Henry Roldán
The rosters for the 2022 All-Star Game have been announced, and inevitably, there have been some MLB All-Star Game snubs.
We’re talking about players who, based on their performance, deserve to play in the mid-season game but were not chosen due to a lack of roster space, due to the presence of players with higher performance, or just because of unfairness.
In this edition, we bring you some of the most striking absent names in the National League for the game on July 19, as some last-minute withdrawals could open up a place for them.
Josh Bell (1B) – Washington Nationals
Unfortunately, there is no room for that many starters on the National League roster, so Bell’s great season will not be rewarded with the mid-season classic.
His .308 average is the fifth best in the league, while he accumulates 12 home runs, 19 doubles, 47 RBI, .386 OBP and is third in BB/K with 0.81.
In addition to having to battle Paul Goldschmidt and Pete Alonso, Bell was unlucky in that the Rockies’ rep will be C.J. Cron.
Brandon Drury (3B) – Cincinnati Reds
When your team is one of the worst of the season, your efforts are rarely rewarded, something Brandon Drury can attest to this season.
The Cincinnati Reds third baseman is one of this year’s MLB All-Star Snubs if you consider that he is having his best MLB season with 18 home runs and 50 runs batted in, plus his .878 OPS ranks him fifth among all shortstops in the league.
It was the need for pitchers that played a trick on Drury, as teammate Luis Castillo will be representing the Reds in the game.
Austin Riley (3B) – Atlanta Braves
Like Drury, Austin Riley is one of the best third basemen in the Nationals and Major League Baseball in general who we consider an MLB All-Star Snub.
The Atlanta player is third in the senior circuit in home runs with 23 and his .908 OPS is fourth in the circuit.
Sharing a position with Manny Machado and Nolan Arenado is one of Riley’s nightmares when it comes to being considered for an All-Star Game, despite many believe he, not teammate William Contreras, should have replaced Bryce Harper as the Nationals’ designated hitter.
Carlos Rodón (SP) – San Francisco Giants
If there’s one thing the National League has plenty of, it’s starters, and our MLB All-Star Snubs list has plenty of them, starting with the absence of Carlos Rodon.
The Giants’ starter is in his first season in the senior circuit and his performance has not gone unnoticed, as he has led the circuit in fWar with 3.7, his 2.13 FIP is the lowest among Nationals starters and his 2.70 ERA is eighth-best.
Zack Wheeler (SP) – Philadelphia Phillies
Another starter on our list is Zack Wheeler, the Philadelphia Phillies pitcher who, after a somewhat slow start to the season, has been unhittable over the past two months.
The right-hander has 95 innings pitched with 104 strikeouts and is fourth in %K-BB with 21.7. Furthermore, his 2.46 ERA is the fifth best in the circuit and his WHIP is just 1.05.
Aaron Nola (SP) – Philadelphia Phillies
Along with teammate Wheeler, Aaron Nola is one of this season’s MLB All-Star Snubs after being left off the final roster for the All-Star Game.
A last-minute injury or a last-minute rest day could help Nola to reach his first All-Star Game, but the fact remains that the right-hander should have been in from the start.
Not only is he the third in the Nationals with 120 strikeouts, but he is one of only seven pitchers in the league with a WHIP below 1.00 (0.93). His effectiveness after 111 innings and one third is 3.15, and he only gave 14 BBs.
Freddie Freeman (1B) – Los Angeles Dodgers
The same thing has happened to Josh Bell: a starter who had an All-Star Game-worthy season but now faces two massive seasons and a player who will represent his team (C.J. Cron).
Freddie Freeman has lived up to the expectations of his arrival in Los Angeles and is the most consistent hitter in a lineup that has suffered major losses throughout the season. After 85 games he is hitting for a .304 average, with 27 doubles, 11 home runs, 54 runs batted in and an OPB of .381.
