The AL has never lost an All-Star Game with Derek Jeter in the lineup.
If history is any indication, the American League will win Tuesday’s MLB baseball All-Star Game being played at Angels Stadium in Los Angeles.
The AL has won seven Midsummer Classics in a row and is unbeaten in the last 13. There was an embarrassing tie in 2002 when the game had to be stopped after the teams ran out of pitchers.
Commissioner Bud Selig made a controversial change in 2003, with the winning league getting home field advantage in baseball's World Series. That hasn’t slowed the AL down, although the games have been a lot closer (the last four being decided by one run).
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Relief pitching has been a big key. The AL has been trotting out the likes of Mariano Rivera, Jonathan Papelbon and Joe Nathan. The National League’s closers weren’t the same caliber, with Heath Bell, Billy Wagner and Trevor Hoffman contributing to painful losses.
Nathan, Papelbon and Rivera won’t be on the team this year. Rivera (MLB baseball Injuries: rib cage, knee) pulling out does hurt, but he’s replaced by Tampa Bay’s Rafael Soriano (1.65 ERA, 23 saves, one blown save).
Soriano joins Kansas City’s Joakim Soria (2.34 ERA, 25 saves, two blown saves) and Detroit’s Jose Valverde (.92 ERA, 19 saves, one blown save) to form another effective trio.
The NL does have better starting pitching with Ubaldo Jimenez, Roy Halladay, Adam Wainwright and Josh Johnson. All of those guys have ERAs of 2.20 or under. There’s also proven guys in reserve like Chris Carpenter, Tim Lincecum and Tim Hudson.
However, those starters likely won’t be pitching in the eighth or ninth inning. Jonathan Broxton is the best closer option, but he has a shaky history pitching in big moments. Other relievers like Arthur Rhodes, Matt Capps and Evan Meek don’t exactly inspire a lot of confidence.
The NL needs to have a lead heading into the late innings or doubt will start to emerge.
Looking at the offenses, the NL has plenty of power with Albert Pujols, Joey Votto, Adrian Gonzalez and Ryan Howard. The problem is they’re all first baseman, which also meant there was no room for Adam Dunn (22 homers). One of these players can serve as the DH, but there will be a lot of talent sitting on the bench.
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Votto, Gonzalez and Howard are all lefties and could be asked to hit in a big spot. However, the AL has five left-handed pitchers and can afford to waste one for a big out. CC Sabathia would have been the sixth lefty, but he’s ineligible after pitching on Sunday.
The AL has grizzled veterans in its starting lineup like Derek Jeter and Ichiro Suzuki. They’re making their 11th and 10th All-Star trip respectively. Jeter isn’t having a great year, but both are dangerous in this game.
Throw in guys like Alex Rodriguez, Jose Bautista (24 homers) and Torii Hunter coming off the bench, and the AL hitters look to have better overall balance.
The NL used to dominate the All-Star Game in the 1960s and 1970s. However, a whole generation of fans has never seen the AL lose due to clutch play and a little luck. The NL needs to prove it’s mentally tough enough to get the job done.
Will the AL stretch its unbeaten streak to 14? I wouldn’t bet against it.