Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Blake Snell leads the American League in ERA (2.09), is second in wins (12) and is tied for third in opponent batting average (.183), but he won't be suiting up for the MLB All Star Game next Tuesday. That's not by choice, Snell simply wasn't voted on to the team.
Of all the players who feel they were "snubbed" from the 2018 MLB All Star Game, nobody has a stronger case than Snell, who has received an outpouring of support from players around the league, as well as other athletes such as New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. Rays pitcher Chris Archer said it was "a joke" that the player with the best ERA in the AL, was not a unanimous All-Star selection.
"Something like that can't happen," Archer said in an IG video. "He leads the league in ERA. That means he's given up the fewest amount of runs per nine innings out of any starting pitcher in the league. ... Players, coaches, managers -- we have to do a better job with the selection process so we can put the best talent out on the field for the fans in the Midsummer Classic.
"If you didn't have him on your ballot, I hope that next year you take it a little bit more serious and put in the due diligence, because this is important."
In Major League Baseball, the players get to vote for the first five starting pitchers and first three relievers. This year, the players voted for Luis Severino, Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole, Chris Sale and Corey Kluber. The league also has a rule that every team gets an All-Star, which also hurt Snell's chances of getting on the AL roster after the five starting pitchers were voted upon by the players.
ESPN's Dave Schoenfield writes, "The players also fill in one backup at each position, including DH, so MLB is limited to five open spots on the AL team (not including the "Final Vote" choice). The trouble is, at this point, the Rangers, A's, Twins, Tigers and Blue Jays still didn't have a player on the roster."
The 2018 MLB All Star Game, airing on Fox, will take place at 8:00pm ET next Tuesday, July 17 at Nationals Park.
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