Mets on the All-Star ballot, ranked

Yesterday, Major League Baseball released the ballot for the 2017 All-Star Game, which will be played at Marlins Park on July 11. A fan vote will determine the eight starters on each side and the designated hitter for the American League. The ballot features eight Mets and includes breakout players, long-shots, no-shots, and one notable omission.

Notable Omission: Michael Conforto
.333/.308/.700, 0.8 bWAR, 1.3 fWAR

In a season that’s seen injury after injury, Michael Conforto not being on the All-Star ballot only feels like a gut punch. Thus far, Conforto has been the Mets’ most dangerous hitter, driving the ball to all fields with a swing as sweet as cotton candy.

8. Curtis Granderson
.124/.177/.213, -1.0 bWAR, -1.0 fWAR

Over the previous two seasons, Granderson hit .248/.350/.460, which is good, especially when you factor in his 56 home runs. But so far this season, his line doesn’t seem worthy of an All-Star vote.

7. Jose Reyes
.178/.260/.333, -0.4 bWAR, 0.0 fWAR

Reyes has looked good over the past few games, and since April 23, he’s raised his batting average from .095 to .174. All-Star material? Not quite yet.

6. Neil Walker
.200/.282/.311, -0.5 bWAR, -0.3 fWAR

After what looked like a career year last year, which included a monstrous month of April, Walker has been slow out the gate.

5. Asdrubal Cabrera
.247/.314/.333, -0.5 bWAR, 0.1 fWAR

Like Walker, Cabrera had one of the strongest years of his career last year has stumbled out the gate this season. The ballot includes eight shortstops with better batting averages than Cabrera, and six with more home runs.

4. Lucas Duda
.238/.360/.571, 0.3 bWAR, 0.4 fWAR

After Duda showed the baseball world what he could do in 2014 and 2015, it seemed he could be an All-Star one day. Duda’s .931 OPS is impressive, but he’s been on the DL with a hyper-extended elbow. But he’s not All-Star material yet either.

3. Yoenis Cespedes
.270/.373/.619, 0.5 bWAR, 0.6 fWAR

If he were healthy and starting, Cespedes would likely be number one on the list. His .373 OBP and .619 SLG have been exemplary, and several of his home runs may not yet have landed. Unfortunately, he’s on the disabled list with a hamstring strain, and the timeline of his return is uncertain.

2. Travis d’Arnaud
.214/.302/.500, 0.6 bWAR, 0.3 fWAR

Yes, d’Arnaud is batting .214 with a .302 OBP. But there’s one reason that d’Arnaud is All-Star material: his .500 SLG as a catcher. If he can keep hitting for power and bring the average and OBP up a bit, he’ll be a breakout catcher and an All-Star candidate.

1. Jay Bruce
.287/.362/.574, 0.6 bWAR, 0.9 fWAR

Jay Bruce is batting .292/.370/.584, and hit seven home runs in April. This will almost certainly change, but right now, Jay Bruce is arguably the most potent offensive threat the Mets have. If you’re casting your vote today, Bruce deserves it.