The AL All-Star Game position players with current WAR per 600 PA totals, highest to lowest:

Jose Bautista - 9.88
Alex Rodriguez - 7.64
Curtis Granderson - 7.50
Howie Kendrick - 7.42
Adrian Gonzalez - 7.12
Miguel Cabrera - 6.08
Alex Avila - 5.95
Jacoby Ellsbury - 5.79
Asdrubal Cabrera - 5.27
Matt Joyce - 5.16
Josh Hamilton - 4.95
David Ortiz - 4.56
Adrian Beltre - 4.55
Robinson Cano - 4.42
Matt Wieters - 4.18
Carlos Quentin - 4.06
Russell Martin - 3.90
Michael Cuddyer - 3.05
Michael Young - 2.37
Derek Jeter - 1.02

And the beatdown continues...

If you're going to press an issue of being ELITE, why not find the
WAR stats on players that did not make the AS's over the ones
that did. Show even more, how much smarter you are, over the
Average Fan... unlike War ie, Real Player vs. Imaginary blowup doll.

Hey, look, Derek Jeter made the all-stars, when he's having (by his standards) an absolutely terrible year. I am so surprised.

Jeter is an easy target as an Icon of Baseball. Declining? It's natural to understand... yes.
He's a Baseball Fan Favorite. With the HUGE year that Jose Reyes is having, he still hasn't come
close to years that Jeter excelled. A mere flicker of time. Again, it's easy to tear down a hero.
Especially when most could never conceive to understand the accomplishments over real time.

If you're going to press an issue of being ELITE, why not find the
WAR stats on players that did not make the AS's over the ones
that did. Show even more, how much smarter you are, over the
Average Fan... unlike War ie, Real Player vs. Imaginary blowup doll.

What the...?

With the HUGE year that Jose Reyes is having, he still hasn't come
close to years that Jeter excelled.

Jeter's best year was 1999: +7.5 WAR.

Reyes is a +5.2 already this year.

Not really sure what your point is, but Reyes is well on pace to put up a season better than any of Jeter's.

Jeter's never really excelled. He's had some years better than others, but never any actual excellence until you magnify him through the New York factor.

"He is a bi-racial angel! you shoulda shot A-rod!"

Umm, Jeter has never excelled? Yes, he's only magnified and judged by each and every
New York Yankee, that's ever played the game. Ugh, pretty strong test there. I bet Jeter
get's #2 retired in Yankee Halls too. I'm not really a Jeter fan, but I'd take at least 10 of his
years, up against most SS. He and Griffey Jr. maybe a couple of legit players, coming out
of the "Steroid Era", to make HOF. We all get older, some cynical w/a piece of heart missing.

one question..... does the Big Hurt make your list?.... or are there PED questions there?....

one question..... does the Big Hurt make your list?.... or are there PED questions there?....

For my part, Thomas is a lock for the HOF, and given that there has never even been any kind of suspicion of PED use on his part (at least in public circles), it would be especially appalling to see that brought to the forefront now as an excuse to deny him admission.

But then, I'm in the "screw the PEDs witch hunt, let them all in if their career performance merits it" camp.

love me some big hurt!

I, too, am in the "let them in" camp when it comes to PEDs.

Just compare Thomas to his contemporary, Jeff Bagwell. Somehow, Bagwell gets the juicer taint, yet Thomas is very very rarely seen in that light. As if a guy who played big time college football in the SEC in the 1980s would never have used steroids or other PEDs. I guess maybe he gets the overall free pass that football as a whole gets with the whole issue, who knows?

I'm on the edge of the 'Roid Era. I'm not against HGH, but steroids, over pure
medical reasons, are destructive. All bodies don't take to HGH the same.
There are a lot of Natural Homeopathic Herbs, that are beneficial to a human.
I could never deny anyone natural methods of improvement... at any age.

I thought of Brandon Webb being in tough timing. Perhaps in 5-10 years from
now, MLB, will be dealing with Cell Regeneration and the wonder of Stem Cells.
That's progress I can deal with. My mind stays open, but the Lies of Bonds &
Clemens makes me take a step back.

The stolen Baseball innocence from my children is real. Some from me also,
but I've seen so many of the greats. I'm sure I'll fully face what's important
eventually. Yes, Thomas get's in. Raffy keeps me on that positive edge to
let all in. Such a sweet natural swing.... in any Era.

Well, I grew up in it HubZ, where our coaches more than encouraged it from high-school on. I am glad they test. Time will tell, but when guys other than Canseco start dropping dead early from organ problems or brain cancer, etc.? We can derive at our own educated guesses then. HGH? I am on the fence. I have heard good and bad.

I guess my point is, we cannot just blame the players. Baseball knew. They even exploited it to "save the game" when two steroid users were in a home run race. One that makes my stomach turn everytime I see a highlight of it or watch the movie "61".

If Baseball had been responsible, looking out for the true best of the game and for its players, things would have been controlled from the start, making both paramount. Instead, we waste tax payers money in Federal Court with ex-players before Congress members.

HOF wise? If Pete Rose won't be let in? Why should they let any proven cheater in?

One more side effect of Professional Baseball Player steroid use? Ask Taylor Hooten's dad.

Yeah, that's the reality I've been living with too, Homey.
MLB looked the other way. Now we have liars in Gov
wasting Tax/Citizen money on another liar or two. How
frick'n hypocritical can you get? Yeah, I was high into
Baseball in 1961. That was the Real Deal, but for Kids
of the Bonds, Mc & Sammy Era, it was really exciting too.
Again, when Stem Cell Fixes, hit the market, there will
be a whole new twist in Modern Medicine. Cy Youngs
numbers may even fall... which seems ridiculous now.

Sad, but true. Medical Technology will be the root to more evil. I really don't mind the old-school stuff that was part of baseball since its inception, i.e. scuffing balls, spit balls, stealing signs, vaseline on the brim of your hat, etc. Especially knowing you'd probably get caught, i.e. Joe & Phile Nekro, etc. But genetic alteration at the expense of your body to conceal cheating due to no risk of being caught? Something in that seems, no screams "Cowardly". Is it just me?

Ricky -

Not cowardly if you consider it from a capitalistic point of view.

Many people have done much worse things (to themselves and others) for far less monetary reward. Drug dealers and prostitutes come to mind, off hand.

I get that Jeter is a HOF'er and one of the most popular players in the game but how many All Star(and Gold Glove) passes does he get? He was horrible last year and even worse this year. How long does he get to live on reputation?

There's a difference between HGH and steroids and Taylor hooten didn't die from steroids alone. Dude was on other meds - anti depressants. There's a documentary that ran on HBO recently which backs me up.

Saying HGH and steroids are destructive is a gross oversimplification. Like most things, it's a questions of dose and conditions. HGH and steroids are prescribed every day for legitimate medical reasons.

The problems folks have with HGH and Steroids usually come down to misuse, and not use under doctor's care.

Jeter lives on tha reputation until someone knocks him off. Fans at this point don't know how to vote for anybody but Jeter & A-Rod, particularly in NY.

Not sure of what the point was in publishing the projected WAR list of the AL all-stars. I didn't need WAR projections to tell me that Jose Bautista was deserving and Jeter isn't. Plus I can't take it too seriously when Howie Kendrick is supposedly pushing a 7.5 WAR. Really? Kendrick's a nice player, might even be having by a small margin his best season. But MVP worthy? Not so much.