Let’s start off with the most obvious statement. The MLB is filled to the top with amazing, talented superstars.
When the calendar turns to July, baseball fans rejoice. The Midsummer classic is here. Not only do we get to watch hundreds of balls go over the fence during the derby, but we get to see dream matchups during the annual AL vs NL best game. The only part better than that? Complaining that a player on our favourite team got snubbed.
Now that isn’t actually our favourite part, but the politics in voting on the all-star players makes for interesting discussion. The combination of every team needing a representative and specific positions needing to be filled will always leave some players feeling hard done by. Let’s take a look at some of those situations.
Fernando Tatís Jr.
Tatis was always going to be a tricky situation. With the voting relying on fans and league members, selecting a player returning from a PED suspension was most likely never in the cards. However, Tatis returned like he never left, showcasing both his power and electric speed on a nightly basis. What’s even more impressive is his seamless transition to outfield, where he ranks as an above average defender. It’s possible he gets the call as a replacement, but a competitive NL outfield group only added to his struggle.
Ketel Marte
Another NL guy, Marte has been a big factor in lifting the Arizona Diamondbacks out of the leagues basement dwellers. After a slow start, Marte exploded in June, getting him up to the top 10 in WAR across the entire league. He’s in tough, playing the same position as Ozzie Albies and Luis Arráez, but should be a top choice to get the call if someone needs replacing.
Christian Yelich
Once again, another NL player who fell victim to a very slow start to the year. In the past six weeks though, Yelich mentioned a small tweak he made at the plate, and all of a sudden has looked like his MVP self again. It was always going to be tough in the ultra-crowded NL outfield group, but I don’t believe that anyone would think twice if Yelich was named a replacement.
Josh Naylor
Naylor had an interesting case to be an all star. Though not as flashy of a name like a Tatís, he’s quietly been putting up really solid numbers for the Guardians, including having the sixth-most RBI in the league. He also leads the league in a lot of ‘clutch’ stat categories, which calculates numbers in the 7th inning or later. Naylor actually has better overall stats than most of the infield reserves on the AL side, but as we all know, more goes into the voting than just stats. He has a strong case to be named a replacement if needed.
Since the initial rosters were announced, there have been some replacements, including the likes of Wander Franco, David Bednar, and George Kirby. Those three would’ve topped this list if they didn’t get the call.
I suspect as we inch closer to the Midsummer classic, more players will drop out due to injury or other reasons. That leaves the door open for potential replacements; potentially coming from this list.
Either way, we can all agree that the Home Run Derby, coupled with some best-on-best baseball, is exactly what baseball fans need before the dog days begin.
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