The Major League Baseball All-Star Game is coming up in just over a week and in recent days, more and more players have gotten word that they are headed to Arlington, Texas (home of the Texas Rangers) for the Midsummer Classic. As always, snubs are part of the All-Star Game process, and one of the biggest omissions from the roster is South Carolina baseball alum Christian Walker.
Walker is on pace for his best season as a pro. He has played in every game of the year for his Arizona Diamondbacks and has smacked 22 home runs (3rd in the National League), driven in 64 RBI (4th in the National League), and has scored 58 runs (8th in the National League). His .513 slugging percentage (4th in the National League) and .853 OPS (9th in the National League) are also among the league leaders. He also leads all of Major League Baseball first basemen in several defensive advanced metrics, including defensive WAR and defensive runs saved.
That resume easily is deserving of Walker's first trip to the All-Star Game. Yet, as of now, he will be sitting at home during the All-Star break.
Walker was snubbed in favor of Mets first baseman Pete Alonso (Freddie Freeman and Bryce Harper are All-Stars, as well, but they deserve it). Walker has outpaced Alonso in, quite literally, every offensive statistic (except doubles) and every defensive metric. Yet, Commissioner Rob Manfred's office selected Alonso to represent the Mets, snubbing the much more deserving Walker. Utility player Luis Arraez (whose primary position this year has been first base) was voted in by the players but has had a worse season than Walker, too.
The All-Star Game is the type of event in which players with nagging injuries elect not to play. When this happens, replacements are needed, so there is still hope that Christian Walker will find his way to the National League All-Star Game roster. For now, though, he is the biggest snub of the summer.