3 Phillies players who will end up being All-Star snubs this year
With the Phillies having so many All-Star-worthy candidates this year, some players are bound to come up short.
With the Philadelphia Phillies leading the way in the entire MLB with a spectacular 49-24 record thus far, a fair number of the Phillies players have put up some impressive numbers in contributing to the team’s dominant success. Those players have been so good that you can classify them as having All-Star-worthy seasons to date.
Phase 1 of the voting process is officially open for the 2024 MLB All-Star Game, set to take place at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas on July 16. Fans now have the opportunity to get their favorite players into the Midsummer Classic. A total of 32 players will be selected from each league, consisting of 20 position players and 12 pitchers. The voting process will determine the positional starters, while the rest of the roster will be determined by player ballots and the Commissioner’s office.
3 Phillies players who will end up being All-Star snubs this year
The Phillies have had just two players selected to the All-Star Game in each of the last three seasons, and from 2014 to 2019, they had just one representative each year. That should change in 2024. At least one MLB Insider thinks the team will have five players heading to Arlington, at least from the early predictions.
With the Phillies superstars ranging from Bryce Harper to Zack Wheeler, along with unbelievable seasons put together by Ranger Suárez, Matt Strahm, Alec Bohm and others, having such good seasons, the Phillies won't have a shortage of players who will be considered for the event.
But with so many Phillies having breakout seasons at the same time, along with the strong competition presented by the rest of the players in the National League, there are bound to be a few notable Phillies who will be left without a spot in the Midsummer Classic.
Here are three Phillies players who will likely suffer the unlucky fate of being snubbed for this year’s All-Star Game.
Trea Turner, SS
Not much needs to be said for Phillies’ star shortstop Trea Turner. After all, the perennial All-Star candidate has averaged close to 20 home runs, 80 RBI and 30+ stolen bases per season since he rose to prominence during his time with the Washington Nationals.
Having made the Midsummer Classic in two of the past three years, he appeared to be well on his way toward another appearance this season before injuring his left hamstring on a bold scoring play against the San Francisco Giants in early May.
Prior to the injury, Turner was heating up. He had hit safely in 19 of 21 games while batting at a .378 clip along with a stellar .944 OPS. He was also on pace to steal approximately 50 bases this season, a mark that would have established a new career-high for Turner.
The good news is that Turner has recently returned to the field. Unfortunately, after being sidelined for six weeks, his extended absence could be enough to take him out of the running for a spot in this year’s All-Star Game. But you never know; if he picks up where he left off he could force himself back into the conversation.
José Alvarado, RP
This is José Alvarado's first season as the Phillies' de facto primary closer. In previous years, he served mainly as a setup man and as a part-time closer. The big lefty has been tremendous in his new role this year.
Alvarado has converted 12 saves in 14 opportunities while compiling a solid 3.19 ERA and 1.06 WHIP, with 33 strikeouts in 31 innings pitched. Because of his reliability and dominance in high-leverage situations, at times he has been brought into games earlier than expected to face an opposing team's best hitters. As a result, he has five holds on the season.
However, it has also been a year of dominance for other closers in the league. Robert Suárez of the San Diego Padres had been a perfect 17-for-17 this season in save opportunities until he blew Tuesday’s game in the Phillies’ 4-3 walk-off win. He still has a 1.21 ERA and 0.81 WHIP. Ryan Helsley has played a major role in helping the St. Louis Cardinals bounce back from their miserable season last year, leading the team and the entire MLB with 24 saves and amassing a stellar 2.53 ERA and 1.16 WHIP.
Not only that, but Alvarado will feel the heat from some of his own teammates. Both Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm have been nothing short of brilliant, each posting a sub-1.00 ERA and sub-1.00 WHIP. Hoffman has registered five saves to go along with 10 holds. Strahm has walked only four batters all season in 29 innings with an eye-popping 33.7 percent K-BB rate.
As great as Alvarado has been this year for the Phillies, the exceptional play of his main competitors will likely keep him from being selected as a first-time All-Star.
Aaron Nola, SP
Aaron Nola has been everything the Phillies expected him to be since signing his huge seven-year contract to remain with the team this past offseason. Despite having a less-than-stellar 2023, the Phillies had high hopes that Nola would revert to his dominant form this year, based on his previous solid track record.
Well, their belief in the heart and soul of the team has paid off big time. Nola is back and even better this season for the Phillies. In 15 starts, he has tallied an 8-3 record with a 3.54 ERA and 1.06 WHIP while striking out 84 in 94 innings pitched. Those numbers mirror his best-ever season back in 2018 when the right-hander had the only All-Star nomination of his career. If history repeats itself, he should be a surefire candidate this time around, right?
To Nola’s luck though, he's up against some stiff competition this year. The Chicago Cubs' Shota Imanaga, the Los Angeles Dodgers' Tyler Glasnow and even a revitalized Chris Sale with the Atlanta Braves, to name a few, are putting together consistently outstanding performances game after game.
Not to mention that the Phillies’ own unbelievable duo of Wheeler and Suárez have joined the elite ranks, putting up Cy Young-like numbers so far this season. They couldn’t possibly invite almost the entire Phillies rotation to the All-Star Game, could they? Nola will likely get the short end of the stick by the time all is said and done.
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