A’s Yoenis Cespedes Deserving Of All-Star Nod

The A’s may not generate much buzz around the league, but Yoenis Cespedes is definitely a buzz-worthy member of the green-and-gold. Cespedes, who was brought in by the Athletics on a four-year, $36 million deal this offseason, has put up solid numbers in his first full-month of big league action.

Oakland’s center fielder has a .253/.341/.494 slash line entering Monday’s contest against the Boston Red Sox. He also leads the team in home runs (5) and RBIs (19). He’s been one of the very few reasons why anyone should watch the A’s this year. He’s been a major team contributor overall this season and has offered flashes of his enormous power potential. Entering Monday, Cespedes has a .240 ISO.

He’s the best A’s player, in my mind, and is definitely deserving of an All-Star nod. At the very least, Cespedes’ name should come up in conversation about the All-Star game this season. But the small-market Athletics get very little recognition compared to the bigger-market teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, and the power houses that rule the AL West in the Rangers and Angels. The A’s often find themselves in the shadows of those clubs and as a result, players like Cespedes often go unnoticed.

Cespedes, 26, still has a lot of room to grow, but he’s certainly lived up to all the hype that surrounded him when Oakland snatched him up from the competition. He may strike out a ton—he has posted a 26.4 K% thus far—but Cespedes has provided a major spark for Oakland’s anemic offense. Even when he does strike out, Cespedes is an exciting specimen to watch. He makes A’s games, in my opinion, anyway, watchable.

He definitely has my vote as Oakland’s current All-Star representative. Hopefully the rest of the nation takes notice of this guy and helps vote him into the All-Star game this year.

_____________________

Follow me on twitter @oaklandace75 and for more A’s related analysis, stories, and opinions, follow us on twitter @FS_SwinginAs or like us on Facebook.