MLB corrected a ridiculous Bryce Harper All-Star mistake they never should've had to deal with

Five Philadelphia Phillies were selected to the All-Star game on Saturday, but one of them was still somewhat of a snub. Elite first baseman Bryce Harper didn’t make it through based on fan voting, but was nominated by commissioner Rob Manfred as a “legend” pick. While it’s wonderful to see Harper receive a well-deserved honor, it’s hard to fathom why he didn’t make it in on his own merits. 

Bryce Harper was duking it out in a three-way dogfight with Freddie Freeman and Matt Olson for the honor of starting the All-Star game at first base. All three players are in the midst of fantastic campaigns, and had strong cases for earning the starting nod. 

Olson’s 22 homers coming into Sunday paced the trio, while Freeman had the highest batting average at .297. Harper essentially split the difference, with a higher average than Olson, but more home runs than Freeman. Ultimately, the deluge of votes from Dodgers fans gave Freeman the starting honor, while Olson made it in as a backup infield selection. 

Phillies leader Bryce Harper earned an All-Star selection on his own merits

Harper could very well have missed out on All-Star festivities entirely if it weren’t for commissioner Rob Manfred saving the day with his “legend” selection. The commissioner is given the ability to appoint players to the All-Star team based on their status within the game, regardless of their performance in a given season. 

This method has been used in the past for future Hall of Famers Albert Pujols, Miguel Cabrera and Clayton Kershaw, all three of whom were shells of their former selves when this took place. Harper certainly isn’t being given a lifetime achievement award on his way out the door like those three, as his .892 OPS this season is second on the Phillies behind the otherworldly Kyle Schwarber. 

So why was Harper relegated to a “legend” All-Star selection instead of making it in on his own merits? It all comes down to roster limitations. Only so many players can be chosen for an All-Star team in a given year, and consequently some deserving players will be left off. Every Phillies fan remembers the Cristopher Sánchez/Jacob Misiorowski debacle from last year which was a similarly unjust situation. 

First base is a loaded position, and Harper had the misfortune of finishing third behind two excellent players in fan voting. There were plenty of reserves nominated to the All-Star game, most of which played other positions. It wouldn’t be right for the team to carry three first basemen and only one player at another spot. However, that doesn’t mean Harper shouldn’t have made it at all.

Cincinnati Reds corner infielder Sal Stewart has had a fantastic rookie season, putting up an .805 OPS with 17 dingers in 89 games. The 22-year-old was rewarded with his first career All-Star selection, but is that production really better than Harper’s .892 mark and 20 big flies? Yes, Harper’s defense has left much to be desired this year, but there’s still a strong case to be made that he’s more All-Star worthy than Sal Stewart.

What matters in the end is that Bryce Harper is an All-Star. Decades from now there won’t be a stigma hovering over his ninth All-Star selection that it was “just” a legend pick. Still, Phillies fans have felt slighted in recently with the Cristopher Sánchez snub and Zack Wheeler getting the cold shoulder this year. Harper being given something of a second-class All-Star nod just doesn’t quite feel right.

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