2021 MLB All-Star Snubs
- Lou Orlando
- Jul 9, 2021
- 8 min read
Updated: Jul 11, 2021
All in all, fans and the MLB did a pretty solid job of rewarding deserving players with a trip to the 2021 All-Star game. While there is still plenty of room for argument and debate, there aren't really any glaring omissions that call for the whole system to be put into question. Still, there is a handful of players who will not make the trip out to Denver despite very productive first halves. Let's take a look.
AL
Yordan Alvarez (DH) - .921 OPS, .304 BA, 154 wRC+, .548 SLUG
Headlining the American League snubs is Houston's DH Yordan Alvarez. The 2019 AL Rookie of the Year only played 2 games in 2020, but he's back now and better than ever. Amongst all AL hitters, he ranks 3rd in wRC+ and 7th in OPS, all while keeping his batting average above .300. DH is stacked this year with MVP candidate Shohei Ohtani and veteran sluggers JD Martinez and Nelson Cruz putting together quality seasons so Yordan has ample competition. Still, he ranks 2nd in DH WAR and wRC+. It would be an interesting look to have 3 reserve Designated Hitters but Alvarez's Top 5 AL stats certainly justify it.
Yasmani Grandal (C) - 134 wRC+, .824 OPS, .388 OBP
Let's get the 1 ugly number out of the way. Grandal has a .188 batting average. Yes. It's not ideal. BUT. Considering that batting average is becoming less and less important, we can go ahead and ignore it. If you butter knife the batting average, Grandal's stats are pretty impressive. Grandal leads all catchers in OPS, wRC+, and OBP. Those are 3 of the most important offensive statistics in baseball. It's certainly a shock to see Grandal's name left off the team.
Byron Buxton (OF) - 1.176 OPS, 216 wRC+, .369 BA, .767 SLUG, 2.7 WAR
This one might be controversial but I'm going to stand by it. Buxton only has 110 plate appearances, leaving him pretty far away from being a qualified batter. After an amazing start, injuries to his hip and hand have halted what looked to be an MVP caliber season. Still, his stats are so insane that I think he was worthy of an All-Star nod. I'll refrain from comparing most of his stats because of the large plate appearance disparity, but just look at them. A 1.176 OPS isn't something you see every day. For the record, Buxton's 2.7 WAR, a cumulative metric, is 13th best in the MLB above a bevy of All-Stars like Aaron Judge, Mike Trout, Jared Walsh, and JD Martinez.
Tyler Glasnow (SP) - 2.66 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 12.58 K/9
Glasnow was a guaranteed All-Star before he tore his UCL on June 15th. The rising star is out for the rest of the year and would not be able to participate but he still deserves a spot on the roster after his dominant first half. Glasnow's 88 IP still makes him a qualified pitcher at the moment. Amongst qualified AL pitchers, Glasnow ranks 1st in WHIP, 3rd in K/9, and 4th in ERA and WAR. Here's a mind-blowing stat. Glasnow hasn't pitched in 22 days but his 123 strikeouts are still 4th best in the AL. The guy was a Cy Young candidate right up until his injury. The least the league could have done is put him on the All-Star team.
Sean Manaea/Chris Bassitt (SP) - 3.19 ERA, 1.20 WHIP / 3.41 ERA, 1.07 WHIP
Since these two Oakland starters are very similar, I decided to loop them in together. Realistically, you'd have to choose between them since it was highly unlikely both get sent to Denver. I'll leave it up to you to decide. Manaea ranks 6th in AL ERA and 7th in WAR with 2.2 Bassitt is right below him with a 2.1 WAR while his ERA is only 11th best. Bassitt's 9-2 record is 2nd best in the AL while Manea sits at 6-6. Both A's pitchers are consistently in the Top 10 in AL pitching statistics. Who should get the nod? Manaea's stats look better on paper but Bassitt's 111.0 IP significantly trumps Manaea's 97.2.
UPDATE (JULY 10): Chris Bassitt was announced as an AL Pitcher, replacing Ryan Pressly.
NL
Omar Narvaez (C) - .302 BA, .872 OPS, 139 wRC+, .398 OBP
Buster Posey was appropriately voted a starting catcher after leading NL catchers in virtually every statistic. Right behind him is Milwaukee's Omar Narvaez. Narvaez ranks 2nd in OPS, wRC+, slugging, OBP, and batting average. While Will Smith has been the popular choice on many snub lists, Narvaez has a significantly better case. JT Realmuto was named the reserve catcher despite an OPS and wRC+ that aren't even Top 5 in the NL. Narvaez might be the most outrageous snub on this entire list since his statistics clearly make him the 2nd best NL catcher.
UPDATE (July 11): Omar Narvaez was announced as an NL Reserve, replacing Yadier Molina
Justin Turner/Manny Machado (3B) - 148 wRC+, .886 OPS / .844 OPS, 128 wRC+, 3.0 WAR
In an ideal world, we would swap out Turner and Machado for Nolan Arenado and Eduardo Escobar and all would be right with the world. Escobar makes the All-Star team because every team needs to be represented. Statistically, he does not compare well to Turner, Machado, and Arenado. Turner leads all third basemen in OPS, wRC+, BA, and OBP. He clearly has the best offensive numbers of all NL third basemen. Kris Bryant and Manny Machado are very close, with Bryant having a slight edge. Manny has better offensive stats than Arenado, and he leads all third basemen in WAR. Third base is a very competitive position this year, but Turner and Machado both put together All-Star worthy seasons.
UPDATE (July 10): Justin Turner was announced as an NL Reserve, replacing teammate Mookie Betts
UPDATE (July 11): Manny Machado was announced as an NL Reserve, replacing Ronald Acuna Jr
Bryce Harper (OF) - .903 OPS, 143 wRC+, .523 SLUG
This one's not a complete debacle but Harper has put up very good numbers that could be worthy of an All-Star nod. His wRC+ ranks 5th among NL outfielders and his OPS and Slugging rank 6th. Looking at his competition, his OPS and wRC+ trump the likes of Juan Soto, Mookie Betts, and Chris Taylor, who were all named as NL OF Reserves. Harper's OPS and wRC+ are both 9th in the NL so he's legitimately been a top National League hitter and was probably deserving of a spot on the roster.
Freddy Peralta (SP) - 2.23 ERA, 12.48 K/9, 0.90 WHIP
Milwaukee already has 2 starters in the All-Star game, but it should be 3. Corbin Burnes and Brandon Woodruff were properly rewarded for their excellence, leaving Freddy Peralta on the outside looking in. Peralta's 2.23 ERA and 0.90 WHIP are 5th best in the NL. His 12.38 K/9 is 2nd amongst qualified NL pitchers. Peralta actually has a lower ERA and WHIP than his All-Star teammate Burnes. Peralta is consistently near the top in NL pitching and we can only wonder why he didn't make the cut.
UPDATE (July 9): Freddy Peralta was announced as an NL Pitcher, replacing teammate Brandon Woodruff
Max Scherzer (SP) - 2.66 ERA, 12.31 K/9, 0.88 WHIP
This one is weird too. Scherzer checks all the boxes. He's a 3x Cy Young winner whose fiery and unique person is sure to draw eyeballs. His WHIP is 4th best amongst qualified NL pitchers and his K/9 ranks 3rd. His ERA took dropped from 2.10 to 2.66 after a rough outing against San Deigo but he's still in the midst of another amazing season. This one's not as bad as Peralta but it's still worthy of being called a snub.
UPDATE (July 10): Max Scherzer was announced as an NL Pitcher, replacing Kevin Gausman.
Kenley Jansen (RP) - 1.27 ERA, 21 Saves
Not boiling mad about this one, but it is worth mentioning. Jansen is tied with Josh Hader for the 2nd most Saves in the NL. His 1.27 ERA, 5th best amongst NL relievers, is lower than All-Star relievers Mark Melancon and Alex Reyes. Josh Hader and Craig Kimbrel are clearly better in most statistics but there is a lane for Jansen that is worthy of some conversation.
Not-Quite Snubs
There were many possible candidates for the list, and not all of them made it. Here are some of the most popular names in the snub discussion, and why I decided to leave them off the list.
Aaron Civale (SP) - 10 Wins, 3.32 ERA, 7.00 K/9
Civale was a popular name thrown out in regards to All-Star snubs. He currently leads the AL in wins, but let's just say there's a reason we tend to overlook that stat. Despite Civale's 10 wins, he only has a 1.2 WAR, just 20th best amongst qualified AL pitchers. His ERA is solid and his K/9 is low compared to other All-Star starters. He's having a good year and he's a borderline snub, but he just doesn't have enough to put him on the list.
Gary Sanchez (C) - .785 OPS, 114 wRC+
Gary's explosive return had many Yankee fans, myself included, advocating for his All-Star stock. Unfortunately, it was a perfect example of too little too late. Gary hovers around the Top 3 in offensive stats, but it's not enough to clearly say he's a Top 2 AL Catcher. Grandal and Zunino have him beat in most important power stats. Gary's comeback is a great story but not worthy of an All-Star trip.
Yuli Gurriel (1B) - .319 BA, .389 OBP, .870 OPS
Gurriel has pretty good numbers but he suffers from playing a highly competitive position. Gurriel ranks below Guerrero, Olson, and Walsh in OPS, Slugging, and wRC+. He's 2nd in BA and OBP but that's just not enough. His OPS and wRC+ aren't Top 10 in the AL overall so it's not worth asking for a third reserve first baseman.
JP Crawford (SS) - .739 OPS, 107 wRC+, .392 SLUG
Mariners fans have made a lot of noise for JP Crawford but there's really not a lot here. He doesn't have better stats than All-Stars Bogaerts, Correa, and Bichette. His OPS and wRC+ are both 5th amongst AL shortstops and his slugging isn't even above .400. Crawford isn't a power hitter but you need better run producing numbers to be an All-Star shortstop.
Taijuan Walker - 2.44 ERA, 1.01 WHIP
NL starting pitching has been phenomenal this year. If Walker was in the AL, he'd be an All-Star. Unfortunately, he has to contend with Jacob Degrom, Kevin Gausman, Zach Wheeler, Trevor Rogers, Corbin Burnes, and Brandon Woodruff, all of whom are having career seasons. Walker's 2.44 ERA is only 7th best in the NL. His WHIP and K/9 don't rank in the Top 10. He's having a great year, but compared to his competition, he just misses out.
UPDATE (July 9): Taijuan Walker was announced as an NL Pitcher, replacing teammate Jacob DeGrom.
Walker Buehler/Clayton Kershaw - 2.49 ERA, 0.92 WHIP / 3.39 ERA, 2.8 WAR
Buehler and Kershaw suffer compared to their competition the same way Taijuan Walker does. Taking a look at NL starters, Buehler ranks 7th in WHIP and 8th in ERA. He just never falls into the Top 5 anywhere and there are only so many spots. Kershaw ranks 6th in WAR but the rest of his stats don't match up with the pitchers that made the All-Star team. I don't have a problem with leaving these two off the team.
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