With MLB All-Star voting officially underway, we figured this would be the perfect time to examine the A's potential All-Stars.
Last season, Oakland had a pair of representatives in the Midsummer Classic, with Jed Lowrie and Blake Treinen each making their first career appearance. This year's A's roster features four more potential first-time All-Stars.
Matt Chapman
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Chapman probably has the best chance of any A. Oakland's third baseman is one of the best defenders, if not the best, in all of baseball, and his offensive production has been terrific as well.
Chapman, 26, is slashing .264/.347/.533 with 14 home runs and 32 RBI. His 14 long balls rank second among AL third basemen and his 32 RBI are fourth. Perhaps most importantly, Chapman leads the group with a 3.0 WAR.
Houston's Alex Bregman figures to get the nod as the starting third baseman, as he leads everyone with 17 homers and 38 RBI, with a .270/.393/.571 slash line. Chapman will likely have to battle Kansas City's Hunter Dozier (.315/.397/.592, 11 HR, 33 RBI) and Boston's Rafael Devers (.325/.385/.505, 7 HR, 31 RBI) for a reserve spot.
Frankie Montas
Oakland Athletics
Despite a poor start his last time out, Montas is putting together an excellent season. The 26-year-old right-hander is 6-2 with a 2.81 ERA and 1.20 WHIP. He has notched 66 strikeouts against 18 walks in 64 innings.
Montas' 2.81 ERA ranks sixth in the American League among qualified starters and his six wins are tied for seventh. However, his 1.2 WAR is only tied for 20th and his 1.20 WHIP ranks 19th. His 66 strikeouts are tied for 13th.
Montas will have a lot of competition -- Justin Verlander, Mike Minor, Matthew Boyd, Jake Odorizzi, Charlie Morton, and others are all having great years. But if Montas continues to pitch the way he has, prior to Tuesday, he will have a legitimate shot to make the roster.
Josh Phegley
Phegley has always been a solid defensive catcher, but this season, he has taken his offensive production to a new level. The 31-year-old is slashing .287/.331/.527 with seven homers and 33 RBI.
Phegley is tied with the Yankees' Gary Sanchez for the RBI lead among AL catchers and he is tied for fourth in home runs. He also ranks fourth in OPS and is tied for fifth with a 1.0 WAR.
Sanchez figures to get the starting nod, thanks to his 17 home runs and .993 OPS. After that, Phegley should have as good a chance as anyone to make the squad.
Marcus Semien
Semien is having an all-around great season. The 28-year-old is slashing .267/.359/.422 with seven home runs and 25 RBI. He also leads AL shortstops defensively with a .996 fielding percentage and 1.0 defensive WAR.
Semien's overall WAR of 2.5 ranks second, behind only Minnesota's Jorge Polanco. However, Semien ranks just eighth in homers, RBI, and OPS.
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Polanco, Carlos Correa, Xander Boegarts, Tim Anderson, and Tim Beckham will make for some very difficult competition, but Semien deserves serious consideration.