2016 MLB All-Star Game: Here are 20 All-Star snubs left off the initial rosters
Who are the best players who didn't make the All-Star team?
By
Matt Snyder
•
3 min read
The All-Star rosters have been revealed by Major League Baseball, and you know what that means. It's an annual tradition. Break out the tissues because it's time to cry me a river about how all your favorite players got jobbed. Yes, it's time to talk snubs.
A few items that cannot possibly be stressed enough:
1. We aren't including players in the Final Vote (vote here on MLB.com), because they still have a chance to make the game.
2. Listing the players here doesn't necessarily mean they should have beaten out someone else for a spot on the team. From that light, maybe "snub" is a bad term, and that's why I prefer to call these guys the Leftovers. They are the best players who didn't make the team.
I'll pick 10 for each league and list them alphabetically by last name. All numbers listed are heading into Tuesday's action.
American League
Trevor Bauer, SP, Indians
He wasn't even going to be in the rotation, but a spot opened up and he's never giving this thing back. He's 7-2 with a 3.02 ERA in 95 1/3 innings.You'll see several starters listed here, as AL manager Ned Yost went really heavy on relievers.
Adrian Beltre, 3B, Rangers
Playing for one of the AL's two obvious powerhouse teams, Beltre is still excellent defensively and putting up good offensive numbers.
Carlos Correa, SS, Astros
There was too much of a middle infield crunch to put Correa on the team, but he's still got a .361 on-base percentage with 15 doubles, three triples and 13 homers. He'll be an All-Star soon enough, though.
Nelson Cruz, DH, Mariners
He's on pace to top 40 home runs again while hitting .280/.364/.537.
Chris Davis, 1B, Orioles
The batting average doesn't look good (.240), but he gets on base (.349 OBP) and has 21 homers and 56 RBI.
Ryan Dull, RP, Athletics
The little-known A's reliever has a 0.73 WHIP and has amazingly stranded all 36 runners he's inherited so far this season.
Victor Martinez, DH, Tigers
With David Ortiz and Edwin Encarnacion on the team, there simply wasn't enough room for all the stud DHs. Martinez is hitting .318/.364/.529 with 16 homers and 50 RBI.
Jose Quintana, SP, White Sox
Quintana gets such awful run support that he's 6-8 despite ranking eighth in the AL in ERA and WHIP. He's fourth in innings pitched, too.
Aaron Sanchez, SP, Blue Jays
The youngster is 9-1 with a 2.94 ERA through 17 starts. His 113 1/3 innings ranks third in the AL.
Kyle Seager, 3B, Mariners
This is pretty much an annual conversation, as Seager continues to be woefully underrated. He made the team in 2014, but that's it. This time around, he's hitting .274/.358/.516 with 23 doubles, 16 homers and his customary excellent defense.
Final vote players: Ian Kinsler, Evan Longoria, Dustin Pedroia, Michael Saunders, George Springer
National League
Brandon Crawford, SS, Giants
He's as steady as they come defensively and hitting .270/.347/.428 while playing half his games in a big-time pitcher's park.
Aledmys Diaz, SS, Cardinals
Thrust into a starting role after spring injuries to both Jhonny Peralta and Ruben Tejada, Diaz is hitting .313/.374/.522 with 22 doubles and 11 homers.
Freddie Freeman, 1B, Braves
First base in the NL is also loaded, and Freeman is squeezed out because of it. He's hitting .292 with a 138 OPS+ and 14 home runs.
Kyle Hendricks, SP, Cubs
Do the names Clayton Kershaw, Madison Bumgarner, Jake Arrieta, Noah Syndergaard and Johnny Cueto mean anything to you? Those are the only NL starters with a better ERA than Hendricks.
Seung Hwan Oh, RP, Cardinals
The "Final Boss" should be in the game for his nickname alone, but the numbers back it up, too. He's sporting a 1.71 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 57 strikeouts in 42 innings.
Gregory Polanco, OF, Pirates
Other than the Final Vote guys, I think this is the biggest snub for me. Polanco is having a huge breakout season, hitting .297/.374/.521 with 24 doubles, 12 homers, 50 RBI, nine steals and 50 runs.
Drew Pomeranz, SP, Padres
The 27-year-old is finally making good of his promise as a starter, posting a 2.65 ERA and 109 strikeouts in 95 innings pitched this season.
J.T. Realmuto, C, Marlins
A tough squeeze out at a strong NL catcher position, Realmuto is hitting .325 with 16 doubles.
Max Scherzer, SP, Nationals
He has the name recognition for sure, but he also leads the NL with 21 homers allowed. On the flip-side, Scherzer also leads the majors in strikeouts with 155 and has whittled his ERA down to 3.21 in 120 2/3 innings.
Christian Yelich, OF, Marlins
The 24-year-old Yelich will surely make one of these in the future, but this year he's been pretty deserving. He's hitting .317/.399/.472.
NL Final Vote players: Brandon Belt, Ryan Braun, Jake Lamb, Starling Marte, Trevor Story
