Blake Snell and the 5 biggest 2018 All-Star Game snubs

SEATTLE, WA - JUNE 3: Starting pitcher Blake Snell #4 of the Tampa Bay Rays walks off the field after pitching the second inning of a game against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field on June 3, 2018 in Seattle, Washington. The Mariners won 2-1. (Photo by Stephen Brashear/Getty Images) /

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As usual, the naming of the MLB All-Star game rosters has created some controversy. These five players should be involved in the Midsummer Classic.

When you trust the fans and players to vote in a significant portion of both the AL and NL All-Star teams you can expect some strange things to happen. The question isn’t whether or not snubs will occur, instead, it’s a question of how many.

In this piece, we’ll examine five players who have the biggest right to feel snubbed. There are difficult decisions all over both rosters, but some players have more gripes than others. We start the list with a Giants first baseman

5. Brandon Belt, San Francisco Giants, 1B

Belt might be a victim of his team’s disappointing start to the season. Even though the Giants find themselves four games behind the Diamondbacks in the NL West, Belt is still having an All-Star caliber season.

On the year, he’s hitting .296/.387/.504. The batting average may not be the best among players who weren’t named to an All-Star team, but the other numbers are fantastic. They’ve helped Belt post a WAR of 2.9 through 74 games. That’s more than enough to merit a place on the NL roster.

Interestingly enough, his stats are almost identical to Joey Votto, who made the team ahead of him. The Reds first baseman has the advantage in terms of OBP, but Belt is hitting the ball with more authority. That, combined with his excellent defense should have given him the nod over the Cincinnati veteran.

Leaving Belt off the roster isn’t a massive injustice, but the Giants star has to be wondering what else he needed to do to make the team. He may still make the team if an injury knocks a position player out of action, but carrying three players who can only play first base seems like poor roster balance. Belt will likely be left at home watching the spectacle on television.

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