American League Given Slight Betting Edge In MLB All-Star Game

Whether you agree with it or not, the Major League Baseball All-Star Game matters more than all the others do. That’s because the winning league gets home-field advantage in the World Series that year. This year’s All-Star Game, the 87th, is Tuesday night in San Diego and the American League is a slight -120 favourite on MLB odds with the total at 7.5 runs.

American League Going For Four-Peat

The National League leads all-time over the American League 43-41-2, but the Junior Circuit has won the past three All-Star Games. Last year in Cincinnati, the AL won 6-3 behind MVP Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels. Trout, whom I think most would agree is the best all-around player in baseball, became the first back-to-back winner of the All-Star Game MVP Award. Willie Mays (1963 and ’68), Steve Garvey (’74 and ’78), Gary Carter (’81 and ’84) and Cal Ripken Jr. (’91 and 2001) are the only other players to win two game MVP honors in their entire careers.

Trout also became the first man to hit a leadoff home run in an All-Star Game since Bo Jackson did it in 1989. Trout is the starting lineup again this year, about the only bright spot for the Angels in 2016. Trout, among the betting favourites to win game MVP honors again, will hit second and play center field. Houston second baseman Jose Altuve leads off. Then it’s Trout, Orioles third baseman Manny Machado, Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz, in his final All-Star Game, Boston shortstop Xander Bogaerts, Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer, Red Sox right fielder Mookie Betts, Royals catcher Salvador Perez and Red Sox left fielder Jackie Bradley Jr.

The AL starting pitcher is White Sox lefty Chris Sale, who is the leading candidate to win the AL Cy Young Award for the first time. He’s 14-3 with a 3.38 ERA but was bombed for a season-high eight runs in his final start before the break against Atlanta. The AL is managed by Kansas City’s Ned Yost.

The Blue Jays have five All-Stars: Edwin Encarnacion, Josh Donaldson, Michael Saunders and pitchers Aaron Sanchez and Marco Estrada, although Estrada won’t play as he’s injured. The Jays have never had an All-Star Game MVP.

National League Lineup Is Cub Heavy

The National League is managed by the Mets’ Terry Collins. He named San Francisco’s Johnny Cueto as his starting pitcher. Cueto is 13-1 in 18 starts, and his 2.47 ERA ranks behind only the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw (1.79) and Giants teammate Madison Bumgarner (1.94) for the best in the majors. Kershaw probably would have started this game if he wasn’t injured. Bumgarner pitched Sunday — and nearly no-hit Arizona — so he’s not available.

The NL lineup features four Cubs, and it would have been five but center fielder Dexter Fowler is hurt. Chicago second baseman Ben Zobrist leads off. He’s followed by Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper, Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant, Padres DH Wil Myers, Giants catcher Buster Posey, Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo, Marlins center fielder Marcell Ozuna, Rockies left fielder Carlos Gonzalez (taking Fowler’s spot) and Cubs shortstop Addison Russell.

This is the third time the All-Star Game has been held in San Diego but first in Petco Park. The NL won the first game in the city 7-3 in 1978 with Garvey named MVP. The second was in 1992 and the AL won 13-6 with Ken Griffey Jr. named as MVP.

87th All-Star Game Prediction

I’ll go American League simply as it’s home. Yes, you read that right. Because the All-Star Game was held in an NL park last year and will be the next two years (Miami and Washington), MLB made the AL the home team. Go under the total in pitcher-friendly Petco. I like Ortiz to win MVP honors because if he does anything, he will be voted the winner as a career send-off like the Yankees’ Mariano Rivera was in 2013.