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

By Rucker Haringey

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)
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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ST. PETERSBURG, FL – JUN 25: Blake Snell (4) of the Rays delivers a pitch to the plate during the MLB regular season game between the Washington Nationals and the Tampa Bay Rays on June 25, 2018, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
ST. PETERSBURG, FL – JUN 25: Blake Snell (4) of the Rays delivers a pitch to the plate during the MLB regular season game between the Washington Nationals and the Tampa Bay Rays on June 25, 2018, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

1. Blake Snell, Tampa Bay Rays, SP

The decision to leave Snell off the AL roster amounts to malpractice by everyone involved in the process. The players should have voted him onto the starting rotation, and once that didn’t happen, he should have been the first reserve named to the team.

Somehow, neither of those things occurred. It’s an absolute mystery due to the dazzling numbers Snell has put up this season. He leads the AL with an ERA of just 2.09 in his 19 starts. The fact that he’s amassed an impressive record of 12-4 for a Rays team that’s 16 games behind Boston for the AL East lead only improve his credentials.

Snell should be in disbelief that he wasn’t named to this game. There’s a reasonable argument that he’s pitched well enough to be the AL starter. Not having him in the bullpen, at the very least, is a massive oversight. Snell should use this snub as fuel to continue his hot pitching into the second half of the season.

Next: Chris Archer can't believe Blake Snell isn't an All-Star

The only comforting news here is that Snell will almost certainly end up on the squad. The chances of every pitcher named to the team actually participating in the All-Star Game are practically non-existent. As soon as a pitcher drops off the roster, Snell will take his spot. That doesn’t change the fact that his omission from the initial roster is still the biggest snub of the summer.

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