Would Joe Mauer or Josh Willingham Make a Better Minnesota Twins Rep for 2012 MLB All-Star Game?

As the 2012 MLB All-Star game approaches, and fans vote away at the second round of the ballot, there is one question Minnesota Twins’ fans might be asking themselves: who would make a better Twins representative at the 2012 MLB All-Star game?

The game is only a little under a month away, and fans are anxious to get a representative from Minnesota. We may be the worst team in our league right now, but we still have some major All-Star potential on our team that deserves some consideration.

Fan-favorite Joe Mauer came in second among catchers in the American League for the first round of the All-Star ballot, but I have heard many fans complain that Mauer doesn’t “deserve” to play in the All-Star game. Many are saying left-fielder Josh Willingham would be a better pick to play in the game, which will be in Kansas City on July 10^th.

Now, don’t get me wrong, Willingham has been an impeccable player for the Minnesota Twins, with 13 home runs this season, putting him 12^th overall in the American League for home runs. Yet even though he is an impressive player right now, is he truly All-Star potential? And how does he stack up against Joe Mauer?

I’d like to take a minute to compare the two statistically, and I’ll let you be the judge of who truly “deserves” to be in the 2012 MLB All-Star game.

Our 29 year-old hometown hero Joe Mauer boasts a respectable .306 batting average this season, with 66 hits and 31 RBI. For his major-league career, Mauer holds an impressive .322 batting average.

North Alabama native, 33 year-old Josh Willingham, holds a similar record this season, with a slightly lower batting average of .283, 62 hits, and 45 RBI. However, for the course of Willingham’s major-league career, he only holds an unimposing batting average of .263.

It becomes more and more difficult for one to say Willingham could even hold a candle to Mauer when you compare the fact that Willingham, in 219 at-bats, has had 60 strike-outs this season. Mauer has had half that number in 216 at-bats this season.

All in all, I think it’s safe to say the choice is obvious. Joe Mauer is our fan-favorite hometown hero for a reason. He may have hit a few less homers than Willingham this season, but when you really compare the two side by side, Mauer has been the kind of long-term talent that is deserving of an All-Star game. In spite of injury and losing streaks, he continues to perform well for the Twins season after season. Joe Mauer is truly an All-Star. Josh Willingham, to be quite honest, is simply having a good season.