The 2017 MLB All-Star rosters are locked in. That means it’s time to talk about the biggest surprises and snubs. The biggest debate will surround the players that failed to make the list despite delivering worthy performances over the first few months of the season. Here is a look at the biggest All-Star snubs for the 2017 Midsummer Classic
C: J.T. Realmuto, Miami Marlins
San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey will start at catcher for the National League with Yadier Molina of the St. Louis Cardinals in a backup role. There is no doubt Posey deserves to be an All-Star. However, there is a case to be made for Realmuto ahead of Molina. Realmuto has hit .303 with eight home runs, 38 runs scored, 34 RBI and five stolen bases. He had better numbers and a better fWAR than Molina has recorded to this point in the season. Molina might have the better track record overall, but Realmuto deserved an All-Star nod this season.
1B: Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona Diamondbacks
It has been a banner year for first basemen in the NL. However, despite the number of players that have had outstanding success, Goldschmidt undoubtedly deserves an All-Star nod for the numbers he has produced. Goldschmidt has hit .312 with 20 home runs, 67 RBI, 73 runs scored and 23 stolen bases on the season. Perhaps most importantly, he leads all first basemen in fWAR with a 3.9 mark. Ryan Zimmerman of the Washington Nationals and Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds have both put together outstanding seasons so far. However, leaving Goldschmidt off the NL All-Star roster is still an obvious mistake.
SP: Chris Archer, Tampa Bay Rays
Pitching staffs and benches are difficult to select but it’s tough to defend Archer being left off the list for the American League. Archer has produced a top-five fWAR while posting a 3.95 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and a 10.76 K/9 so far this season. His 3.07 FIP suggests his ERA would be even lower if it wasn’t for poor luck. Archer has had a solid start to the season and while he hasn’t been elite he still deserves an AL All-Star nod.
OF: Brett Gardner, New York Yankees
One more AL candidate that was left out of the mix is Gardner, who has enjoyed a power-resurgence at 33-years-old this season. Gardner has hit .256 with 15 home runs, 40 RBI and 12 stolen bases so far this season. He also ranks second behind only Aaron Judge in runs scored for the Yankees this season. Gardner might not have an All-Star reputation but he certainly deserved a nod for the AL team.
RP: Felipe Rivero, Pittsburgh Pirates
Rivero might not be an elite MLB closer just yet. However, based on his production and subsequent move to the closer role in Pittsburgh, it might not be long before he deserves that title. Rivero has put up electric numbers so far this season while producing the third-best fWAR among NL relievers. He has just six saves, but it took the Pirates a little longer than it should have to switch him in to the closer role. Rivero has posted a miniscule 0.76 ERA, a 0.72 WHIP and a 10.46 K/9 over 47.1 innings of work. Those are some of the best numbers in all of baseball so leaving Rivero off the NL All-Star team is a definite mistake.
SS: Jean Segura, Seattle Mariners
It’s kind of hard to believe that you can bat .349 through 60 games of action and still miss the All-Star Game but that’s what happened to Mariners shortstop Jean Segura. The problem is that many will say he doesn’t qualify because he has missed a portion of the season. To put that in perspective, Segura has had 255 at-bats this season while Carlos Correa has had 317.
Even so, Segura’s .349 batting average leads the American League. He’s an excellent defensive player and also a base-stealer (nine stolen bases so far). He’s also scored 41 runs so far, which – on a per-game average – would put him in the top three or four at his position. There are a number of quality options for shortstop in the American League but Segura definitely got snubbed.
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