Michael Saunders is Captain Canada.The Toronto Blue Jays outfielder from British Columbia, Canada, captured the 2016 MLB Final Vote, earning himself the last spot on the American League All-Star roster.After an up-and-down start to his career that was largely plagued by injuries, Saunders has broken out in his eighth Major League season and, shockingly, been one of the game's top offensive performers (creating 46 percent more runs than a league-average hitter). While deserving of the nod, Saunders is without question one of the most surprising all-stars heading to San Diego next week.After Toronto traded for Saunders in 2015, a meniscus tear forced the outfielder to miss the vast majority of the season, only playing eight games in a disappointing start to his Blue Jays career. In January 2016, Saunders and the Blue Jays avoided salary arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $2.9 million contract, and he's since proved his worth and then some, a year before hitting the open market for the first time in his career.The 29-year-old has played in 79 of the Jays' 88 games, hitting .298, with a .372 OBP, .932 OPS, 16 homers and 41 RBI. He's only three homers shy of his career high and his 2.1 WAR ranks seventh among AL outfielders.Saunders' Final Vote campaign most certainly benefited from his supportive home country. Born and raised in Canada, Saunders also plays for Canada's team, the Toronto Blue Jays, earning him the nickname Captain Canada, and 98.6 percent of the vote from north of the border.Saunders becomes the fourth Blue Jay named to the All-Star Game, joining Marco Estrada, Edwin Encarnacion, and Josh Donaldson with the honour. Estrada, however, won't take part in the game as a result of a back injury that landed him on the disabled list.This will be Saunders' first All-Star Game appearance and he will be the game's sole Canadian representative.San Francisco Giants first baseman Brandon Belt was the Final Vote winner in the National League.Photo by Kevin Sousa-USA TODAY Sports
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