Sizing up potential Met All-Star candidates

In just about a month’s time (July 10 in Kansas City) the mid-summer night classic-better known as the MLB All-Star game-will commence, bringing both great fanfare and controversy along the way.

Despite your feelings about the game itself, it is always an honor to be selected for the annual event. As fans of the game, it is fun to argue and debate on the merits of who belongs to be included on the All-Star roster.

Some argue that the selection process is flawed and out of touch with reality-helped of course by the fact that fans still have the power to select the starters-with the game becoming a floundering spectacle. At the heart of many fans’ rage is the fact that the winner of the All-Star game gets home field advantage for their respective league. However, that is another argument for another day.

As I said it’s fun to speculate on who should be chosen, and with the rule being that at least one player from each team be represented (another rule some people despise), we’ll know the Mets will have at least one delegate. But with a team that is playing over their heads and exceeding expectations, we all know that the Mets should have more than one representative.

So, in this post I will adhere to objectivity and confidently proclaim that the Mets should have three representatives in the All-Star Game. Actually, it’s pretty cut and dry. The three (David Wright, R.A. Dickey and Johan Santana) about to be profiled have gone out and proven without a doubt to be All-Star-worthy. After that, there isn’t any other strong case for anyone else to be included.

So, here then should be your 2012 Mets’ All-Star representatives:

David Wright:

Wright’s selection is a shoe-in.

Batting .359 (second in the NL) with seven home runs and 33 RBI’s, Wright has all but erased doubts that he is still a premier player despite his injury-riddled, non-productive 2011 campaign. As of Wednesday, Wright was leading all third baseman in voting. The prevailing thought here is Wright will get the popularity vote and will go regardless. In any event, even if he was somehow not voted in, he would be a no-brainer selection.

R.A. Dickey:

Dickey has been a revelation this year and has legitimately become a front-end ace. At 8-1 (tied atop the NL in victories), Dickey has done all that was asked of him and much more.

Dickey has morphed into a complete pitcher and is throwing his patented knuckleball with much more vigor and crispness. As such, Dickey is accumulating quite a few strikeouts (70 K’s in 73.2 innings pitched) while also limiting the baserunners (1.06 WHIP, which is no doubt buoyed by him issuing only an astonishing 17 walks). With 10 quality outings in 11 starts to go along with a sterling 2.69 ERA, there is no doubt that Dickey should be included on the All-Star roster.

Heck, if Dickey keeps it up and has stats like this by the break, there is every reason for him to be in the discussion for being the NL’s starting pitcher.

Johan Santana:

Ah yes, he of the first ever Mets’ no-hitter lore. Maybe Santana should be selected for putting an end to a 50-year curse.

All kidding aside, Santana deserves to be included on the NL All-Star roster. Although Santana has only three wins, you can’t fault him for the lack of victories as factors beyond his control (lack of run support, shoddy defense and bullpen meltdowns) have resulted in him having six no-decisions.

Santana’s peripherals have been outstanding and with a 2.38 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and an outstanding 3.2 strikeout to walk ratio, he has every right to be selected. I have a feeling that Santana will get shafted do to the paltry win total, but aside from that Santana has been a godsend for the Mets rotation and he deserves the All-Star nod.

Follow me on Twitter @Stacdemon