Which Texas Rangers Should Be in the All-Star Game?

Jun 29, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Texas Rangers first baseman Mitch  Moreland (18) hits a home run in the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

1. Mitch Moreland

Moreland has become one of the most important players on the team this season. Not only has he played solid defense at first base to allow Fielder to DH, he has what could be a breakout season. He is hitting .301/.348/.536 with 12 home runs and 39 RBI making him on pace to set personal records for both of those categories.

A key factor to the success for Moreland has been his ability to hit left-handed pitching this season. When Beltre went down with an injury and the lineup was heavy with left-handed hitters, the team did not have to worry about Moreland as he has hit .277/.333/.415 in 72 plate appearances against lefties this year.

Moreland would deal with a similar problem to Fielder as the first base position is a strong group in the American League. In the eyes of the manager, Moreland might even have to top Fielder to be considered as they would likely narrow it down to either one of these two rather than bringing both of them in.

Next: Gallardo

Jun 27, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Yovani  Gallardo (49) throws a pitch during the first inning in a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

2. Yovani Gallardo

On the heels of one of the most dominant months for a starting pitcher, Gallardo has started to catch fire and could force his way into consideration. Gallardo is sixth in the American League with a 2.72 ERA in his 16 starts. He has held batters to a .229 average, 12th in the AL, and has struck out 70 in 96 innings.

Gallardo’s 2.27 ERA is his lowest in his career other than 2008 when he pitched in just 24 innings. While most expected a significant drop for Gallardo as he moved from the National League to the American League but he has done the opposite.

With his success leading this staff that is missing to injury nearly an entire rotation that could be top 15 in the league (

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), Gallardo has led the group by example. The selections for reserve should acknowledge the great success he has had even though they may focus on adding a hitter from this team

Next: Lewis

Jun 25, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Colby  Lewis (48) pitches in the first inning against the Oakland Athletics at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

3. Colby Lewis

This is a name that I know most will be surprised to see as a potential consideration. When you check out the current WAR leaders at FanGraphs, Lewis is actually second for the Rangers, helped largely by his ability to get into the win column. Lewis has a 1.8 WAR so far this season, just 0.1 behind Prince Fielder, 0.1 ahead of Gallardo, and 0.3 ahead of Moreland.

Lewis has a 7-3 record despite his 4.10 ERA in 94.1 innings across 15 starts. Lewis is in his 10th season in the majors and has an even 61-61 record with a career 4.77 ERA in 988.1 innings. His 4.10 ERA this season is below his career average but his .700 winnings percentage is his highest of his career with the closes being in 2011 when he had a 14-10 record (.583 winning %).

Lewis is less likely to make the team as a reserve than Gallardo as he has had some games in which he wasn’t been successful, but he has played a key part for the team. At nearly 36-years-old, Lewis has had great starts like his eight inning, one run performance in a win over the Chicago White Sox but may not have strung together enough dominant starts to get a spot.

Next: Martinez

Jun 20, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nick  Martinez (22) delivers a pitch during the third inning against the Chicago White Sox at U.S Cellular Field. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

4. Nick Martinez

One of the biggest surprises of 2015 has been the success of Martinez. Selected in the 18th round of the 2011 draft, Martinez pitched his first season with the team in 2014 without much success. Martinez was 5-12 with a 4.55 ERA and struck out 77 in 140.1 innings pitched. So far in 2015, Martinez has a 5-4 record with a 3.39 ERA and has struck out 52 in 90.1 innings.

These numbers do not do justice for what Martinez has done after he started off on fire for the month of April. In his first four starts of the season, Martinez pitched a total of 26 innings and gave up just one run for an incredible 0.35 ERA. As the season has gone on teams have begun to figure him out but his ERA did not get over 2.00 until his final start in May. In his 15 starts, he has given up more than three earned runs just twice, meaning he has given his team a chance to win in at least 13 of his starts.

While troubles in June are what most may remember when looking at who should be a reserve, the incredible month of April should make Martinez a contender. At 24-years-old, Martinez has stepped up in a major way for this team and they have rallied around his success. If a pitcher is selected for the Rangers to make the All-Star game, it would be a very tough choice between Gallardo and Martinez.

Next: Texas Rangers Trade Targets: Bullpen