Continuing the series with the eDraft All-Star teams by division, I’m going to take a look at the American League West All-Stars.  The AL West has two teams in Oakland and Texas that look like real strong possibilities to make a nice postseason run, so the AL West team would probably rival many other divisional All-Star teams.  Los Angeles and Seattle also have some great players on their teams, who unfortunately just aren’t enough to carry their teams on their back to a better record.  Without further delay, here is my take at the 2013 AL West All-Star team:

Catcher:  A.J. Pierzynski, Texas Rangers

Pierzynski has been a nice addition to the Rangers this year, and he has helped them get over the loss of Mike Napoli with his stellar play so far.  He is hitting .284 with nine homeruns, and 34 RBIs, and he has been as close to an everyday catcher as there is nowadays, playing 68 games at catcher so far.  In his age 36 season, Pierzynski has brought an unexpected amount of offense to the Rangers this year, and should be a big part of their playoff push this fall.

First Base:  Mark Trumbo, Los Angeles Angels

With Albert Pujols primarily the designated hitter at this point, Trumbo has taken over as the everyday first basemen for the Angels, and he has been doing great since his rookie year in 2011.  He has become one of the premier power hitters in baseball, with 21 homeruns and 57 RBIs, and he is on pace to have career highs in both categories this season.  It might be hard to picture, but on a team with Pujols and Josh Hamilton, Trumbo is the best power hitter in this lineup full of sluggers.

Second Base:  Howie Kendrick, Los Angeles Angels

Kendrick was a popular pick by many analysts to make the actual American League All-Star team, but he was just edged about Jason Kipnis from Cleveland.  Kendrick has traditionally been more of a contact hitter, and his .310 average this year is proving that, but he has helped the Angels out by producing some runs this year too, with 11 homeruns and 40 RBIs.  In a year where the Angels big hitters have struggled, Kendrick has been one of the few bright spots in the lineup.

Third Base:  Adrian Beltre, Texas Rangers

The AL West is stacked with great third basemen, including Beltre, Josh Donaldson of Oakland, and Kyle Seager of Seattle.  I went with Beltre here because his average and homeruns are a little better than Donaldson, with Beltre at a .316 average and 21 homeruns, and Donaldson at a .310 average and 16 homeruns.  Regardless of which one these guys won out on this list, either of these third basemen would be a great asset to any team.

Shortstop:  Jed Lowrie, Oakland Athletics

Lowrie is having a great first year in Oakland, easily surpassing most of his season highs already at the All-Star break.  Oakland has given Lowrie a chance to be the everyday starting shortstop, and he has taken advantage of it by hitting .295 with seven homeruns, and 37 RBIs.  Lowrie has also been getting on base in bunches with 36 walks already, which has helped him accumulate his .364 on-base percentage.

Outfield:  Mike Trout, Los Angeles Angels

Trout is an easy choice here, as he has been one of the best players in baseball since his debut last season.  Trout leads all AL outfielders with a .322 average, and is near the top in almost every other significant category with 15 homeruns, 59 RBIs, and 21 stolen bases.  Trout is one of the few legitimate five-tool players in baseball, and he is looking to achieve his second straight 30+ homerun and 30+ stolen base season in his sophomore campaign.

Outfield:  Nelson Cruz, Texas Rangers

It seems like the only thing that could slow down Cruz this year, is a possible suspension looming due to the Biogenesis case.  Cruz leads all American League outfielders with 69 RBIs, and has 22 homeruns already, which is well over the pace that he usually sets, even with very nice season totals in the past.  Texas is going to be on edge while this suspension issue is being settled, because Cruz has been the biggest part of the offense this season.

Outfield:  Raul Ibanez, Seattle Mariners

With all of the power hitters in the American League, raise your hand if you had Ibanez leading the American League outfielders in homeruns at the All-Star break.  Somehow, in his third separate stint with Seattle, in his age 41 season, Ibanez has accumulated 24 homeruns so far at the break.  I don’t know if Ibanez can keep it up through an entire season at this point in his career, but it sure is fun to watch while it lasts.  I wouldn’t be surprised if a contending team tries to work out a trade for Ibanez in the next couple of weeks, to help make a final push for the playoffs.

Starting Pitcher:  Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners

Starting pitchers is yet another position where you couldn’t go wrong with one of several players, like Bartolo Colon in Oakland, and Yu Darvish in Texas.  Ultimately, I went with Hernandez because he leads the league in ERA at 2.53, and he is also near the top of the league leaders with ten wins and 140 strikeouts.  Hernandez is having another solid year, and looks to be a top pitcher in the AL West for several years to come.

Relief Pitcher:  Grant Balfour, Oakland Athletics

Balfour deservingly made his first All-Star game this year, backed by 25 saves so far this year, and the fact that he still hasn’t recorded a blown save yet.  Balfour has a great 1.63 ERA, and 1.03 WHIP, but it’s his lack of blown saves that really sets him apart from everyone else.

Relief Pitcher:  Joe Nathan, Texas Rangers

Nathan has pitched incredibly in his second season with Texas.  He has already built up 30 saves, and has been just about unhittable so far this season.  Nathan’s numbers have been even more impressive than Balfour’s this year with an ERA of 1.36, and a WHIP of 0.76.  These two All-Stars rival the closers from any other division, and figure to be an important part of October baseball this season.