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2022 All-Star Break arrives a few weeks after the halfway point of the season and while the greatest players head to LA, Rockem Sockem checks out where they are and which player best represents each team so far.
It is also good to remember that the person leading at the ASB has gone on to win RS every year since 2016 (Just jinxed myself). Back in 2016 we were all so much happier…maybe….anyway, Winston blew that lead and Birdie ending up winning after being in 5th place, 13.5 points back, so there is still hope for all…kinda…Your commish hasn't been in first place at the ASB since 2012. I lost that one to BK by a whopping 21.5 points so yeah…Rockem is never over until it is over, and we got just under a half a season to go.
Like past years, I will pick the player who most represents your team at the break. At least it gives us something occupy a slice of time during these days without baseball that counts….Let's do it in standings order…
1st Place: Yu Out of 3 Ain't Vlad - SPD - Dansby Swanson Ranked 12th Overall.
The former first overall pick hasn't lived up to the hype in his career, but has had all the talent in the world and has finally put it together in the first half. Like the highly touted commish who always hovers but never wins. Could this finally be the year again after 20 long ones? Possibly.
2nd Place: Ekectric Uncle Sams - Jay Vig - Aaron Judge 1st Overall
Judge has been the MVP of Rockem so far (because Ohtani is 2 people somehow) and Vig was in first place for a while during the first half. As it stands at the ASB he is still only a few points away with many categories being tied, or a going decimal points deep and Vig is certainly a strong favorite to bring home his first title ever. Judge is on the verge of signing for a billion dollars…which is more impressive? Tough call.
3rd Place: 2 Legit 2 Witt - Jeff Winston - Bobby Witt Jr 45th Overall
Will go with the team namesake here. Both Jeff and Witt have been excellent this year, Winston topped the league early and has been in contention throughout. Witt is one of the brightest young players in MLB and clearly one of the brightest on the Royals, as he seems to be one of the few who is vaccinated.
4th Place: Dogzilla - Fatone - Ryan Pressly 125th Overall
Fatone started out a bit rocky like Pressly, but over the last month Pressly is rated 40th overall and like Fatone has pulled himself up to elite levels. Donny is doing things a bit differently this year after decades of no closers, will it work out with the likes of Pressly leading the charge? I personally hope not, but can't say I am not scared of the surging Dogzilla.
5th Place: C-Town Highpockets - BK - Julio Urias 90th Overall
Speaking of scared…BK has an odd squad. Lot of over performing players (Alcantara, Cron) lot of underperforming players (Woodruff, Kimbrel) injuries etc all play a part, but BK is doing what BK does, hanging around, with the possibility of Tatis lurking…if everything clicks would anyone be surprised if he won? Just like would anyone be surprised if Dodgers win the World Series and Urias plays a major part yet again? They do what they do…
6th Place: Honey Nut Ichiros - Ferrari - Joe Musgrove 53rd Overall
Just like last year and I could just copy and past that blurb. Hot start, Birdie lead all of Rockem for a solid month and looked unbeatable. Over the last month however he has plummeted. Like Musgrove. Sure he is ranked 53rd overall still, and Birdie is still in 6th place, but guess what he is ranked the last 30 days? 690. OOf. how the mighty Musgrove has fallen. Like the Honey Nutters themselves.
7th Place Canha Montana - Moon - Jared Walsh - 327 Overall
Sort of the same situation as Birdie, where Moon played really well to start making lots of noise but plummeted recently. Unlike Birdie here is where the line seems to be drawn in Rockem this year… It becomes a lot harder to see a jump back into the championship or free eats conversation from 7th on down. 84 points for Bird and 71.5 for Moon is a wide gulf. At the end of May Moon was in 2nd place. Now 7th. Walsh may be 327 overall but he has been 1026 the last month…Yippy-Ki-Ouch!
8th Place Bat Out Of (Josh) Bell - Wilson - Trey Mancini 177th Overall
Wilson has his usual collection of Rockies/Yanks/Nats and some have worked out and some haven't but he has seemed to add some O's to the mix this year (Speaking of Bulletmore, Murderland, this is my plug for all of you to check out We Own This City). A blockbuster trade did nothing for either party really to start the season as Wilson has been fluttering around the mid-pack/bottom and maybe a trade will increase his value second half…just like if Mancini gets dealt out of Baltimore up to those first place Metsies!
9th Place Ridin Lowe and Drury - Bull - Lucas Giolito 617 Overall
This one ties into a few layers. I had picked Bull to win Rockem this year and he is vastly disappointing on that front, a main reason why is Giolito, who has sucked all over. Also the White Sox are by far the most disappointing team going, how are they not running away with that division? Is it “Sleeping at Red Lights” LaRussa who should have been fired with Madden and Girardi? Is it underperforming honkeys like Gio and Lynn? Who knows? All I know is it looks like Bull is gonna be ponying up for eats so I hope Winston Walters hits some of those late night Australian horse wagers.
10th Place Tangled Upton Blue - McNally - Charlie Morton 390 Overall
Speaking of the preview, the Yahoo! robot loved Don's team, ranking him first. I am sure a big part of it was a solid season from that old salt Charlie Morton. Woopsie Dasiy! Looks like this is the year father time caught up with McNally, he is just old and cranky…err I meant Charlie Morton is old and creaky…yeah that is it…
11th Place Ocean's Blyleven - Mike - Javier Baez 766 Overall
Could go a lot of ways with this one, almost put the always injured Mondesi as the representative player because Mike has been broken all year, but Baez is a good fit as someone with so much potential who just has fallen off a cliff in Detroit Rock City. The OB's won the whole thing last season, but that is why Rockem is Rockem, gotta start from scratch and a lot of Mike's gambles have not paid off in the slightest. Just like D-town's signing of Mr. Thumbs Down himself.
12th Place Too Much Muncey Business - Tom - Jacob deGrom Ranked 2266
deGrom has not played this year. Tom hasn't either.