Dodgers’ possible All-Star Game snubs

As always, fan voting ruins which players should actually make the All-Star Game. There are quite a few Dodgers that may miss out on this event because of this reason.

When you look at the Dodgers‘ lineup, any one of those players has the potential to be an All-Star. However, the problem with fan voting is it leaves everything up to the fans. The entire event is based off which fan base spends the most time on the internet voting.

Last year the Cubs’ fans practically filled the entire field when only two or three of their players, realistically, should have made the team. Corey Seager got snubbed from being a starter even though Addison Russell was nowhere near Seager’s level last year.

For some Dodger players, this may be the case again this season. When it comes down to it, the All-Star game is a popularity contest.

Yasmani Grandal is an excellent example of this. He is currently fifth in All-Star voting, but when you take a look at his stats, he should easily be in second. Buster Posey, Wilson Contreras, Yadier Molina, and Matt Wieters are all ahead of Grandal in the voting.

However, Grandal has better stats practically down his entire line. He is tied with Posey in RBI but is in first by himself in the percentage of runners caught stealing. Grandal has the second best average, OPS, hits, home runs, base on balls, and one defensive error amongst the other catchers nominated. His .325 on-base percentage is third, and he sits fourth with strikeouts. Just based off these stats alone, Grandal should easily be sitting in second.

Justin Turner is currently sitting third among the third basemen which absolutely blows my mind. Kris Bryant and Nolan Arenado take first and second place. Bryant and Arenado have Turner beat in hits, home runs, RBI and base on balls. But, at the same time, it’s important to remember Turner was on the DL, so he has played in about 20 fewer games than either guy.

Turner has about 20 fewer strikeouts than either man. His average, OBP, and OPS are both considerably higher than Bryant’s or Arenado’s. He also has only one error this season which is incredible, and only Arenado has done better with zero. Turner has never been voted into the All-Star game, but he deserves to be this year. Fan voting may take that away from him.

Another player who has yet to show up on the voting leaderboard is Cody Bellinger. Bellinger has been incredible since making his debut in April. He may not hit for a high average, and he does strike out quite a bit, but the power behind his bat is unrivaled on the Dodgers.

In just 45 games he has 40 hits, 17 home runs, and 39 RBI. He leads the Dodgers in both home runs and RBI. Bellinger even won NL Rookie of the Month in May as well as NL Player of the Week during the month.

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Chris Taylor is yet another Dodger who we have yet to see even in the conversation about the All-Star Game. Taylor isn’t a big name nor is he a fancy player, so he doesn’t stick out to anyone other than Dodger fans.

He was called up due to injuries and has made his presence known on the Dodgers. Without Taylor, there are quite a few games the Dodgers may not have won. Since being called up, he is hitting an impressive .293 with ten doubles, seven home runs, and 24 RBI. His numbers may not necessarily pop out to many people, but he has been a consistent hitter and can play just about anywhere on the field.

Last, but definitely not least, is Alex Wood. Of course, we don’t see the voting for the pitchers so it’s hard to say he may be snubbed because as of now we honestly don’t know. Wood has looked unstoppable over his past few starts. In May he posted a 5-0 record which earned him NL Pitcher of the Month.

Overall he currently boasts a 6-0 record with an incredible 2.01 ERA. He also has an impressive 67 strikeouts in only 53.2 innings this season. Wood also had a streak of 27.1 consecutive shutout innings up until this past Saturday against the Reds. No other pitcher has come close to that for the Dodgers besides Kershaw.

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With still plenty of time left in All-Star voting, it’s hard to be sure if any other these players will actually be snubbed. But considering the fact some of them haven’t even shown up in voting yet, there is a good possibility it may happen.