banner year at SS for the Micro's. Stephen Drew of Hoboken (.255/.364/.455) has only 65 hits but 5 have been triples and 9 HR, leading the conference shortstops with 53 runs. His competition might come from Jhonny Peralta of Arkansas (.283/.329/.388), who is tops with 91 hits, to go with 19 doubles.

3B: Hoboken's Miguel Cabrera (.312/.390/.663) plans to move to 1B next year but this season he's still at 3B and putting together a mammoth year with a league-high 29 home runs and second only to Hanley Ramirez with 77 RBI. Sardine City's Evan Longoria (.291/.379/.555) is no slouch either with 16 HRs, 43 RBI and a conference-leading 29 doubles. There's also Josh Donaldson of Brick City (.271/.363/.440) who has 47 RBI.

And how many have won the Mitch?

OF: The reigning Mitchell Award winner is now in Allentown and Mike Trout (.305/.396/.595) has a solid sophomore season so far, with 57 runs scored, 19 doubles, 5 triples, 17 home runs and 39 RBI. Sardine City 1st rounder Christian Yelich (.337/.413/466) seems to be batting in the neighborhood of .333 virtually all year and heads into the break as a serious batting title contender. He does lack some pop with 4 HRs. Wil Venable might be considered a journeyman but he's leading the Arkansas offense with 12 HR and 54 RBI, and also has a conference-leading 13 SBs.

In Vancouver, they may lack some in the power department but Michael Brantley (.332) and Carl Crawford (.328) have been chasing a batting title with Yelich. Saskatoon's Allen Craig has reached 100 hits already and bopped 21 doubles, though only 28 RBI. If it's free-swinging power you want, you might want to look again in Allentown where veteran Marlon Byrd is slugging .541, with 13 homers and 21 doubles, or in Hoboken where 18 of of Justin Maxwell's 59 hits have been home runs for a .561 slugging percentage. Teammate Ryan Raburn also has 20 homers, but also has already surpassed 100 strikeouts. Blue Ridge's Nelson Cruz (.258/.300/.484) has driven in 51 runs on 19 home runs.

DH: The primary word in DH is hitter and a few batters in the Micro have raked in the first half. Hoboken's David Ortiz (.315/.385/.653) is nearly matching his teammate, Miguel Cabrera, trailing him for the conference lead in RBI (74) and home runs (27). He leads the conference in runs scored (65) and tied with Craig for the high in hits (100). Edwin Encarnacion (.273/.349/.549) powers the Blue Ridge Bombers offense behind his 21 HRs, 63 RBI and 22 doubles. He also has a keen eye with 35 BBs to just 37 Ks. If you're looking for Yan Gomes (.337/.393/.558) on your ballot he's been the primary DH for Saskatoon but has spelled Molina behind the plate in 14 games so far this year. The rookie leads the conference in batting average, along with 90 hits 11 homers and 4 triples.

Tomorrow: A look at the Diamond Conference's best bets for for all-star starting pitchers.

A look at the Diamond all-star ballot

The 2014 all-star ballot is out and the all-star break comes your way after Sunday's doubleheaders. The all-star game will be played Tuesday night in ... Let's look at the potential candidates for the Diamond Conference position players:

DIAMOND Conference
C: Joe Mauer is among three San Francisco Experience at the top of the batting charts and leads the league's catchers in most every category, including hits (100), doubles (27), RBI (38) and runs scored (64). Among his competition is Livingston's Wilin Rosario, whose primary attribute is power with 13 home runs.

1B: Rookie Matt Adams of Durham enjoyed a 17-game hitting streak, the league's second-longest this season to lead Diamond 1B with 93 hits. If it's a slugger you're looking for, Livingston's Paul Goldschmidt has 27 homers, tied for second in the league, to go with 73 RBIs and 91 hits. There's also Empire City's Chris Davis who has pop, with 22 HRs. Marietta's Mike Napoli could garner consideration with his 24 doubles and 48 RBI.

2B: Livingston's recent acquisition of Robinson Cano gives the Lords of Swing the among the top home run hitters of Diamond second basemen. Jed Gyorko has been manning the keystone regularly, bopping 20 dingers -- more than the 16 Cano hit before coming over from Hopatcong. For more traditional 2B candidates, look at Hillsborough's Jason Kipnis (.286/.374/.417) and Durham's Dustin Pedroia (91 hits, 17 doubles). There's also Howie Kendrick of Marietta and his .293/.324/.498 line thanks to 12 homers.

SS: Hanley Ramirez has been putting up Mitchell Award-level numbers in the first half batting in the middle of a murder's row of a lineup in San Francisco. He's led the batting race off and on (.349) and has the league lead in doubles (36), extra base hits (56) and RBIs (91), and with a few games to go until Sunday's All-Star break, he's got an outside shot at 100 RBIs by the break. Livingston's Ian Desmond could be a shoo-in any other year with his 16 HRs, 15 doubles and 44 RBI.

3B: Durham's David Wright has always been a fan favorite and a model of consistency, putting up a respectable first half, with 14 home runs, 51 RBI and 52 runs scored while batting near .300. But it could be back to San Francisco, where Matt Carpenter has been challenging for the batting title all season (.349). Despite just 3 HR, Carpenter has 29 doubles and 67 runs scored thanks to an OBP of .420. Adrian Beltre of Empire City provides defense but also has a leading 91 hits while Livingston's Eric Chavez is batting .300 and slugging .483 with his 87 hits.

OF: Like first base, outfield is always a crowded race with all the big bats and this year is no different. You could make a case for taking multiple players from league leaders Livingston or San Francisco. Carlos Beltran has been hitting whether it was in Bridgewater or Livingston, bashing a combined 17 HRs and 52 RBI. Livingston boasts a second Carlos (Gonzalez) who's got 21 HRs and 46 RBI to go with a .282/.358/.577 line. San Francisco meanwhile has Colby Rasmus patrolling center while also batting an impressive .329/.386/.675, with 22 HRs and 71 RBI. Jayson Werth is among four Experience players with more than 100 hits (103) and also has 17 HRs, 58 runs and 60 RBI. Livingston's Shin Soo-Choo is no slouch with 88 hits, 50 runs and 50 RBIs, batting .317/.407/.493.

You don't want to vote for me?

There are others who could garner consideration, such as Marietta's Brandon Moss with 17 HRs and 54 RBI (.285/.384/.625). Daniel Nava of Hillsborough is right behind him in the RBI department with 53 and there's Empire City's Hunter Pence, with 15 HRs and 41 RBI, with a solid .286/.345/.497.

If it's more speed than power you're looking for, there's Durham's Jacoby Ellsbury and his league-high 17 SBs, which complement his .305 BA, 90 hits and 21 doubles. Or look for Hopatcong's Carlos Gomez who might get lost in the numbers after coming over from Livingston. He's got a league-high 10 triples to go with 12 SBs.

DH: Marietta's Adam Lind has fashioned an envious .311/.400/.545 line in the first half, slapping 13 home runs and 42 RBI. Durham's Pedro Alvarez provides pop too with 18 home runs but it's all or nothing with him, evidenced by his .232/.301/.485 line. The ageless Raul Ibanez also has hit 17 homers for Hopatcong but like Alvarez, is batting closer to .200 than .300.

Tomorrow we'll take a look at the Micro Conference ballot for position players.