These are the Twins to watch for in All-Star balloting
By Julian Basena
MINNEAPOLIS -- A carefully executed offseason followed by an impressive regular season start has positioned a slew of Minnesota Twins with promising opportunities to perform in the All-Star game.
With at least five potential All-Star nod recipients, the AL Central leading Minnesota Twins have a strong collection of first-time All-Star candidates.
Both first baseman Luis Arraez and center fielder Byron Buxton stand as the top favorites, but pitchers Joe Ryan, Sonny Gray and Jhoan Durán have all orchestrated admirable individual campaigns to earn votes from their peers to play in the Midsummer Classic in July.
Per MLB rules, the trio of pitchers can only be voted onto an All-Star roster via a combination of player ballot selections and choices by the commissioner's office.
At just 25, Arraez has burst onto the major-league scene with a stirring reputation as a pure hitter. His ball-to-bat skills have granted him a league leading batting average (.354) and on-base percentage (.436). Throughout his three years in the majors, the Venezuelan native has always been a rising star with quality numbers, only this year he's managed to combine his stats with a relatively clean bill of health.
Though Arraez's brow-raising numbers are fairly difficult to overlook, Buxton's all-around ability and veteran status can help power him to his first ever All-Star nod at 28. Buxton, who recently signed a seven year $100 million extension in the offseason, leads the team with 18 home runs and a .569 slugging percentage.
The team's success, however, can largely be attributed to the starting pitchers and the bullpen. Ryan, the team's ace, and his running mate Gray, who is the only former All-Star of the Twins' potential candidates, have demonstrated an ability to win consistently with a top-10 win/loss percentage. The two starters boast an ERA of 2.81 and 2.10, respectively.
Durán, an efficient reliever who's converted all four of his save opportunities of the season with a 2.51 ERA, has also arranged a formidable season statline that can propel him to an AL roster spot.