Stats don't lie: Bruce Bochy robbed Tarik Skubal of an honor he deserves

Being named to the MLB All-Star team is an incredible honor. Not every player gets to experience the joy and honor of being on the All-Star team during the All-Star festivities. But it's an even bigger honor to be named a starter of the game, specifically being named the starting pitcher.

In the National League, the decision was quite obvious on who to start. Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo landed on Pittsburgh Pirates rookie sensation Paul Skenes to start the game for the National League. Skenes has been utterly dominant since making his debut. He's also one of the more popular players in the league, dominating with an exciting arsenal of pitches.

On the American League side, the decision really came down to two candidates. There's the Baltimore Orioles' starter Corbin Burnes and the Detroit Tigers' starter Tarik Skubal, both of whom have impressive 2024 resumes.

But one of the two stands out over the other, statistically. Somehow, AL All-Star Game manager Bruce Bochy would choose the wrong starter to hand the ball to at the start of the game. That decision was Burnes over Skubal.

Rangers' manager Bruce Bochy robs Tigers starter Tarik Skubal of All-Star Game start

Now, let's preface this before we get in too deep: Corbin Burnes is extremely talented and one of the best pitchers in the league. He just happens to be the second-best pitcher in the AL this season, which is where this discussion begins.

Let's begin by just getting the important, counting stats out there, courtesy of Stathead.

Skubal has thrown 116 innings, striking out 140 hitters while walking 21 and surrendering 81 hits. He has a 2.41 ERA, a 0.88 WHIP, and a 4.5 WAR.

Burnes has thrown 118.2 innings, striking out 110 batters while walking 15 and surrendering 99 hits. He has a 2.43 ERA, a 1.05 WHIP, and a 2.9 WAR.

So, Skubal has struck out more hitters while walking less, giving up less hits and allowing less runs. He also holds a significantly higher WAR, one that leads all AL pitchers.

The decision to start Burnes is a questionable one, but he's still such a talented pitcher that it's hard to really be mad at Bochy and the coaching staff for the decision.

It's just a tough situation for Skubal, who has been the best and most dominant American League pitcher all season, to not get the nod. With the arm issues and multiple surgeries that he's been through in his career, you never know how long he will be able to sustain this level of dominant play. Hopefully he can make it back to the All-Star Game next season where he can fight for the nod to start.