David Maxwell/Getty ImagesWhat if MLB's All-Star teams were comprised entirely of players 25-and-under http://www.bluejaysfanproshop.com/authentic-curtis-granderson-jersey , and what if those teams met in a completely hypothetical contest?Who would win?That's the question we're setting out to answer. First, a few ground rules:Both teams will feature 25 players, including 14 position players and 11 pitchers. The starting lineups must be populated by eight players who have logged at least an inning at the position in question in 2018, but we're not worrying about balancing the benches (like with a backup catcher, say).Players must be 25 years old or younger as of this writing (duh).Guys don't have to be healthy, but they need to have accumulated enough WAR while they were on the field this season.Speaking of which: Rosters were selected based on FanGraphs' WAR rankings for 2018 entering play Monday. Yes, WAR is an imperfect measure of player value. Granted, this inevitably sparked some controversial calls (for example: ride the pine, Bryce Harper). But we didn't have a big, fancy fan vote it's tough to argue WAR didn't help us pick two pretty darn good squads stocked with some of the most exciting burgeoning talent in the game.In cases of a tie, we broke it based on career WAR.As for who would win? We'll tally up the totals and save that for the end.American League Starters1 of 7Adam Glanzman/Getty ImagesCGary Sanchez, New York Yankees (age 25, 1.2 WAR)1BMatt Olson, Oakland Athletics (age 24, 1.6 WAR)2BAlex Bregman, Houston Astros (age 24, 4.5 WAR)SSFrancisco Lindor, Cleveland Indians (age 24, 5.3 WAR)3BJose Ramirez, Cleveland Indians (age 25, 6.5 WAR)OFMookie Betts, Boston Red Sox (age 25, 6.3 WAR)OFAndrew Benintendi, Boston Red Sox (age 24, 3.6 WAR)OFDaniel Robertson, Tampa Bay Rays (age 24, 2.2 WAR) We fudged a little sliding the Houston Astros' Alex Bregman from his natural position at third base to second, but he did log one start there this season.That said, he rounds out a superb infield that includes the Oakland Athletics' Matt Olson and Cleveland Indians cohorts Jose Ramirez and Francisco Lindor, who have hit like a latter-day Babe Ruth/Lou Gehrig tandem in 2018.Behind the dish, New York Yankees receiver Gary Sanchez is out with a groin injury but is expected back after the All-Star break, per Marc Carig of The Athletic. He's hitting a subpar .190 but has cracked 14 homers with 41 RBI in 63 games.In the outfield, Boston Red Sox teammates Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi bring their enviable, toolsy skill sets and are joined by Daniel Robertson of the Tampa Bay Rays, a versatile wild card who's played left field, every infield position and even pitched a scoreless frame.National League Starters2 of 7Scott Cunningham/Getty ImagesCJorge Alfaro Freddy Galvis Jersey , Philadelphia Phillies (age 25, 1.1 WAR)1B Cody Bellinger, Los Angeles Dodgers (age 23, 2.1 WAR)2BOzzie Albies, Atlanta Braves (age 21, 3.4 WAR)SSTrevor Story, Colorado Rockies (age 25, 3.0 WAR)3BJavier Baez, Chicago Cubs (age 25, 3.4 WAR)OF Kyle Schwarber, Chicago Cubs (age 25, 2.6 WAR)OFBrandon Nimmo, New York Mets (age 25, 2.5 WAR)OFBrian Anderson, Miami Marlins (age 25, 2.1 WAR) That's one heck of an emerging infield.Occasional struggles aside, the Los Angeles Dodgers' Cody Bellinger and Trevor Story boast a combined 37 homers and 112 RBI at first base and shortstop, respectively.Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies was recently called "one of the best hitters I've ever seen" by no less an authority than the Astros' Jose Altuve, per Gabriel Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Cubs' Javier Baez was a stretch at third considering he's spent far more time at the keystone sack and shortstop, but he's manned the hot corner, and his 19 homers, NL-leading 72 RBI and .892 OPS are too good to ignore.On the subject of Cubbies, Baez is the only North Side player with a higher WAR than Kyle Schwarber, who's cracked 18 home runs with an .873 OPS and gets a nod in the outfield next to the New York Mets' Brandon Nimmo (13 HR, .863 OPS) and Miami Marlins' Brian Anderson, who CBS Sports' R.J. Anderson said might be "the most underappreciated rookie in the game" for his all-around play.American League Bench3 of 7Bob Levey/Getty ImagesINF Xander Bogaerts, Boston Red Sox (age 25, 3.2 WAR)INF Matt Chapman, Oakland Athletics (age 25, 3.0 WAR)INF Carlos Correa, Houston Astros (age 23, 2.4 WAR)OF Jurickson Profar, Texas Rangers (age 25, 1.9 WAR)INF Tim Anderson, Chicago White Sox (age 25, 1.8 WAR)INFJeimer Candelario Randal Grichuk Jersey , Detroit Tigers (age 24, 1.8 WAR)Baltimore Orioles superstar (for now) and likely trade deadline wave-maker Manny Machado turned 26 on July 6.That leaves the Boston Red Sox's Xander Bogaerts, the Houston Astros' Carlos Correa and the Chicago White Sox's Tim Anderson to form one of the most impressive collections of 25-and-under shortstops you'll ever see. Period.Rounding out the AL bench are the Detroit Tigers' Jeimer Candelario, A's first baseman Matt Chapman and Texas Rangers' utilityman Jurickson Profar.It's a versatile collection you'll be hearing a lot more from in the near future.National League Bench4 of 7Mike Stobe/Getty ImagesINFTrea Turner, Washington Nationals (age 25, 2.7 WAR)INF Addison Russell, Chicago Cubs (age 24, 2.0 WAR)INF Jose Peraza, Cincinnati Reds (age 24, 1.8 WAR)INF Paul DeJong, St. Louis Cardinals (age 24, 1.6 WAR)OF Albert Almora Jr., Chicago Cubs (age 24, 1.6 WAR)OF Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals (age 25, 1.5 WAR) Cue the superstar controversy.Harper is having an uneven year for the Washington Nationals. He's also won a Rookie of the Year and MVP award, has 23 home runs and an .833 OPS and is one of the most famous baseball players on the planet.If this were based on past accomplishments or jersey sales, he'd be in the starting nine. As it is, he scarcely squeaked onto a solid bench that features his speedy fellow Nat Trea Turner, Cubs teammates Addison Russell and Albert Almora Jr., plus the St. Louis Cardinals' Paul DeJong and Cincinnati Reds' Jose Peraza.Harper should be OK hanging with those guys while he waits to get in the game.American League Pitchers5 of 7Tom Szczerbowski/Getty ImagesRHP Luis Severino, New York Yankees (age 24, 4.0 WAR)RHP Edwin Diaz, Seattle Mariners (age 24, 2.4 WAR)RHP Jose Berrios, Minnesota Twins (age 24, 2.3 WAR)LHP Blake Snell, Tampa Bay Rays (age 25, 2.3 WAR)RHP Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Angels (age 24, 2.1 WAR)RHP Lance McCullers Jr., Houston Astros (age 24, 1.9 WAR)LHP Eduardo Rodriguez, Boston Red Sox (age 25, 1.9 WAR)RHP Jose Leclerc, Texas Rangers (age 24 Jose Bautista Jersey , 1.4 WAR)RHP Michael Fulmer, Detroit Tigers (age 25, 1.4 WAR)RHP Joe Jimenez, Detroit Tigers (age 23, 1.3 WAR)RHP Reynaldo Lopez, Chicago White Sox (age 24, 1.2 WAR) Yankees righty Luis Severino is the undisputed ace of this staff and obviously should start our imaginary contest.After that, the AL can turn to a bevy of emerging starting stars such as the Rays' Blake Snell and one of the best closers in the game in the Seattle Mariners' Edwin Diaz.The most eyebrow-raising addition here is the Los Angeles Angels' Shohei Ohtani, who came on strong as a two-way star before succumbing to elbow trouble and is back with the bat in Anaheim but hasn't pitched in a game since June 6.The assumption is the 24-year-old will again take the mound in the majors, so we combined his WAR as a hitter and hurler and gave him a nod.National League Pitchers6 of 7Mike Stobe/Getty ImagesRHP Aaron Nola, Philadelphia Phillies (age 25, 4.2 WAR)LHP Josh Hader, Milwaukee Brewers (age 24, 2.1 WAR)RHP Noah Syndergaard, New York Mets (age 25, 2.0 WAR)RHP Zach Eflin, Philadelphia Phillies (age 24, 1.9 WAR)LHP Kyle Freeland, Colorado Rockies (age 25, 1.8 WAR)RHP Nick Pivetta, Philadelphia Phillies (age 25, 1.7 WAR)RHP Seranthony Dominguez, Philadelphia Phillies (age 23, 1.5 WAR)RHP Luke Weaver, St. Louis Cardinals (age 24, 1.5 WAR)LHP Andrew Suarez, San Francisco Giants (age 25, 1.4 WAR)RHP Walker Buehler, Los Angeles Dodgers (age 23, 1.4 WAR)RHP German Marquez, Colorado Rockies (age 23, 1.2 WAR) Noah Syndergaard returned to action July 13 for the Mets and threw five innings of one-run ball at home against the Nationals. It was a positive step forward for Thor, who missed extended time to a finger injury.Let's say he's fully healthy and throwing triple-digit bolts. He's your guy. If not, it's Phillies righty Aaron Nola, who has fanned 24 while allowing only three earned runs in 20 July frames.Oh, and after that the NL can hand the ball to the Milwaukee Brewers' Josh Hader http://www.bluejaysfanproshop.com/authentic-curtis-granderson-jersey , who pairs his 1.50 ERA with a no-that's-not-a-typo 16.7 strikeouts per nine innings.Might want to save him for the late innings. Or not.And the Winner Is...7 of 7Adam Glanzman/Getty ImagesGames are played on the field, not on the stat sheet, to recycle one of sports' oldest cliches. Baseball, though, thrives on numbers. We love to play with the stats.In case you didn't dust off the abacus, here's how this one shook out:National League: 52.1 WARAmerican League: 69.5 WARThat's a decisive edge for the AL, based largely on the strength of its glitziest under-25 stars such as Ramirez, Lindor and Betts. On top of that, the Junior Circuit posted a better collective WAR in every category.Is that how it would end up on an actual ballfield? We'll never know. But it's a fun thing to chew on while we await the actual Midsummer Classic in the nation's capital. All statistics current as of Monday and courtesy of FanGraphs. Rockies news and links for February 15, 2019"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Scaling the RocksPebble ReportRockpileRockies Game ThreadsRockies Fan ExperienceRockpileHow not to get to the playoffsNew,136commentsRockies news and links for February 15, 2019MSTShareTweetShareShareHow not to get to the playoffs3 reasons why the 2019 Colorado Rockies won’t make the postseason | Rox PileWhile we hope the Rockies can get to another round of playoffs, there are a few things they need to work to overcome in order to achieve that goal. One issue that might arise is some regression for the pitchers. Both Kyle Freeland and German Marquez had outstanding seasons, and we have to hope they can repeat that, which is no easy task. The Rockies also hope for Jon Gray and Tyler Anderson can step up in case that dreaded slump occurs. Health remains a big factor, too. Hopefully the rotation can maintain their health throughout the season. This hope extends beyond the mound, though. Trevor Story’s elbow injury near the end of last season nearly derailed postseason plans. Nolan Arenado’s shoulder soreness was another scare. If one of the starters sustains an injury, the question is if one of the young players could successfully step in. Daniel Murphy was the big offseason gain, and it’s the hope that the 34-year-old can remain healthy after last year’s knee surgery. One more thing to keep an eye on is those young players. They certainly have the potential, but can they stay healthy and perform to expectations? The Rockies stand a chance for another playoff appearance, but they do have some concerns to watch out for. Rockies’ Bryan Shaw is confident 2019 will be better than 2018 disaster | Denver Post ($)Bryan Shaw was hyped to have a fantastic 2018 season. He had the playoff experience the Rockies were hoping for an had great success with Cleveland. Shaw was anticipated to be part of the super bullpen that was to be in 2018. The reality was somewhat different. He struggled immensely. Whether this was due to waning velocity and strength, or the high and dry Denver air, no one knows. Shaw claims, though, that he just didn’t execute well. As spring training gets underway, he’s optimistic that his postseason work will do the trick. He worked on techniques and mechanics, getting his delivery right. Hopefully he can show that in the next couple weeks and restore our faith in him. Ian Desmond: The good, the bad and his future with the Rockies | Denver Post ($)Ian Desmond’s time in Denver has been rather disappointing. Between his high ground ball percentage, -0.6 Wins Above Replacement, and below average slash line, he’s not quite living up to this $70 million contract. However, Bud Black has continued to show faith in him. Desmond started at first base in 131 games and 13 in the outfield last year. Desmond did offer up 22 home runs and 88 RBIs in 2018. For 2019, we’re most likely going to see Desmond playing center field with Charlie Blackmon bumped over to left field. Black must think this is the best arrangement and could see some positive results in the new season.2019 ZiPS Projections - Colorado Rockies | FanGraphsDan Szymborski has broken down projections for the Rockies for the 2019 season. He breaks down the potential in various positions, with high hopes on the promising pitching rotation. There’s also reason to be optimistic about Brendan Rodgers. Overall, it looks like the Rockies might be in for a better offensive season this year.Some possibly good news on the Nolan Arenado front...