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MLB All-Star Game: National League lineup predictions

By Nathaniel Reeves

Oct 3, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper (34) heads out on his two run home run during the eighth inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Washington Nationals won 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 3, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper (34) heads out on his two run home run during the eighth inning against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Washington Nationals won 3-1. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /
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Oct 3, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard (34) pitches during the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 3, 2015; New York City, NY, USA; New York Mets starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard (34) pitches during the first inning against the Washington Nationals at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Anthony Gruppuso-USA TODAY Sports /

Starter: Noah Syndergaard, New York Mets.

The absolute toughest decision of the All-Star game will be for Collins to decided the NL starting pitcher. Kershaw, Arrieta, Scherzer and Syndergaard are all deserving, and there may not be much separation in their numbers by the break.

With a few factors working in his favor, Syndergaard will eventually come out on top in the tight competition. While Syndergaard may not be the best pitcher of the group yet, his numbers so far are incredibly impressive, and he has the added advantage of his manager making the decision. There may also be a sort of Kershaw “fatigue” as he’s been so good for so long, which everyone saw two years ago when Adam Wainwright was picked to start over him.

Syndergaard came up partway through last season to be a key part of the Mets’ run to the World Series, posting a 3.24 ERA (3.25 FIP) with a K:BB ratio of 166:31 over 150 innings according to FanGraphs. During the offseason, Syndergaard added a 96 mile per hour slider to his repertoire that already included a fastball that regularly hits triple digits.

The results have been apparent already, as Syndergaard has allowed two runs over 20 innings with 29 strikeouts and four walks. As crazy as it seems, we could be soon be thinking of Syndergaard as the best pitcher in baseball, or at least the one with the best raw stuff.

Reserves: Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers. Jake Arrieta, Chicago Cubs. Max Scherzer. Washington Nationals. Rasiel Iglesias, Cincinnati Reds. Vincent Velasquez, Philadelphia Phillies. Drew Pomeranz, San Diego Padres.

The ridiculous amount of talent on the NL pitching staff is going to cause a few deserving players to be left out. Stephen Strasburg is one such example, as he looks terrific in the early going,but would probably have to beat out Scherzer to get a role. Of course, injuries and innings restrictions will change things later in the summer.

While the Phillies and Reds are in full rebuild mode, both have assembled intriguing young pitching staffs. Velasquez and Iglesias are the best members of those respective staffs, and should be the lone representative for both teams.

Unfortunately, the host Padres have basically no chance of getting a position player in, and lost their best pitcher Tyson Ross to an early DL stint. Pomeranz is the likely choice for now, as he looks to be capitalizing on his high potential early in 2016.

Next: Relief Pitcher

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