2018 LVB All-Stars: Outfielders
Today it’s all about los jardineros, those who roam the outfield, patrolling centerfield like Bernie Williams, chasing down balls in the right-centerfield alley like Roberto Clemente, or unleashing throws con potencia like Vladimir Guerrero. And the outfielders, of course, are expected to contribute when they step into the batter’s box, whether it is setting the table with their speed as Cesar Cedeño once did or clearing the bases with one swing of the bat – Manny Ramírez’s forte. A new generation of Latino outfielders are elevating their game, demonstrating that los jardineros still can lead the way to victory.
So how did we choose the top Latino at each spot? We started with the player’s cumulative WAR for the past three seasons, mulled the numbers over un cafecito y pastello de guayaba (coffee and guava pastry), gave extra credit for an outstanding 2017 season and style points for creativity during Players Weekend. In some cases, we were forced to split hairs. But we’ll be happy to play our guys against yours. Anytime. Anywhere. Game on.
LF: Marcell Ozuna
Three-year WAR: 8.9
2017: 312/.376/.548
There are stars, like Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa. who arrive with much hype and the talent to match. Then there are the late bloomers, like Marcell Ozuna.
Signed by the Miami Marlins for $49,000 in 2008, Ozuna did not make it to The Show until 2013, when he was 22 years old. He hit 23 home runs with 85 RBIs the following season, only to see his production drop to 10 and 44 in 2015 when the Marlins sent him back to the minors. To Ozuna and his agent Scott Boras, it smelled like a blatant move by the club to reduce the player’s service time and retain his services a season longer.
“I was in the jail over there. It’s like a jail, Ozuna told ESPN.com about his stint in the minors.
Since then, Ozuna has played like a free man, breaking out with a splash in 2017. He had a season worthy of a Dominican slugger, hitting .312 with 30 doubles, 37 home runs and 124 RBIs while earning his second All-Star selection.
Ozuna, 27, also won his first Gold Glove. His all-around play was enough to edge out the Mets’ Yoenis Céspedes and the Pirates’ Starling Marte in left field. Not only that, thanks to an offseason trade, he’s free of the Marlins’ shackles. Ozuna will now play in St. Louis, one of the best baseball stages in the country, surrounded by talent on a team built to win. Sometimes it pays to be a late bloomer.
The rest of the Top 5: Yoenis Céspedes (Mets), Starling Marte (Pirates), Eddie Rosario (Twins) and David Peralta (Diamondbacks).
PART I: INFIELDERS
CF: George Springer
Three-year WAR: 14.0
2017: .283/.367/.522
This one was also hard to pick, coming down to the Astros’ George Springer and the Braves’ Ender Inciarte — two deserving candidates with compelling stories. The Panamanian-Puerto Rican who overcame a severe case of stuttering to become the World Series MVP? Or the two-time Gold Glove winner from Maracaibo, Venezuela, who totaled 201 hits last season?
It’s another classic debate of offense vs. defense. Since 2014, only the Rays’ Kevin Kiermaier and the Red Sox’s Mookie Betts have saved more runs than Inciarte’s 72. But Springer, the Astros’ first-round pick in 2011, breaks the tie with his slugging and clutch hitting in the World Series. With 29 doubles and 34 home runs last season, he notched a 144 OPS+.
Who could forget Game 5 of the World Series? After misplaying a Cody Bellinger line drive for a triple in the top of seventh, allowing the Dodgers to take an 8-7 lead, Springer came right back in the bottom half of the inning, tying the game with a home run on the first pitch. In a back-and-forth thriller, the Astros finally took it, 13-12, in 10 innings, arguably their most important win in the seven-game series.
Springer, 28, is rounding into his peak years with room to improve. It helps to play on a team full of stars who share the load. But make no mistake. Springer has heart. And can hit.
The rest of the Top 5: Ender Inciarte (Braves), Odúbel Herrera (Phillies), Manuel Margot (Padres) and Carlos Gómez (Rays).
RF: J.D. Martinez
Three-year WAR: 10.8
2017: .303/.376/.690
If Yasiel Puig were more consistent or if Carlos González hadn’t slumped last season, we might be talking about another right fielder. But there’s no way to ignore the powerful bat of Cuban-American J.D. Martínez, who was as awesome as the Yankees’ Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge in the second half of the last season.
The late Paulino “Paul” Casanova’s prized pupil, “El Flaco” Martínez hit 29 home runs in 62 games for the Arizona Diamondbacks after Detroit traded him on July 18. He finished the season with 45 dingers and 104 RBIs, leading the majors with a combined .690 slugging.
Martínez, 30, has come a long way since injuries made the Houston Astros give up on him early in his career. After tweaking his swing to incorporate an uppercut, Martínez is now the real deal. He and Mike Trout are the only players who have hit .300 the past four seasons while recording a minimum of 125 home runs, 350 RBIs and a 140 OPS+.
Boston, which suffered through a power outage last season, coveted Martínez so much that they awarded him a 5-year $110 million contract this winter. He now gets to play on one of the biggest stages with a chance to get to the Fall Classic. Somewhere, Casanova is smiling. Martínez is the starting right fielder for Red Sox — and La Vida All-Stars. It doesn’t get better than that.
The rest of the Top 5: Yasiel Puig (Dodgers), Avisaíl García (White Sox), Domingo Santana (Brewers) and Gregory Polanco (Pirates).
Who’s your pick? Who’d we miss? Tell us in the comments!
Featured Image: Rich Schultz / Getty Images Sport
Inset Image 1: Rich Schultz / Getty Images Sport
Inset Image 2: Rich Schultz / Getty Images Sport
Inset Image 3: Billie Weiss / Getty Images Sport