Who Should be the Starting Pitchers in the 2015 All-Star Game?

Every year, we see the big name pitchers starting in the All-Star Game. In 2013, we saw Max Scherzer and Matt Harvey start the mid-Summer Classic, and in 2014, we witnessed Felix Hernandez and Adam Wainwright start for their respected leagues.

This year, we have seen several players break out and have outstanding seasons. Players such as Chris Archer, Dallas Keuchel, and Shelby Miller have been utterly dominant this season and have obliterated expectations. With that being said, here are the top candidates to start the mid-summer classic in each league.

Notable names not included: Chris Sale (Chicago White Sox), Corey Kluber (Cleveland Indians), Sonny Gray (Oakland A’s), Clayton Kershaw (Los Angeles Dodgers), Zack Greinke (Los Angeles Dodgers).

American League Candidates

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1. Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners

While the Seattle Mariners have struggled this season, Hernandez has been extremely consistent and reliable all season. “King Felix” is 9-3 with an incredible WHIP of 1.04, showing for the second consecutive year that he is worthy of starting in the All-Star Game.

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2. Chris Archer, Tampa Bay Rays

Archer has been consistently dominant this season. He is 7-4 and is leading the MLB with a whopping 113 strikeouts. He also has a WHIP of 0.94 and his ERA is 2.00. Archer’s brilliance has been one of the main reasons that the Rays are tied atop the American League East with the New York Yankees.

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3. Dallas Keuchel, Houston Astros

No one has been more important to the Houston Astros’ success than Dallas Keuchel. The Houston ace is 7-2 with a minuscule ERA of 1.90 and a WHIP of only 0.95. He is not going to dominate hitters and get as many strikeouts as Archer gets, but he makes hitters uncomfortable and simply knows how to get outs.

National League Candidates

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1. Max Scherzer, Washington Nationals

Anyone who believed that Scherzer was overpaid in free agency has been proven wrong this season. Scherzer has an ERA of 1.93 and a WHIP of only 0.88. The former Cy Young Award winner has yet again shown that he is one of the best pitchers in the game with his early season dominance.

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2. Gerrit Cole, Pittsburgh Pirates

Cole simply knows how to win games. He is 10-2 with an ERA of only 1.71. He currently has the most wins in the MLB, and is proving that he was worth being named the No. 1 pick in the 2011 MLB Draft.

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3. Shelby Miller, Atlanta Braves

When the Atlanta Braves traded outfielder Jason Heyward for Miller, many saw that trade as the Braves trying to get something in exchange for an impending free agent. Instead, they got another great pitcher in the rotation along with Julio Teheran. Miller has an ERA of 2.02 and a WHIP of 1.03. Miller has been one of the keys to the Braves exceeding expectations in 2015.

The Starters

With everything being said, the starting pitchers in the All-Star Game should be the most dominant pitchers in all of the MLB this year: Archer and Cole.