"Air Gordon" soaring to All-Star Game

Dee Gordon came into the 2015 season with a chip on his shoulder and a point to prove. Throughout his career, Gordon has been defined by his work on the base paths and nothing else. And this season, Gordon has constantly proven detractors wrong and he's flying straight to Cincinnati for the 2015 Major League All-Star Game.

Gordon's rise has propelled him to a status similar to one the one he had in Los Angeles: a fan favorite. The 27 year old second baseman has jumped into the hearts of Marlins fans with his acrobatic mini hoop dunks over teammates during post game interviews and his happy go lucky attitude. His status among the Miami fans is a large reason why Gordon made the All-Star game, panning votes from Marlins fans and baseball fans in general.

Dee Gordon loves to smile, and he's had a lot to smile about this season: a hot start, breaking records, and having all of the makings of a true breakout season. While his production has slowed from it's historic early season levels, Gordon is still batting a remarkable .335, way above his career average of .286, and ranks him third in the National League batting title race. Gordon has also stolen 30 bases, continuing to showcase his spectacular speed that got him to where he is today, ranking second in the National League only behind the dynamic Billy Hamilton, who has swiped 42 bags.

If those numbers don't tell the story, here are some more that may illustrate just how good Gordon is. He is having one of the greatest slap-hitting seasons of all-time. Gordon also has a 24 precent strikeout rate, which is well below the league average and he has exhibited great plate vision. As the season has gone on, Gordon's numbers have decreased but it's still at an impressive level and he is still on pace for a season well above the .300 mark.

So in an All-Star voting season defined by some voting inconsistencies, the voters got this one right. Dee Gordon is deserving of his All-Star bid. Nobody can wait to see him take the field representing the best of the National League at Great American Ballpark on July 13th.