Post by Captain America on Mar 10, 2015 17:13:39 GMT -5
Each season, OOTP puts together All-Star rosters for both the AL and NL. More often than not, the selections are very deserving, but there's always some stars that get snubbed and we're gonna find out who the biggest snubs were this time!
American League
5. SP Jordan Zimmermann (MIN)
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The hosting Twins couldn't even get one All-Star this season, which is a shame on OOTP's part. If any Twin deserved to make it though, it was Zimmermann. The Twins' ace is currently 4th in the AL with a 2.20 ERA, despite missing a month with injuries early in the season. Zimmermann also leads the AL in runners/9 innings at a 7.28 rate. This is yet another classic case of OOTP overvaluing wins for certain pitchers that were less deserving than Zimmermann. Again, it would have been nice to see the host team get at least one All-Star.
4. CF Carlos Quentin (TB)
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The Rays led all teams with 7 All-Stars this season, but they really should have had 8. Carlos Quentin has been the main run producing slugger for the Rays this year, but for some reason, got snubbed. Quentin is currently tied for 3rd in the AL in homers with 22, 2nd in RBI with 85, 5th in slugging percentage at .539 and 8th in OPS at .883. All those numbers made Quentin more deserving than at least 2 of the AL outfielders that were All-Stars.
3. SS Scott Sizemore (FLO)
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Nick Punto and Kolten Wong were both very good selections among AL shortstops, but Scott Sizemore was as deserving as them, if not more. Sizemore is currently 10th in the AL in batting (.320), 6th in slugging percentage (.534), 7th in OPS (.883), 7th in home runs (20), and tied for 5th in total bases (205). All in all, I'd take those numbers over those of both Punto and Wong right now. This was tough because only 2 shortstops were going to make it and 1 of the 3 deserving shortstops was going to miss the cut, but it happened to be the best shortstop of the 3 that didn't get nominated. Maybe next year, Scott!
2. 1B Ian Stewart (TOR)
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Here is yet another home run leader that for some reason didn't become an All-Star. Besides leading the AL in home runs with 26, Stewart is hitting .318, has a .927 OPS that is 4th in the league, is leading the AL with a .574 slugging percentage, is 10th in hits with 124 and 2nd in total bases with 224. With Albert Pujols being the only true All-Star first baseman this year in the AL, that makes Stewart's snubbing even more questionable. Stewart was an easy choice to be an All-Star among AL first basemen and it's a shame he didn't get in. However, there was another very surprising AL snub on the pitching side as well.
1. SP Francisco Rodriguez (DET)
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This was just shocking. Yes, K-Rod only has 11 wins, which isn't even in the top 10 in the league, but his 1.89 ERA is 2nd in the AL and any ERA under 2.00 should pretty much be an automatic inclusion onto the All-Star team of one's respective league. Rodriguez is also 3rd in strikeouts with 178 and is tied for 3rd in shutouts with 4. He is the main reason why the Tigers are currently doing as well as they have been this season. Rodriguez has been as deserving as any AL pitcher of being an All-Star and this was another really bad snub.
National League
5. 1B Mark Teixeira (CIN)
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This was very surprising to see Mark Teixeira not make the NL All-Star team. For much of the fist half of the season, Texieria was leading the NL in batting. His torrid pace fell off a bit in June, but among NL first baseman, Teixeira should have been an easy call. He's a big reason why the Reds' offense has been solid this season and he was certainly more deserving than at least one of the NL first basemen that made it.
4. SS Dustin Ackley (OAK)
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Pretty much out of nowhere, Dustin Ackley has put together a breakout season and currently leads the NL with a .357 average. He's also 2nd in the NL with a .389 OBP. The rest of Ackley's stats may not have given him a bigger boost, and being in a platoon gives him less at-bats as well, but regardless, Ackley was snubbed in what is currently a strong group of NL shortstops, including All-Stars Hanley Ramirez and Luis Rivas, plus a 6-time All-Star in David Wright, who also missed the cut this season.
3. SP Wade Miley (CHC)
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One NL pitcher that really deserved an All-Star selection was Wade Miley, who should have joined teammates Johan Santana and Chris Sale on the NL All-Star team. Miley is currently tied for 6th in the NL with 14 wins, 4th in ERA at 2.15, 4th in complete games (12), tied for 3rd in shutouts (3), tied for 3rd in quality starts (20) and 3rd in runners/9 innings at an 8.17 rate. Miley should've been an All-Star over at least 3 of the NL pitchers that made it.
2. LF Ryan Howard (SF)
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Arguably the biggest offensive snub in the NL was Ryan Howard, who has been having quite a bounce-back season this year. Howard is currently 8th in the NL in OBP (.365), 6th in slugging (.528), 5th in OPS (.893) and 7th in RBI (72). Some really good NL outfielders made it and most of them were very deserving, but Howard was more deserving than at least 2 or 3 of them.
1. SP Mark Prior (SEA)
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Despite all these notable snubs, Mark Prior easily takes the cake as "Snub of the Year". Despite missing most of April and May with injuries, Prior has been nearly unstoppable all season. He is currently 11-1, with a 1.52 ERA that is 2nd in the NL to Chris Sale's 1.07 ERA. Most of Prior's numbers may not look as impressive because he has only made 16 starts all season, but within those 16 starts, those numbers are amazing.
Prior has had quite a career, but because of untimely injuries among other things, he only has 3 All-Star appearances over the years. This should have easily been his 4th All-Star appearance, but once again, OOTP screwed up big time, as Prior was clearly more deserving than at least 4 of the NL pitchers that made it.
Hopefully OOTP does a better job next season!