The All-Star Game is the biggest gathering of the game’s greatest players. Each and every year fans of all ages watch in awe as they perform together with one goal in mind, to win. Whether the goal is to win the All-Star game to win home field advantage for their division or to win the Homerun Derby they are there to win. Although the men who make the game are all stars, there are always bright stars who don’t make the team, let alone start the game even though they deserve it. These are the biggest snubs to start in the game as of right now.
Jose Altuve - Houston Astros
In previous articles I’ve argued that Brian Dozier deserved to start for the American League in the All-Star game, and I still believe that Dozier should make the team, but Altuve deserves to start. Not only does he deserve to start, but he is one of the biggest snubs in the American League as he’s fifth in voting at second base while posting a .329 batting average with 22 stolen bases. His other numbers aren’t nearly as flashy as Dozier’s position leading 52 runs scored and 14 home runs but his all-around performance to lead a young team is more deserving right now than not only Dozier but the other three second basemen who are ahead of him in voting as well.
Alexei Ramirez - Chicago White Sox
Ramirez is being robbed of a chance to start in the All-Star game because of the popularity of New York Yankees superstar Derek Jeter and the fact that he has already announced that this will be his last season. He is having the best all-around season of all shortstops in the American League leading in batting average and home runs, second in runs batted in and third in runs scored. You could make a case that the Los Angeles Angels shortstop Erick Aybar deserves to start over Ramirez but either way you go someone is going to be snubbed for Jeter.
Michael Brantley - Cleveland Indians
In recent years I have watched as players from my small market Oakland Athletics missed out on the being voted into the all-star game because of a lack of exposure, that is exactly what is happening to Brantley in Cleveland. Brantley is having one of the best seasons of all outfielders in the league let alone the American League yet he sits in seventh in voting behind players who get more exposure, including a guy from my small market A’s, Yoenis Cespedes, who has the numbers to be an all-star but has garnered attention of the voters with remarkable outfield assists. Brantley is hitting .323 with 49 runs scored and 46 runs batted in to lead an Indian team that is battling to stay relevant in a division that has been dominated by the Detroit Tigers. There is no doubt in my mind that Jose Bautista and Mike Trout will make the team, as they should, but when Brantley is not voted in as the third outfielder it will be one of the biggest snubs in either league.
Jonathan Lucroy - Milwaukee Brewers
The Brew Crew has the best catcher in the game, but he is in third in voting behind two superstar catchers who are having down years by their own high standards. Lucroy leads all National League catchers in batting average and runs, is second in on-base percentage and third in runs batted in and in all of these categories they are ahead of the two guys ahead of him. There is no doubt that Buster Posey and Yadier Molina are great players. One is an MVP in this league and one has finished in the top five in voting the past two seasons, but this season Lucroy is far above the rest of them.
Daniel Murphy - New York Mets
Daniel Murphy has quietly become one of the best all-around players in all of baseball. The power isn’t great, but there is not a lot of power coming from many second basemen in the National League but he is batting right around .300 with 11 stolen bases and 45 runs scored. Even with these numbers he is fifth in voting to start in the All-Star game. He is not like some of the other snubs on this list who suffer from being on a small market team, but he is struggling to garner attention because all of the names above him in the voting have become household names over the years other than Neil Walker who was having a fantastic power season before hitting the disabled list.
Todd Frazier - Cincinnati Reds
Perhaps the biggest snub of all the Toddfather is not even in the top five in voting for third basemen in the National League. He is behind a superstar David Wright who leads the voting and four other third basemen who have made names for themselves, but Frazier is having a better season than all of them. He has 16 home runs, 45 runs scored and 47 runs batted in to go along with a .279 batting average and is at or near the top of each category among National League third basemen. Frazier will be a huge snub is he is not a starter, but what makes it worse is because of how little known he is he very well could not make the team at all.