The MLB All-Star reserves who deserved to be starters

On Saturday evening, MLB celebrated America 250 by unveiling the full All-Star rosters for both the American and National Leagues. The starting lineups are the result of a month-long fan vote, while a mix of player ballots and the commissioner’s office combined to fill out the reserves until each team had reached a total of 20 position players and 12 pitches.

Far be it from me to sully the good name of democracy on this, our nation’s birthday. And yet … well, let’s just say that the decisions of the masses left a good deal to be desired this time around. In both leagues, across several positions, less deserving players earned starting nods while more deserving players were forced to the bench. While everyone will eventually play in the Midsummer Classic, starting an All-Star Game is among the game’s most hallowed honors — so let’s give these reserves the due they were unjustly denied.

OF Pete Crow-Armstrong, Chicago Cubs

Of all the indignities of this year’s All-Star fan vote, this is by far the most egregious. Crow-Armstrong hasn’t just been the best outfielder in the National League so far this season; he’s currently leading all position players in fWAR, with truly elite defense in center field to go with 19 homers, 21 steals and a 148 wRC+. He’s slowly but surely ironing out all the kinks in his game, and the result is something downright frightening for the rest of the NL.

And yet, somehow, he can’t snag a starting spot in the Midsummer Classic. Despite the fact that Cubs fans are allegedly some of the most passionate in sports, and despite the fact that PCA was one of the only things keeping them afloat during a period in which seemingly every other member of the lineup was struggling, he sits behind players he’s manifestly outperformed so far this season. And he’s not the only one!

OF James Wood, Washington Nationals

Really, what happened in the NL outfield? None of the top three in fWAR — Crow-Armstrong, Wood and Corbin Carroll — managed to even make the final stage of fan voting. But with all due respect to Carroll and the season he’s having in Arizona, Wood not getting a starting nod is even more painful. The 23-year-old has some of the most jaw-dropping physical tools in the sport, built like a linebacker at 6-foot-6 and 234 pounds, and it’s been spectacular watching him put it all together.

Wood has already tallied 24 homers and 13 steals before the break, one of the biggest reasons why the Nationals offense has been such a pleasant surprise this year. His batted-ball data is at the very top of the scale, and a big performance in Philly at the All-Star Game could spur more fans to start viewing him as the NL answer to Aaron Judge.

1B Nick Kurtz, Athletics

Look, I don’t need to belabor the point; it boggles the mind that Vladimir Guerrero Jr. — with a .577 OPS since the start of May, who’s struggled so badly even his own fan base has started to turn on him — will be starting at first base in the American League. But it’s worth noting that he’s doing so over players who are having truly awesome first halves.

New York Yankees star Ben Rice would also be a worthy choice in just about any other year, but what Kurtz has done in Sacramento of late has been nothing short of ridiculous. He got his sophomore campaign off to a slow start, hitting just .186 over the first couple of weeks, but he quickly caught fire and hasn’t cooled off since: a .964 OPS in April, 1.025 mark in May and .930 in June, with 20 homers and seven steals overall. Sure, hitting in some very friendly parks has helped, but there’s a reason he leads all qualified AL first basemen in wRC+, which adjusts for offensive environment. This is simply one of the best hitters in the sport.

C Hunter Goodman, Colorado Rockies

Like Albies, Drake Baldwin is another Brave who rode an excellent start to an All-Star nod. But he’s played in just 63 games due to injury, and he’s been ice-cold at the plate since he returned from the IL. Goodman has been better both as a hitter and a defender, and if you’re tempted to chalk up his 27 homers to feasting on Coors Field, don’t: He’s actually been much better away from altitude, with 18 homers and a .989 OPS in road games.

You could argue for William Contreras here as well, but Goodman has been the better hitter, and I think the defensive value is close enough for me to give the nod to the player who continues to excel in a weak Colorado lineup.

C Dillon Dingler, Detroit Tigers

And yet, Goodman isn’t even the worst catcher snub among All-Star starters, as Dingler will be coming off the bench despite being tied with Yordan Alvarez for third in fWAR among all MLB position players (behind only PCA and Bobby Witt Jr.). He’s always been a stellar defender, but his bat has taken a massive leap this year for the Tigers, with 19 homers and a 136 wRC+. He’s been a flat-out two-way star all year long, and he’s absolutely outproduced the A’s Shea Langliers (who started white-hot at the plate but has cooled off considerably since and isn’t in Dingler’s league with the glove).

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