The Snubbed, and Forgotten
July 11, 2022 - It’s that time of year again, where I shit on the MLB for who they left out of the All-Star game. To give them credit, I do believe they got about 92% of the American League, and 85% of the National League correct. Like always there are some guys you can’t leave off that list like, Aaron Judge, Sandy Alcantara, and Yordan Alvarez. But, there are some questionable representatives on the list who I don’t think deserve to be there like, Juan Soto, Nestor Cortes, and Clayton Kershaw . The All-Star game should include every deserving player to be part of the mid summer classic no matter the amount of rosters spots. This is an event that can have an effect on players careers as well as their contracts moving forward into the future.
Unfortunately, this happens every year and it needs to change. Here are the some of the players I believe should be included in this years All-Star game, that didn’t.
Dylan Cease - Chicago White-Sox
Cease has a 7-4 record with a 2.45 ERA, 133 K which only follow Corbin Burnes and Shane McClanahan. This guy deserves to be an All-Star and there is no question about it. He has carried a very up and down Chicago White-Sox team to a 41-44 record and just 5.5 games out of first place in the division. It is complete horse shit that he is not an All-Star.
2. Logan Gilbert - Seattle Mariners
Gilbert, is a legitimate Cy Young candidate. He has a 10-3 record, 2.80 ERA , 100K and a 1.170 WHIP. He is the leader of the Mariners pitching staff, who are in the Wild Card race right now after a 21 year drought from the playoffs! HOW IS HE NOT AN ALL- STAR!! Come on MLB.
3. Ty France - Seattle Mariners
Like Gilbert, Ty France is a main factor on why the Mariners have been so good this year. France is batting .306 with 10 HR, 45 RBI and a .460 SLG. He is on pace to have a career year, but was left off the roster because fan favorite, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. won the fan vote. France deserves to be at least a DH in the game with Yordan Alvarez on the IL, and Shohei Ohtani listed as a SP.
4. Austin Riley - Atlanta Braves
This one really pisses me off. Austin Riley has been incredible for the Atlanta Braves this season batting .282 with 24 HR and 57 RBI. He is on the World Series Champion Braves who started out as an outfielder for the Braves and has moved to third base wonderfully. Riley is top 10 in Home runs, RBI, and OPS this season but still left off the roster.
5. Kyle Wright - Atlanta Braves
I would be ok if the Braves had 15 guys on the All-Star roster, they have been that good lately. Wright has been a work horse for the Braves starting rotation, putting up Cy Young like numbers. Wright has 10 wins, 2.97 ERA, 103 K and a 1.16 WHIP. Being the first year we really get to see what stuff Wright has on the mound, he has proven he belongs in the All-Star game.
6. Zach Wheeler - Philadelphia Phillies
After starting the year on the IL, Wheeler hasn’t missed a beat. He has gone 8-4 with a 2.46 ERA, 104 K and a 1.05 WHIP, ranking in the top 20 in every pitching category! With the Injury of Harper the Phillies do not have a representative in the All-Star game so there is no question that Wheeler will take his place, but it is still ridiculous that he wasn’t added to the roster immediately.
These are just six of the players I think are deserving of being added to the All-Star game. Some honorable mentions I have include Josh Bell and Freddie Freeman, both hitting over .300. Devin Williams who has a sub 2.00 era and has been nothing short of dominant for the Milwaukee Brewers. Carlos Rodon who is the face of the Giants with a 11.16 WAR just following Corbin Burnes of the Brewers for the best in the National League. There are so many players who are having career years that have been overlooked or forgotten because they are not “Stars” of Major League Baseball. I think Carlos Rodon said it best when he said, “ All-Star snub hurts more for guys who haven’t received the honor in the past.” Could you imagine having a career year (so far) and not being included in the All-Star game because players like Clayton Kershaw who is an 8x All-Star but has 40 less innings and strikeouts than some guys makes the list? It’s shit like this that pisses me off because there are more deserving players out there that should be an All-Star.
The Solution
I have thought of a solution for Major League Baseball. Fuck the representatives from each team in the All-Star game. No one cares about it and it is taking up roster spots for players who deserve to be there. The MLB has made the All-Star game a chance for fans to see the best of the best play together. So, why do you have players less deserving on shitty teams becoming All-Stars when there are players who are grinding every day just to be snubbed and forgotten? There needs to be a change because it has become a problem for fans, like myself, who think it should be the top players in the first half of the season no matter what.