I'm a baseball dork and a sentimental fool. Every April, I get attached to underdog potential All-Star cases, tricking myself by convincing my own brain that there isn't enough time left on the calendar for things to unravel. And every July, I realize the error of my ways. "There's no way we forget Yermin Mercedes' exploits by the time the balloting starts!" I say. Reader? There was a way.
And so, as we get closer to the full 2025 MLB All-Star Game roster reveal on July 6, it's time for me to reckon with reality: Some genuinely fun stories who've posted strong performances this season (or, in portions of this season) have no real chance.
Yes, there will be a metric ton of replacements before the Midsummer Classic; as Ken Rosenthal noted in his projection column, 77 players were honored last year. And yes, taking the responsibility out of the managers' hands has cut down on favoritism (but not celebrity, as the voting made clear this year). But, no matter what we try to do to add fairness to the proceedings, it's never going to account for the shooting stars who crash landed in May, or the buried standouts with great metrics but no name recognition.
But appearing in this column is almost as good as an All-Star appearance ... right?
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Predicting the biggest sentimental MLB All-Star Roster snubs ahead of 2025 in Atlanta
1B/OF Tyler Soderstrom, A's
In April, Soderstrom hit .284 with an immediate nine bombs. Would that be enough for him to transcend the "Sacramento" haze of it all? If he felt like being Cal Raleigh for the months of May and June, surely he'd be selected.
Alas, since then, he's merely been pretty good, hitting five round-trippers combined in the months of May and June. He'll just have to enjoy a relaxing beach vacation instead of a relaxing peach vacation.
RHP Luke Weaver, Yankees
Weaver, the favorite in the clubhouse to be Center Peach on the Real Houserelievers of Atlanta if selected, went down with a hamstring tweak during the Yankees' series at Dodger Stadium. Though he returned quicker than expected, he's been hit-or-miss since coming back, and with an ERA over 2.00, he's probably not making the game as a hybrid reliever who doesn't rack up saves (though Rosenthal predicted that Astros setup man Bryan Abreu will make the roster, so anything can happen).
RHP Spencer Schwellenbach, Braves
Schwellenbach may have already been hampered by his team's inability to string wins together, but fans love an ascendance. His unexpected breakout might've elevated him to the roster after Chris Sale's injury ... if only he hadn't gone down himself on Wednesday with a surprise elbow fracture. 7-4, 3.09 ERA, 108 Ks in 110.2 innings ... all for depressing naught.
OF Jo Adell, Angels
Adell finally lived up to his power promise in a scorching month of June, making a Player of the Month case by pummeling 11 homers. Unfortunately, he's still hitting .243 with a .314 OBP; he started the month that low. Adell's rags-to-riches case of a former top prospect finally beginning to approach his ceiling would be storybook, but the league doesn't make decisions on pocketfuls of posies, sweetheart. Plus, arguing for multiple Angels reps is a fool's errand.
1B/DH Ben Rice, Yankees
Rice's expected stats have continued to burn bright red through the start of the summer, but his luck has been lacking and he's struggled to maintain his early-season dominance. Despite 14 homers, the Dartmouth rookie doesn't have the compelling case he once did in April.
Now, the theoretical Rice who exists in the pages of xwOBA? He's starting the game, which is being held in Roku City, and playing first.