May 19, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Starling Marte (6) celebrates with teammates after defeating the Houston Astros at PNC Park. The Pittsburgh Pirates won 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

All-star voting started very early this year, and while most fans just stuff the ballot box for the players on their favorite teams, some people (including myself) prefer to be a bit more objective with their voting. The All-Star game isn’t a big deal as far as a game goes, and most people can agree with that, but the prestige of being an MLB All-Star is quite the honor, and the players certainly seem to appreciate receiving such awards. So, while trying not to be a total homer, which Pirates deserve to go to the mid-summer classic?

The Easy Choices:

Starling Marte. I’ve had concerns about Marte before, particularly looking at his plate discipline, but there’s not much more you could ask for from a leadoff hitter. Marte is batting .305, with five home runs, and seventeen RBI. He’s covered the vast expanse of left field at PNC like a gold glover. He’s batting an incredible .486 in the first inning this year. If you want to talk about a guy who can instantly jump start an offense at the beginning of the game, you’d be hard pressed to find many better. Marte shouldn’t just be at the game, but he should be in serious considerations for the starting left fielder. Starling Marte: Even atheists believe.

A.J. Burnett. Burnett leads the NL in strikeouts so far with seventy-nine, he has an ERA of 2.57. Burnett has been absolutely stellar so far this year, the only thing that would hold him back from being picked to go to the game would be the fact that he has a record of 3-4 so far, due almost exclusively to the fact that the Pirates have given him so little run support. Burnett might be retiring after this season as well (he mentioned the possibility during spring training), so it would be great to see him get the honor of being at the All-Star game as well.

Mark Melancon. He has an ERA 0f 0.78, is there anything more that needs to be discussed? How about his 9.0 K/9? That’s pretty good too. Or what about his WHIP of 0.783? If there’s a better setup man in baseball this year, I haven’t noticed him yet. His stuff is electric, and he’s been a great return on the Hanrahan trade so far this year.

Jason Grilli. He leads all of the major leagues in saves, his era is a minuscule 0.92 this year, and he’s striking out an astonishing 14.2 batters per nine innings pitched. Grilli is a fan favorite, and as a guy previously known as a journeyman for the rest of his career, it’s great to see him dominating like he is at a later stage in his career.

The Homer Pick:

Andrew McCutchen. McCutchen has been good this year, but has he been good enough to be considered an All-Star? A .280 batting average with six home runs and twenty-three RBI is very good, but is it enough to be an All-Star outfielder in the NL this year? I’m not sure. It may be that because he was so amazing last year, I’m less impressed with some very quality numbers that he’s putting up. It could also be that he really is playing above average baseball, but not elite baseball right now. As the Pirates fan that I am, I’ve voted for him. As a fan of another team? I might not be voting for him. There have been a lot of NL outfielders putting on shows to this point in the season, so my vote might go elsewhere as a fan of another team.

Who are your picks for the All-Star game from the Pirates roster? Did I leave any deserving candidates off of the list? Was I wrong to pick some of the players that I did? Sound off in the comments section.

May 19, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez (right) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Houston Astros during the fifth inning at PNC Park. The Pittsburgh Pirates won 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Looking back at this series, you can’t help but notice how strange it was. The three games were decided by a dropped pop-up (game one), Mark Melancon with a rare bad outing allowing the Astros to extend game two, leading to an extra innings win, and the Pirates winning game three 1-0, on an opposite field home run by Pedro Alvarez. Yes, you read that correctly, Pedro Alvarez hit a ball out of the park to left field.

We didn’t expect a sweep of the Astros, but two of three is fine. The same expectations and hopes are held for the Cubs series. If the Pirates take two of three from the Cubs, they’ll have done their job against the weakest part of their schedule for the month of May. Matt Garza will start game one of the series, and I like the Pirates chances against him.

The Pirates batting average as a team against Garza is .295 over the course of his career. Garza does have an excellent K/BB ratio against the Pirates (25/3), but given the Pirates relatively high team average against him, their chances should be pretty good to open the series.

Wandy Rodriguez will get the start for the Pirates in the first game of the series, and his last two starts have been stellar, totaling thirteen innings and only giving up two runs over those starts.Wandy has dealt in his last few chances, so let’s hope his hand stays hot tomorrow night as well.

The Pirates have to take two of the three they play with the Cubs, not just to keep pace with the Reds and Cardinals right now, but because a three game series at the house of horrors is next. Oh, I’m not looking forward to that. The Pirates wins against the Astros were weird, but as long as they keep winning baseball games, it doesn’t matter how they do it.

May 1, 2013; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Michael McKenry motions home run as he rounds the bases in the 7th inning during the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

I love Michael McKenry as much as the next Pirates fan, he’s been a great locker room guy and is a fan favorite thanks to several clutch home runs and hits. The problem is that he doesn’t have a role on the Pirates anymore.

Russell Martin has been everything Pittsburgh dreamed he would be and a force at and behind the plate. He is hitting for an outstanding .283 average with 6 bombs. The Pirates’ pitching staff is also leading the league in opposing hitter’s average, 4^th in ERA, and 4^th in strikeouts. Martin also leads the MLB in thrown out runners.

May 4, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Russell Martin (55) returns the ball to the pitcher against the Washington Nationals during the seventh inning at PNC Park. The Washington Nationals won 5-4. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The other issue is that McKenry is blocking one of the Pirates’ top prospects. Tony Sanchez, after a slow start, has been tearing up AAA. He now boasts a .303 average on the season with 3 dingers. The Pirates’ top pick in the 2009 began his pro career very strong but 2 jaw injuries derailed his fast track to the majors. Last season in AAA Sanchez only hit for a .233 avg and was on the verge of being labeled as a huge bust. Many saw him as a strong defensive catcher with little offensive upside. Now Sanchez is hitting for a high average and his highest slugging percentage since 2009. Sanchez can still be a big asset on this team with his defense and potential to be the Pirates’ starting catcher after Martin leaves.

February 28, 2013; Bradenton, FL, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Tony Sanchez (59) works out prior to the game against the Boston Red Sox at McKechnie Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Sanchez should be called up soon. He’s been down in the minors for 4 years now which is a long time for a college hitter. He’s always had the defense and the ability to call a great game and now with his offense turning around there is nothing holding him back. Russell Martin has been the catcher the Pirates’ have waited for since the departure of Jason Kendall.

With all that said there is no room for The Fort. The veteran catcher could be a nice piece in a potential trade, especially to an American League team. McKenry has the power and bat to be a solid DH or still be a quality role player for a team. McKenry paired with some other talent could fetch a nice return. It would be a sad day to see the player who twice lead comebacks agains the Reds leave, but if the price is right he becomes expendable.