Chicago Cubs dominate National League All-Star team voting

After an amazing start to the 2016 campaign, it was obvious that the Chicago Cubs were going to have a handful of guys who were on their way to the 2016 All-Star game.

Last year, Joe Maddon sent rookie Kris Bryant and first baseman Anthony Rizzo to the National League All-Star squad before taking the league by storm and reaching the National League Championship Series.

This time around, things are different. As of right now, the Chicago Cubs sit with a record of 52-31 which is still the best record in all of professional baseball ahead of the San Francisco Giants and Texas Rangers.

Now, back to the National League starters. Sitting behind the dish will be Giants catcher, Buster Posey, not David Ross.

Former Cub Welington Castillo was expected to make a solid run at a starting position on the roster but Posey’s .291 average and 10 homers, 40 RBI and .358 OBP received the nod for Terry Collin’s squad.

More from Chicago Cubs News

• Cubs: It’s time to start thinking about potential September call-ups
• Cubs: P.J. Higgins deserves to be in the lineup on a daily basis
• Cubs might start to limit Justin Steele’s workload soon
• Cubs: Adrian Sampson is forcing his way into the conversation
• Projecting the Chicago Cubs bullpen to open the 2023 season

Thanks to the fans who voted, Chicago was able to keep up in votes, resulting in five Cubs making the starting lineup. First, will be Rizzo who is now a three-time All-Star in his young major league career.

Anthony currently leads all first baseman with 61 RBI and is tied for second with Milwaukee Brewers slugger Chris Carter with 20 home runs. Baltimore Orioles’ Chris Davis is ahead of both men by one in that category.

Next up at second base is none other than Ben Zobrist. Some could argue that Washington Nationals’ Daniel Murphy deserves to start over Zobrist at the position but this is the way the cookie crumbles.

Zobrist has been excellent for the Cubs thus far despite going 0-for-5 at the plate in today’s 9-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. In 282 at-bats, the 35-year-old veteran has slugged 11 homers, 43 RBI, 16 doubles and 82 combined hits while hitting .291/.398/.465.

Since Dexter Fowler‘s injury, he has been placed in the lead-off spot. Taking the field to the right of Zobrist will be his young shortstop, Addison Russell.

Russell has been on a road of redemption following a hamstring injury during the National League Division Series against the Cardinals and has delivered with some flashy defense and power in the box.

Following his two home run performance in today’s loss to the Reds, the 22-year-old star is only two home runs away from tying his career high of 13 and six away from another career high of 54 runs batted in which was set last year.

More from Cubbies Crib

• Cubs: It’s time to start thinking about potential September call-ups
• Cubs: P.J. Higgins deserves to be in the lineup on a daily basis
• Cubs might start to limit Justin Steele’s workload soon
• Cubs: Adrian Sampson is forcing his way into the conversation
• Projecting the Chicago Cubs bullpen to open the 2023 season

He’s currently on pace to eclipse this record by reaching 20+ home runs and 70 or so RBI before the regular season comes to a close.

Rounding out the infield is someone who took this year’s ballot by storm. Bryant has been named to his second All-Star game in as many years and could very well be on his way to his first MVP season.

Maddon’s 24-year-old phenom exploded last week when he launched three home runs in one game while on the road in Cincinnati. Since then, he managed to the league lead with 25 home runs and sits in fourth behind Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz when it comes to RBI.

His mark is 64 entering tomorrow afternoon. When it comes to the outfield, Fowler, despite being on the disabled list, will accompany Yoenis Cespedes and Bryce Harper out in center field when it’s all said and done.

Fowler was off to a scorching hot start, leading the league in batting average at one point. He ended the month of April with a line of .347/.474/.613 only to watch his numbers decline throughout May (.295/.403/.476) and down to .290/.398/.483 before finding himself on the 15-day disabled list on June 19 with a strained right hamstring.

Last but not least, you have Jake Arrieta and Jon Lester. Both men, like the rest of their teammates, start out great but have hit a brick wall over the past couple of weeks with consistency issues.

Arrieta hurled his second career no-hitter earlier on in this year while Lester flirted with history along the way. Jake carries a 12-3 record with a 2.33 clip into the All-Star game pending another start between now and the 12th.

Next: Russell homers twice as Cubs fall to Reds

Lester is 4-1 with a 2.93 earned run average in his previous seven starts, holding opposing lineup’s to 15 earned runs on 37 hits. Eight of those earned runs came in his previous outing against the New York Mets this past Sunday.

Hopefully, all seven men will find themselves on an even better path as soon as the second half of the season begins. But for right now, the Cubs still have a few games left before these men show up in San Diego.