A bunch of Phillies have blasted the selection process of the National League All-Star roster after Brewers rookie pitcher Jacob Misiorowski — who has pitched in just five MLB games — has been named to the team.
After it was announced Friday that Misiorowski will replace Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd for the NL, some Phils believe two of their teammates, Ranger Suarez and Christopher Sanchez, have been snubbed in favor of the young, “marketable” flamethrower. “That’s just how MLB does it now,” catcher J.T. Realmuto said via The Athletic. “Nothing against the Misiorowski kid. But (Suarez and Sanchez) are deserving of being on the team in the first place. There’s no doubt.”
A number of Phillies have spoken out against Jacob Misiorowski being named to the NL All-Star team. … More
Shortstop Trea Turner was blunt, saying, “What a joke. That’s f—ing terrible. I mean that’s terrible, dude.” And outfielder Nick Castellanos chimed in, “It’s turning into the Savannah Bananas.”
Since debuting on June 12, Misiorowski has caused a buzz with a fastball that averages 99.3 mph. The 6-foot-7 right-hander has fired 89 pitches this season of 100 mph or more and has a 4-1 record and 2.83 ERA in his five starts. Here’s a look at “The Miz” in action:
“Major League Baseball is really just focusing on the most marketable players,” Castellanos said. “So the fact that they can have somebody in the game that is going to basically blow out one inning and throw 103, 104, they’re going to get more eyeballs on baseball. They’re going to think it’s getting more popular.”
Turner said it “100 percent” cheapens the All-Star Game to add a player like Misiorowski who has so little experience. “I mean, it’s not the All-Star Game in the sense that the best players go there, or people who have had the best season,” Turner said. “It’s whoever sells the most tickets or has been put on social media the most. That’s essentially what it’s turned into.”
Both Suarez and Sanchez have had All-Star-caliber seasons. Suarez, who is 7-3 with a 1.94 ERA over 83⅔ innings, owns the lowest ERA in the league for any pitcher with at least 80 innings thrown.
Suarez said he declined an invite to the All-Star game, saying he prefers resting during the break, and, as a result, MLB did not name him an All-Star.
The lone Phillies All-Star, Kyle Schwarber, said of Suarez, “Even if you’re going to ask him that, then he should be labeled an All-Star at that point. Not just if you can pitch.”
Sanchez’s 2.59 ERA is the league’s fourth-lowest among qualified starters, and he has a 4.1 WAR, the third-best among NL pitchers.
“If [Sanchez] is not an All-Star, then no one is,” Turner said.
Sanchez would likely not be available for Tuesday’s All-Star Game in Atlanta after starting for the Phils on Sunday in San Diego against the Padres. But his Phillie teammates all say that the MLB should have named him to the roster and then selected his replacement. “He should be named an All-Star still,” Schwarber said.
Turner said it’s “unacceptable” that Sanchez hasn’t been named an All-Star while adding, “So the only excuse that that guy’s not in the All-Star Game is that he can’t pitch that day? That’s terrible.”