Kyle Schwarber says several of his Phillies teammates should’ve been All-Stars too
Kyle Schwarber is going to be the Philadelphia Phillies‘ sole representative (aside from the injured Bryce Harper) at this month’s All-Star Game, and he’s not thrilled about it.
It’s not hard to see why, as several of his teammates deserved to be there with him, but were snubbed when MLB revealed the rosters on Sunday.
Speaking to insider Jim Salisbury on Sunday evening, Schwarber was diplomatic, but resolute in his belief that several other Phillies were left out:
"“Obviously, it’s always something you want to be in your profession.I think that there’s a lot more All-Stars in this room that are very deserving of it and it’s kind of a shame. Hopefully, they can get in some way.”"
The deserving players in question? Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Seranthony Dominguez, and Rhys Hoskins.
Only a few months into his four-year deal with the Phillies, Schwarber is learning a brutal truth about playing for one of the game’s oldest franchises: good players on losing teams are often overlooked.
Of course, this year, the Phillies aren’t a losing team. Far from it, especially since Rob Thomson took over for Joe Girardi at the beginning of June. Schwarber, in particular, heated up at the same time. Thomson’s first day as skipper was also a two-homer game for Schwarber, who’d finish June with 12 blasts. He currently leads the National League with 28 home runs; only Yankees slugger Aaron Judge has more.
Schwarber isn’t the only Phillie who earned a spot on the All-Star roster, but there is a silver lining to him getting the spotlight. His comments focused more on his teammates’ exclusion than his own inclusion in the game, which speaks volumes about his character. Like his teammate Harper, who’s made it clear he’s after collective success, not individual accolades, Schwarber is committed to the team, not himself.
That’s a mindset that will carry him and his teammates to far bigger things than the All-Star Game.
These Philadelphia Phillies All-Star snubs are utterly outrageous
Phillies stars Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, and Seranthony Dominguez should be All-Stars. Their exclusion from this year's roster is an outrage.