MLB All-Star Game 2015: 5 Biggest Snubs – NL

With the All-Star rosters announced Monday evening, here are the five most obvious snubs from the National League roster. 

The Major League Baseball All-Star Game by its very nature will result in some players being snubbed–just like in the NBA, NFL and NHL. It’s the very nature of the process.

The problem in both leagues this year is the fact some positions are obviously stronger than others. For example, the shortstop position is terrible in both leagues. With a few exceptions, you could argue we’re at 1920s-like hitting production from the position, just a decade or so when we were in the golden age of the shortstop position as a power-hitting position.

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And let’s be honest, when we think All-Star Game and All-Star players we don’t think of guys who flash the leather, unless we’re talking Omar Vizquel or Ozzie Smith. In reality, there’s only or two players in today’s game at the position who flash the leather at the shortstop position in any comparable way to those two (Andrelton Simmons of the Atlanta Braves is the only guy who comes immediately to mind as being comparable).

The point isn’t so much about defense, though, and more about the fact that Bruce Bochy and the players voting on the team still had to have at least two shortstops. In my opinion, Bochy and the fans chose the correct two shortstops. The fans voted in St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Jhonny Peralta. Brandon Crawford was named the reserve shortstop.

But the fact two had to be named at the position may have cost another more deserving position player. Of course the mandatory one player from each team also works in such a way as to snub some deserving players.

For instance, the Philadelphia Phillies are just terrible–a mess larger than a dumpster fire–but they had to have a player named to the team. The best choice was made: closer Jonathan Papelbon. Given the rules, Papelbon made the most sense.

In fact, overall, it’s hard to argue with anyone who made the team. If you’re looking for star power–which should be the main criteria used for determining All-Stars, the National League seems to be a fair representation.

But as the National League attempts to end a two-game losing streak in the “Summer Classic”, there are a few–five players to be exact–who had a fine case to be included on the National League roster.

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