Say for a second that Ryan Braun does not end up winning a starting spot in the National League's All-Star outfield. With Ben Sheets all but a lock to earn a spot on the team, which positional player would you pick: Braun or Corey Hart?
Don't worry, take some time and think about it.
Braun, naturally, is the popular pick. He leads the team with 20 home runs and 58 RBIs and is batting a respectable .279 on the year. He's become the young face of this up-and-coming Brewers team and has recently become the highest-paid player in franchise history.
Defensively, Braun has been average but consistent in his first-ever season - at any level - as an outfielder. He may never win a Gold Glove Award, but Braun is no longer the defensive liability he was as a third baseman.
But is Braun the most deserving?
At the opposite corner of the outfield is Hart. The lanky right-fielder bounced around the diamond in the minor leagues until a spot was finally found with the big-league club last year when he became the everyday right-fielder.
Making the most of his first full-time opportunity, Hart hit .295 with 24 homers and 81 RBIs. He spent a significant amount of time batting in the leadoff spot and was just as successful batting fifth behind Braun and Prince Fielder.
Hart hasn't dropped off a bit in 2008.
He's been undoubtedly the team's most consistent hitter all season and currently leads the squad with a .297 average. He's third on the team with 14 home runs and trails only Braun with 53 RBIs. In addition, Hart has perhaps the best speed of anybody on the team and is tops on the roster with a dozen stolen bases.
Only four times this season has Hart failed to collect a hit in consecutive games. He's had two two-game stretches, a three-game string in May and a four-game stretch that included one game in which Hart appeared only as a pinch-hitter.
Hart hits pitchers equally, with a .296 average against righties and .298 against lefties.
When it comes to defense, the numbers can be deceiving. Hart has just three outfield assists to Braun's six and he's been charged with four errors. While Braun has made great strides since moving to the outfield, Hart is in all likelihood the outfielder - with a possible move to centerfield someday - of the future. He's got above-average range and a strong arm.
Manager Ned Yost agrees with the theory that Hart is underrated, but doesn't think he is underappreciated.
"Corey's always been really, really underrated," Manager Yost said. "Do I personally think he's getting overlooked? Yes, I do. But is he? No. There's a lot of guys having great years that are in his category. He's been so underrated and lost in the shuffle his whole career. I mean, everywhere."
Hart is eligible for arbitration after this season and has earned a significant raise. With Braun now signed for the next several years and the prospect of reaching a similar agreement looking slimmer and slimmer by the day, it stands to reason that Hart is the next likely target for a long-term extension.
History shows, whether fair or not, that it's the most popular guy with good numbers that gets the nod. In that court of opinion, it's Braun that makes the obvious choice.
What do you think? Should the All-Star nod go to Braun or Hart? Or, maybe you think that somebody else is more deserving. Whatever your opinion is, use the Talkback feature below and let us know what you think.
