MVN - Most Valuable Network

All-Star Snubs

While I’m sure you’ve heard every list of All-Star snubs out there, I want to offer my own take on the players not selected. Here are my All-Star snubs:

Mike Mussina, P, New York Yankees

Not only is he tied for second in the American League in wins, but he is tied for second in the entire majors in wins. He has quietly had a strong season, putting together an 11-6 record with a 3.64 ERA. Furthermore, he has 63 strikeouts and only 16 walks in 101 1/3 innings pitched this year. His WHIP stands at 1.21. Cliff Lee, the other 11 game winner in the AL is starting the All-Star game. While few people are paying attention, Moose has become the rock of the Yankees rotation, earning a decision in 17 of 18 starts this year.

Jermaine Dye, OF, Chicago White Sox

One of the most productive players in the White Sox organization, Dye is probably the most notable of the snubs. Dye is batting .308 with 19 home runs and 52 RBI’s. He also has 51 runs with a .363 OBP, a .556 slugging percentage, and a .919 OPS. He has also drawn 26 walks. With all the attention surrounding Carlos Quentin, Dye is producing for the White Sox similar to the way he did in 2006, when he ended with a .315 average and 44 home runs. He is eligible to be voted in by the fans this Thursday.

Gavin Floyd, P, Chicago White Sox

The pitching staff of the White Sox is one of the biggest reasons that they are the best team in the AL Central. This season alone, Floyd has had two no-hitters go into the sixth inning. He is 10-4 with 3.22 ERA in his best season yet. He has allowed 39 earned runs in 109 innings pitched this year, has struck out 73, and has a WHIP of 1.12.

Pat Burrell, OF, Philadelphia Phillies

While his average is a little low at .279, he is batting 18 points higher than the league average. On top of that, he is tied for fourth in the majors with 21 home runs. He also has 53 RBI’s and 47 runs scored. For a big man with little speed, Burrell has 20 doubles and 2 triples. He is slugging .582 and has an OPS of .994, with an OBP of .412. While his accomplishments have taken a back seat to Chase Utley, Burrell is an important part of the Phillies offense. He is also eligible to be voted in by fans this Thursday.

Evan Longoria, 3B, Tampa Bay Rays

Here me out on this one. Longoria doesn’t have to outrank A-Rod at third base, but he could easily be a backup. The rookie phenom is already putting up numbers better than some established veterans. He is batting .281 with 16 home runs, 52 RBI’s, and 44 runs scored in only 77 games. Of his 79 hits, 23 of them are extra-base hits. He has 6 stolen bases and has drawn 33 walks. His performance has been detrimental to the Rays success. He is another player that is eligible to be voted in the All-Star game.

A few of these players have their shot at the All-Star game. While I’m not voting, I wouldn’t have a problem with any of these players joining the All-Star ranks. Moose and Gavin Floyd will not get their shots, which is a true snub in the end.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 7th, 2008 at 4:33 pm and is filed under All-Star Game. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.