Major League Baseball’s midsummer classic is always a must-see event for me. It is the purest and most interesting of all of the major all-star game events in my opinion, as the game is played just like any game during the regular season. No special rules effect the way the game is played, and the players approach the mound, the batter’s box and the field just like they would any other day: To win.

After the 2002 All-Star Game, in which the game ended in a tie much to the dismay of the fans, MLB decided to make the game count by having the winner claim home-field advantage, putting a greater emphasis on the teams and players to win the game knowing that something at stake was on the line. While I’m not a huge fan of that rule, I understand why it was instituted.

Aside from the game itself, I always enjoy scanning the rosters of the American and National League teams to see where the players came from. With so much talk around the draft about how certain players were later round picks (Mike Piazza in the 62nd round, John Smoltz in the 22nd round, etc.) I always like to counter those comments by focusing on how many superstars were drafted in the early rounds of the draft, particularly the first round.

I have always contended that baseball’s best talent comes from the early rounds in the draft, a tribute to the scouts that evaluate the talent before it even reaches the big-leagues. The job they do (and the job that Perfect Game and it’s network of scouting professionals does) is reflected by this talent, as the draft isn’t a crap-shoot like many make it out to be.

This year’s game was no different, as 25 of the 72 players that were selected to participate in the All-Star Game were former first-round picks. Four of those first-rounders were the first overall picks in their respective drafts (Josh Hamilton, Adrian Gonzalez, Joe Mauer and Justin Upton).

Eight more all-stars were taken in the second round, two in the third, four in the fourth, two in the fifth, five in the sixth and two in the eighth. Five players were taken in the 11th and 13th rounds, and eight players were taken in the 20th round and beyond. There are always later round gems to be unearthed, but I think it’s clear teams are much more likely to land a potential and perennial all-star with their first-round picks.

(11 of the players were non-drafted free agents, most of those being players from Latin America (and one, Ichiro Suzuki, from Japan).)

I also found it interesting that both of the starting pitchers (Tim Lincecum and Roy Halladay) were former first-round picks. After breaking down players in previous columns, I have discovered that the second round has offered some really good, Hall of Fame caliber pitchers such as Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, Curt Schilling, Al Leiter and David Wells. This year’s group of second rounders were highlighted by bats, including the game MVP and Perfect Game alum, Carl Crawford.

In a recurring theme I have brought up in past columns, all-star Adrian Gonzalez is an excellent case of a team (the Florida Marlins) making the right pick with their first-rounder even if that choice bucks conventional wisdom of who should be taken where. He was participating in his second consecutive all-star game, and is on his way to enjoying his third consecutive 30 home run, 100 RBI season, while flashing arguably the slickest glove at first base in the game right now.

While both the Marlins and Rangers somewhat lost patience with Gonzalez (the Rangers traded both Gonzalez and Chris Young to the Padres for Adam Eaton and Akinori Otsuka, which has to be one of the Padres’ best trades in their organization’s history), who was somewhat slow to develop in the minors, he is one of the league’s best players that no one knows about, playing half of his games in a ballpark that suppresses offense.

This makes the game that much more gratifying for me, because the more of these games I watch, the more I’m watching players that I have covered when they were in high school and college.

Prince becomes King

The home run derby is also the most exciting all-star game related event affiliated with all of the major sporting events all-star game festivities. The derby moves at a slow pace, and can make watching the event on TV a long and somewhat boring event, especially since the commentators feel as though they need to be speaking at all times to fill the time. From seeing home run derbies at showcase events and other all-star game festivities below the Major League level, I know this is common the way they are conducted, but it is still fun to watch hitters try to slug the ball as far as humanly possible.

That comes easy for Prince Fielder, this year’s derby winner. If you watched the contest (or even have followed Fielder’s career), you know that he is all about power. One home run he hit exceeded 500 feet, and his average distance was somewhere in the 460-480 foot range.

The Brewers took him with the seventh overall pick in the 2002 draft (another pick that somewhat bucked conventional wisdom given concerns about Fielder’s conditioning and glove at first base), and they certainly have looked good doing so. I got to see Fielder at the team’s pre-draft workout prior to being drafted, where he launched one shot off of the Miller Park’s scoreboard as part of a live scrimmage. Not surprisingly, three days later he was the team’s first-round pick.

First base has always been a difficult position to make the all-star team, and the emergence of players such as Fielder and Gonzalez, with Albert Pujols and Ryan Howard seemingly as mainstays on the team for years to come, is going to make it that much more difficult for any other player to make the cut.

The thoughts and opinions listed here do not necessarily reflect those of Perfect Game USA. Patrick Ebert is affiliated with both Perfect Game USA and Brewerfan.net, and can be contacted via email at pebert@brewerfan.net.