A few weeks after college baseball players dominated the selections in the 2015 Major League Draft, there once again is a predominance of college baseball influence among the 2015 Major League All-Star selections. Of the 76 total players who were selected for the 2015 All-Star Game (including six who are replacement players), nearly twice as many (41) played college baseball compared to those who went straight to pro baseball from high school (22). The rest of the 2015 All-Star contingent includes 13 foreign players (who did not attend college in the U.S.), also significantly fewer than the number of college baseball alums among the 2014 All-Star players.
CLICK HERE to see similar release to this one for the 2014 MLB All-Star Game– which included 33 former college baseball players among the 81 selections (plus 19 who went pro straight from high school and 29 foreign-based players).
(Note: all content and research on this page courtesy of CB360’s Pete LaFleur, please credit accordingly.)
Todd Frazier (Rutgers/Cincinnati Reds) is the National League’s 2015 starting third baseman and won the Home Run Derby, in front of the hometown Crown City fans.
Most of the college baseball alums among the 2016 All-Stars are former Division I players (32 of 41), plus two former Division II players, an NAIA baseball alum and six who entered pro ball directly from junior college.
For the second straight year, a toss around the National League starting infield will touch the gloves of four different college baseball alums – Giants catcher Buster Posey (Florida State), Diamondbacks 1B Paul Goldschmidt (Texas State), Rockies 2B DJ Le Mahieu (LSU; inj. replacement for fellow former college player Dee Gordon) and Reds 3B Todd Frazier (Rutgers). In 2014, the NL infield starters included Goldschmidt, Phillies 2B Chase Utley (UCLA), Rockies SS Troy Tulowitzki (Long Beach State) and Brewers catcher Jonathan Lucroy (Louisiana-Lafayette).
Exactly half (10 of 20) of the 2015 MLB All-Star starters are former college baseball players, with five from the National League including those listed above plus Nationals OF Bryce Harper (who played one season at Southern Nevada JC).
The 2015 American League starters also include five former college baseball players: Blue Jays 3B Josh Donaldson (Auburn), who also was a 2014 All-Star starter (with the A’s), along with Astros LHP Dallas Keuchel (Arkansas), the Royals OF duo of Alex Gordon (Nebraska/injured) and Lorenzo Cain (Tallahassee JC), and Angels 1B Albert Pujols (Maple Woods JC).
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Former Arkansas LHP Dallas Kuechel will start the 2015 MLB All-Star Game, representing the American League and the Houston Astros.
Courtesy of CollegeBaseball360.com, here’s an assortment of notes about the 2015 All-Star Game within the context of college baseball …
• Breaking Down The 2015 All-Star Selections
(76 total, includes six replacement players)
41– former college baseball players (all listed below, scroll down)
22 – players who went straight to pro ball from high school
13 – foreign-based players
(note: in 2014, the breakdown was 33 college, 29 foreign & 19 straight from high school)
Former Nebraska standout third baseman Alex Gordon – now playing left field for the Kansas City Royals – is among several 2015 All-Star selections unable to play in the game due to injury (he was selected as a 2015 starter and also missed the 2014 All-Star Game due to injury).
• Comparing the Leagues …
National League
20 – former college baseball players (all listed below, scroll down)
13 – players who went straight to pro ball from high school
5 – foreign-based player2
(2014 was: 19 college/12 foreign/10 HS)
American League
21 – former college baseball players (all listed below, scroll down)
9 – players who went straight to pro ball from high school
8 – foreign-based players
(2014 was: 17 foreign/14 college/9 HS)
Diamondbacks big bopper Paul Goldschmidt honed his craft as a college baseball player at Texas State (previously known as Southwest Texas State).
• Former College Baseball Players who are 2015 All-Star Starters:
NL catcher Buster Posey (San Francisco Giants) – Florida State
NL 1B Paul Goldschmidt (Arizona Diamondbacks) – Texas State
NL 2B Dee Gordon (Miami Marlins) – Southeastern/Seminole JC
… note: Gordon inj. but another former college player is starting, DJ LeMahieu of Colorado Rockies and LSU
NL 3B Todd Frazier (Cincinnati Reds) – Rutgers
NL RF Bryce Harper (Washington Nationals) – Southern Nevada JC
AL LHP Dallas Kuechel (Houston Astros) – Arkansas
AL 1B Albert Pujols (St. Louis Cardinals) – Maple Woods (MO) JC
AL 3B Josh Donaldson (Toronto Blue Jays) – Auburn
AL LF Alex Gordon (Kansas City Royals) – Nebraska *injured*
AL RF Lorenzeo Cain (Kansas City Royals) – Tallahassee JC
(the 20 initial All-Star starters also include five foreign-based/non-college players and five who entered pro ball straight from high school)
… the six former college baseball players who were 2014 All-Star starters: Goldschmidt, Donaldson, NL catcher Jonathan Lucroy (Brewers/Louisiana-Lafayette), NL 2B Chase Utley (Phillies/UCLA), NL SS Troy Tulowitzki (Rockies/Long Beach St.) and AL RF Jose Bautista (Blue Jays/Chipola JC), plus seven foreign-based players and six who entered pro ball straight from high school.
American League starting third baseman Josh Donaldson (Blue Jays) also started in the 2014 All-Star Game (while playing for the A’s), when he joined Tim Hudson as former Auburn players who were named to the 2014 All-Star rosters.
• College Baseball Programs represented in the 2015 All-Star Game:
(37 programs/28 DI; 4 with two each)
2 – Miami (Ryan Braun & Yasmani Grandel)
2 – UCLA (Brandon Crawford & Gerrit Cole)
2 – Vanderbilt (Sonny Gray and David Price)
2 – Chipola (FL) JC (Jose Bautista & Russell Martin)
1 – Arizona, Arizona State, Arkansas, Auburn, College of Charleston, Florida, Florida Gulf Coast, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Long Beach State, LSU, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Missouri, Nebraska, Notre Dame, Rice, Rutgers, St. John’s, San Diego, USC, Southern Mississippi, Stetson, Texas A&M and Texas State.
– also one each from: D2 Azusa Pacific and Nova Southeastern; NAIA Southeastern (FL) Univ. (Cowley County (KS) JC, Maple Woods (MO) JC, Okaloosa Walton (FL) JC (now Northwest Florida State JC), Southern Nevada JC and Tallahassee (FL) JC.
… total of 52 different college baseball programs can boast at least one MLB All-Star over the past two seasons (2014-15)
Former Notre Dame player and current Arizona Diamondbacks centerfielder A.J. Pollock is a member of the 2015 MLB All-Star Team – making Notre Dame one of 14 schools with MLB All-Stars in each of the past two seasons. Center field and shortstop are the rarest All-Star positions for former college players over the past two seasons (Pollock is one of two CF All-Stars from 2014-15, among 10 total, who played college baseball).
• These 14 schools can lay claim to at least one MLB All-Star in each of the past two seasons:
Auburn (Josh Donaldson both; Tim Hudson ’14)
Georgia Tech (Matt Wieters & Charlie Blackmon ’14; Mark Teixeira ’15)
Missouri (Max Scherzer both; Ian Kinsler ’14)
Nebraska (Alex Gordon both; Tony Watson ’14)
Florida Gulf Coast (Chris Sale both)
Long Beach State (Troy Tulowitzki both)
Minnesota (Glen Perkins both)
Notre Dame (Jeff Samardzija ’14; A.J. Pollock ’15)
Rutgers (Todd Frazier both)
Texas State (Paul Goldschmidt both)
UCLA (Chase Utley ’14; Gerrit Cole and Brandon Crawford ’15)
Vanderbilt (David Price both; Sonny Gray ’15)
Southeastern Univ. (Dee Gordon both)
Chipola JC (Jose Bautista both; Hector Santiago ’15)
… the 2014 All-Stars (33) included two former players from Auburn, Georgia Tech, Missouri and Nebraska, plus one each from Butler, California, Cal State Fullerton, Cincinnati, Florida Gulf Coast, Jacksonville, Long Beach State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Minnesota, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Rutgers, Texas, Texas-Arlington, TCU, Texas State, UCLA, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Western Carolina, D3 Wisconsin-Stevens Point, NAI Southeastern Univ., Chipola JC, Jefferson JC and Wallace State JC.
White Sox ace Chris Sale (Florida Gulf Coast) is one of several 2014 All-Star lefthanded pitchers who entered pro ball from the college ranks.
• College Baseball Alums 2015 MLB All-Stars by position:
10 righthanded pitchers (of 20)
5 lefthanded pitchers (of 9)
4 catchers (of 6)
3 first baseman (of 7)
5 second baseman (of 6)
2 shortstops (of 5)
4 third basemen (of 7)
2 leftfielders (of 4)
2 centerfielders (of 6)
4 rightfielders (of 6)
(positions based on mlb.com bio listings)
… the 2014 breakdown of former college baseball players among the MLB all-stars: 9 of 23 RHP, 6 of 11 LHP, 3 of 8 catchers, 1 of 7 1B, 4 of 6 2B, 1 of 5 SS, 4 of 6 3B, 1 of 3 LF, 0 of 4 CF, 4 of 6 RF)
Buster Posey – who played mostly as a middle infielder at Florida State – has developed into an All-Star catcher and three-time World Series champion with the San Francisco Giants.
… Combined 2014 and 2015 former college baseball players on All-Star rosters
19 righthanded pitchers (of 43)
11 lefthanded pitchers (of 20)
7 catchers (of 14)
4 first baseman (of 14)
9 second baseman (of 12)
3 shortstop (of 10)
8 third basemen (of 13)
3 leftfielders (of 7)
2 centerfielders (of 10)
8 rightfielders (of 12)
… over past two seasons, nearly half of the All-Star pitchers (30 of 63) have been former college baseball players, plus 9-of-12 second basemen, 8-of-13 third basemen, 7-of-14 catchers and 11-of-19 corner outfielders (but only 3-of-10 shortstops and 2-of-10 centerfielders).
• Lots-o-Lefties – A year ago, six of the 11 lefthanded pitchers named to the 2014 All-Star Game were former college baseball players, with that group including David Price (Vanderbilt), Chris Sale (Florida Gulf Coast), Sean Doolittle (Virginia), Tony Watson (Nebraska), Glen Perkins (Minnesota) and Mark Buehrle (Jefferson, MO, JC) … Price, Sale and Perkins have returned as 2015 All-Star, along with fellow LHPs Dallas Kuechel (Arkansas) and Jacob de Grom (Stetson).
Former Texas A&M pitcher Michael Wacha is one of two college baseball products representing the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2015 MLB All-Star Game.
• Breakdown by Major League Team – the 41 college baseball alums among the 2015 All-Star contingent come from 26 different Major League teams (all but Atlanta, San Diego, Seattle and Texas) … there are three San Francisco Giants all-stars who played college baseball and three more from the Toronto Blue Jays, plus two each from 11 other teams:
3 – San Francisco Giants (Buster Posey, Brandon Crawford and Joe Panik)
3 – Toronto Blue Jays (Josh Donaldson, Russell Martin and Jose Bautista)
2 – Oakland As (Sonny Gray and Josh Donaldson)
2 – Arizona Diamondbacks (Paul Goldschmidt and A.J. Pollock)
2 – St. Louis Cardinals (Michael Wacha and Trevor Rosenthal)
2 – Pittsburgh Pirates (Gerritt Cole and Mark Melancon, both Pac-12 products)
2 – Colorado Rockies (Troy Tulowitzki and DJ LeMahieu)
2 – New York Yankees (Mark Teixeira and Brett Gardner)
2 – Minnesota Twins (Chris Sale and Glen Perkins)
2 – Kansas City Royals (Alex Gordon and Lorenzo Cain)
2 – Detroit Tigers (David Price and J.D. Martinez)
2 – Washington Nationals (Max Scherzer and Bryce Harper)
2 – Anaheim Angels (Albert Pujols and Hector Santiago)
Current New York Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira remains one of the top switch hitter in college baseball history, after starring at Georgia Tech.
… notes: the American League Eastern and Central, plus the National League Central, feature all five of their teams with at least one 2015 All-Star who played college baseball … most from one division is eight each from the AL East and Central, plus the NL West (among four teams), plus seven NL Central, five NL East and five AL West … the NL West and AL Central each have three different teams that have multiple 2015 All-Stars who are former college baseball players (Arizona, Colorado, San Fran., Detroit, K.C. and Minnesota) … over the past two seasons (2014-15), the Texas Rangers are the only MLB team that has not featured at least one MLB All-Star who is a former college baseball player (San Diego had two in ’14, while Atlanta and Seattle had one each).
… the 2014 All-Stars included 33 former college baseball alums, spread out among 23 MLB teams (three from the As, and two each from the Giants, Cards, Padres, Royals, Tigers, Pirates, Blue Jays, Twins and Rockies) … all of those teams except the Padres also have multiple former college players among their 2015 All-Stars.
San Francisco Giants second baseman Joe Panik is part of the St. John’s baseball program’s alum group that also includes the likes of Frank Viola, John Franco, C.J. Nitkowski and Rich Aurilia.
• Cold-Weather Products – Roughly 20% of the Division I college baseball productss (6 of 32) among the 2015 All-Stars are products of programs from the Midwest or Northeast, including three (Frazier, Pollock and Panik) who played in the BIG EAST Conference (in the days before recent reconfiguration):
– Missouri: Max Scherzer (Detroit Tigers)
– Nebraska: Alex Gordon (Kansas City Royals)
– Rutgers: Todd Frazier (Cincinnati Reds)
– Notre Dame: A.J. Pollock (Arizona Diamondbacks)
– St. John’s: Joe Panik (San Francisco Giants)
– Minnesota: Glen Perkins (Minnesota Twins)
… a year ago, there were 11 former college players from the Midwest or Northeast among the 2014 All-Stars: Scherzer, Gordon, Perkins and Frazier, plus Ian Kinsler (Tigers/Missouri), Tony Watson (Pirates/Nebraska), Pat Newshek (Cardinals/Butler), Josh Harrison (Pirates/U. Cincinnati), Jeff Samardzija (Cubs & A’s/Notre Dame), Jordan Zimmerman (Nationals/Wis.-Stevens Point) and Mark Buehrle (Blue Jays/Jefferson JC).
A few weeks after cheering in Omaha for his alma mater Vanderbilt at the College World Series, Detroit Tigers pitcher David Price was named to the 2015 All-Star Game (he also was named to the 2014 All-Star team, as a member of Tampa Bay, but did not pitch in the game, due to pitching the previous Sunday for the Rays),
• CWS Teams Representing – Five of the 2015 College World Series programs (all but UVa, TCU and Fullerton – all of which had former players among the 2014 All Stars) can boast proud alums among the 2015 All-Stars (7 total), including two from NCAA runner-up Vanderbilt and two from Miami:
– Vanderbilt: LHP David Price (Rays) & RHP Sonny Gray (A’s)
– Miami: C Yasmani Grandal (Dodgers) & OF Ryan Braun (Brewers)
– Arkansas: LHP Dallas Kuechel (Astros)
– LSU: 2B DJ LeMahieu (Rockies)
– Florida: RHP Darren O’Day (Orioles)
… Half of the 2014 College World Series teams had former players among the 2014 All-Stars: Price, Virginia LHP Sean Doolittle (A’s), Texas: RHP Huston Street (Padres) and TCU 3B Matt Carpenter (Cardinals).
… The 2015 All-Stars include 15 players who also played in the College World Series earlier in their baseball careers:
Sonny Gray (Vanderbilt 2011)
Michael Wacha (Texas A&M 2011)
Gerrit Cole (UCLA 2010)
DJ Le Mahieu (LSU/2009 champs, ’08)
Dallas Kuechel (Arkansas 2009)
Brian Dozier (Southern Mississippi 2009)
Jason Kipnis (Arizona State 2009)
Buster Posey (Florida State 2008)
Yasmani Grandal (Miami 2008)
Ryan Braun (Miami 2003, ’04 and ’05)
Alex Gordon (Nebraska 2005)
Darren O’Day (Florida 2005)
Mark Teixeira (Georgia Tech 2000)
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• College Baseball Alums among 2015 All-Star Selections
(41 of 76, only 22 are straight-from HS players, plus 13 foreign players who did not play college baseball … 32 of the college baseball alums played on the DI level, plus a pair from D2, one NAIA and six who entered pro ball out of junior college)
courtesy of Pete LaFleur, CollegeBaseball360.com – please credit accordingly
Gerrit Cole (Pittsburgh Pirates/UCLA)
RIGHTHANDED PITCHERS (10, of 20)
National League
Max Scherzer (Washington Nationals) – Missouri
… *pitched on Sun./will not pitch Tues.*
(also 2014 All-Star)
Michael Wacha (St. Louis Cardinals) – Texas A&M
Gerrit Cole (Pittsburgh Pirates) – UCLA
Mark Melancon (Pittsburgh Pirates) – Arizona
Jonathan Papelbon (Philadelphia Phillies) – Mississippi State
Trevor Rosenthal (St. Louis Cardinals) – Cowley County (KS) JC
American League
Sonny Gray (Oakland A’s) – Vanderbilt *injured*
Darren O’Day (Baltimore Orioles) – Florida
Brad Boxberger (Tampa Bay Rays) – USC
Hector Santiago (Anaheil Angels) – Okaloosa-Walton (FL) JC *replacement player*
… 2014: Scherzer, Tim Hudson (Giants/Auburn, Craig Kimbrel (Braves/Wallace State JC), Pat Newshek (Cardinals/Butler), Tyson Ross (Padres/U. of California), Jeff Samardzija (Cubs & A’s/Notre Dame), Huston Street (Padres/U. of Texas), Jordan Zimmerman (Nationals/Wis.-Stevens Point and Greg Holland (Royals/Western Carolina)
Jacob de Grom (New York Mets/Stetson)
LEFTHANDED PITCHERS (5, of 9)
National League
Jacob de Grom (New York Mets) – Stetson
American League
Dallas Kuechel (Houston Astros) – Arkansas *starter*
David Price (Tampa Bay Rays) – Vanderbilt
(also 2014 All-Star)
Chris Sale (Chicago White Sox) – Florida Gulf Coast (also 2014 All-Star)
Glen Perkins (Minnesota Twins) – Minnesota
(also 2014 All-Star)
… 2014: Price, Sale, Perkins, Tony Watson (Pirates/U. of Nebraska), Mark Buehrle (Blue Jays/Jefferson JC) and Sean Doolittle (A’s/Virginia)
Yasmani Grandal (Los Angeles Dodgers/Univ. of Miami)
CATCHERS (4, of 6)
National League
Buster Posey (San Francisco Giants) – Florida State *starter*
Yasmani Grandel (Los Angeles Dodgers) – Univ. of Miami
American League
Russell Martin (Tortonto Blue Jays) – Chipola (FL) JC
Stephen Vogt (Oakland A’s) – Azusa Pacific
… 2014: Jonathan Lucroy (Brewers/Louisiana-Lafayette), Kurt Suzuki (Twins/Fullerton) and Matt Wieters (Orioles/Georgia Tech)
FIRST BASEMEN (3, of 7)
National League
Paul Goldschmidt (Arizona Diamondbacks) – Texas State *starter* (also 2014 starter)
American League
Mark Teixeira (New York Yankees) – Georgia Tech
Albert Pujols (Anaheim Angels) – Maple Woods (MO) JC
… 2014: Goldschmidt
DJ LeMahieu (Colorado Rockies.LSU)
SECOND BASEMEN (5, of 6)
National League
Dee Gordon (Los Angeles Dodgers) – Southeastern (FL) Univ. (NAIA) *starter/injured*
DJ LeMahieu (Colorado Rockies) – LSU
*starter via Gordon inj.*
Joe Panik (San Francisco Giants) – St. John’s
American League
Brian Dozier (Minnesota Twins) – Southern Mississippi *replacement player*
Jason Kipnis (Cleveland Indians) – Arizona State
… 2014: Gordon, Chase Utley (Phillies/UCLA), Daniel Murphy (Mets/Jacksonville U.) and Ian Kinsler (Tigers/Missouri)
SHORTSTOPS (2, of 5)
Former Long Beach State standout Troy Tulowitzki ias one of four former college baseball starters among the National League starters for the 2014 MLB All-Star Game and has returned to the 2015 All-Star Game as a replacement player.
National League
Brandon Crawford (San Francisco Giants) – UCLA
Troy Tulowitzki (Colorado Rockies) – Long Beach State (also 2014 All-Star)
American League
none
2014: Tulowitzki
THIRD BASEMEN (4, of 7)
National League
Todd Frazier (Cincinnati Reds) – Rutgers *starter* (also 2014 All-Star)
Kris Bryant (Chicago Cubs) – U. of San Diego
American League
Josh Donaldson (Toronto Blue Jays) – Auburn
(also 2014 All-Star, w/ Oakland A’s)
Brock Holt (Boston Red Sox) – Rice
2014: Frazier, Donaldson, Matt Carpenter (Cardinals/TCU) and Kyle Seager (Mariners/North Carolina)
Brett Gardner (N.Y. Yankees/College of Charleston)
LEFT FIELDERS (2, of 4)
National League
none
American League
Alex Gordon (Kansas City Royals) – Nebraska
(also 2014 All-Star)
Brett Gardner (New York Yankees) –
College of Charleston *replacement player*
2014: Gordon
CENTER FIELDERS (2, of 6)
National League
A.J. Pollock (Arizona Diamondbacks) – Notre Dame
American League
Lorenzeo Cain (Kansas City Royals) –
Tallahassee (FL) JC
2014: none
RIGHT FIELDERS (4, of 6)
National League
Ryan Braun (Milwaukee Brewers) – U. of Miami *replacement player*
Bryce Harper (Washington Nationals) – Southern Nevada JC
American League
J.D. Martinez (Detroit Tigers) – Nova Southeastern
Jose Bautista (Toronto Blue Jays) – Chipola (FL) JC
2014: Bautista, Charlie Blackmon (Rockies/Georgia Tech), Josh Harrison (Pirates/U. of Cincinnati) and Hunter Pence (Giants/Texas-Arlington).
Additional 2015 All-Stars pictured below:
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Max Scherzer (Missouri) – Detroit Tigers
Glen Perkins (Univ. of Minnesota/Minnesota Twins)
Sonny Gray (Oakland A’s/Vanderbilt)
Jason Kipnis (Cleveland Indians/Arizona St.)
Darren O’Day (Baltimore Orioles/Univ. of Florida)
Brad Boxberger (Tampa Bay Rays/USC)
Kris Bryant (Chicago Cubs/ Univ. of San Diego)
Brock Holt (Boston Red Sox/Rice)
Brian Dozier (Minnesota Twins/Southern Miss.)
Brandon Crawford (San Francisco Giants/UCLA)