Surely, putting together an MLB All-Star team is a logistical nightmare.
But even with an understanding that multiple parties come together to build the teams for both the American and National Leagues, it was pretty shocking to learn Sunday that neither Zack Wheeler or Aaron Nola was selected for the senior circuit’s team.
As is, the Philadelphia Phillies will be sending just one representative to Dodger Stadium, as NL home run leader Kyle Schwarber was selected to the team. Bryce Harper was previously voted in as the starting DH, but obviously won’t participate as he rehabs a fractured left thumb.
Of the two pitchers, Wheeler is the more egregious snub, as among qualified NL starters, he’s fifth in ERA (2.46), second in FIP (2.45) and fourth in fWAR (3.1).
With that said, Nola has a pretty strong case as well. Miami Marlins‘ ace Sandy Alcantara leads baseball with 130 1/3 innings pitched, but Nola — slated to start again on Monday — is second with 111 1/3 innings pitched. He’s also fifth in both FIP (2.91) and fWAR (3.0) among pitchers in the NL.
Again, given that each team has to have at least one All-Star representative, it isn’t surprising that there wasn’t room for both Wheeler and Nola to be All-Stars. But that outcome seemed more likely at the beginning of the day than neither being on the NL team.
There’s a very real chance that Wheeler — whose final start of the first half of the season is likely to come Wednesday in Toronto — will be added to the NL roster because of an injury, opt-out or one of the initial candidates not being available to pitch because their final start before the All-Star Break comes next weekend. Carlos Rodón of the San Francisco Giants is another glaring omission that figures to be rectified.
Still, it is worth wondering whether the process to determine All-Stars should be adjusted.
For example, Luis Castillo is going to be one of the most coveted trade candidates and has had a very nice season, pitching to a 2.92 ERA, 3.03 FIP and 1.8 fWAR over 71.0 innings. Clearly, though, he hasn’t had a better season than Wheeler and Nola, among others. Do the Cincinnati Reds — who are 32-54 after slashing their payroll this past offseason — deserve to have an All-Star? Currently every team is guaranteed to have an All-Star, but perhaps some of the teams in the league whose ownership clearly isn’t putting their best foot forward shouldn’t be rewarded.
Meanwhile, Clayton Kershaw is an All-Star for the ninth time, even though he’s only pitched 63 2/3 innings. We get it, Kershaw is a legend that is still very effective on the mound when he pitches and the All-Star Game is at his home park this year. But he shouldn’t be going to the 2022 All-Star Game at the expense of someone like Wheeler.
Right or wrong — it’s wrong — All-Star Game appearances are often one of the first things thrown around when discussing a player’s legacy at the end of their career. The real answer probably is that All Stars should be picked at the end of the regular season, rather than just over halfway through it. But given that such a change almost certainly will never happen, there needs to be more of an emphasis placed on making sure the most deserving players are selected.
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