The talent at the starting pitcher position is stronger than it has ever been in MLB history. When deciding who gets to make the all star team, there are simply too many good options to pick from.
Although the all star teams for the American and National league will feature plenty of talented starting pitchers, there are many who haven’t gotten the call yet. These arms may get a chance to make the all star teams as replacements but for now are the top snubs in MLB.
Starting pitcher snub one- Ronel Blanco- Houston Astros
On April 1, Blanco threw a no hitter vs. the Toronto Blue Jays. There have been many pitchers who throw a no hitter just to do nothing the rest of the season. Blanco meanwhile took his dominance and ran with it. Through 16 starts Blanco has a 2.53 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP. Blanco is one of the most inspiring stories of the season. Despite not making the big leagues until age 28 he has pitched like an all star in his age 30 season. Blanco was suspended 10 games for use of sticky substance, but it seems as if he didn’t need the extra help anyways as he’s kept up his dominant ways.
Starting pitcher snub two- Jake Irvin- Washington Nationals
Irvin had an up and down rookie season in 2023. Irvin’s main problem in his 24 starts were the 24 home runs he gave up. This season Irvin has brought down the home runs he’s given up to 10 through 18 starts. This has allowed him to lower his ERA to 2.80 from his 4.61 ERA in 2023 and raise his ERA+ from 142 from his 2023 total of 92. Irvin’s improvements have made him one of the best starting pitchers this season.
Photo via Talkin Nats
Starting pitcher snub three- Michael King- San Diego Padres
King was a reliever for most of his career. Late in 2023 the Yankees were desperate for starting pitchers so they moved King to the rotation. King did a good job. So when the Padres got King as part of the trade to send Juan Soto to the Yankees they saw him as a rotation piece. He got off to a poor start with an ERA of 4.71 in April, but has gotten his season ERA down to 3.51. King has gotten 120 strikeouts through 105 innings.
Starting pitcher snub four- Joe Ryan- Minnesota Twins
Ryan has been a strikeout machine for his entire career. In 2023 he got 197 strikeouts in just 161 innings. However, this season Ryan has done a much better job at preventing runs from scoring. His 2024 ERA is 3.29, the best of his career and a massive improvement from his 2023 ERA of 4.51. On top of his run prevention he’s still racking up strikeouts, as he has 118 strikeouts in just 109 innings.
Starting pitcher snub five- Cristopher Sanchez- Philadelphia Phillies
The Phillies are sending a franchise record seven players to the all star game this season. Despite this record the Phillies could’ve ended up sending even more all stars. Sanchez has been one of the Phillies many dominant pitchers in the 2024 season. The area where he stands out the most is home run prevention. In 97 innings he has given up just two home runs. This has helped him have a 2.96 ERA.
(Note- on July 13 Sanchez was named as a replacement for Chris Sale on the all star roster.)
Photo via ESPN
Starting pitcher snub six- Brady Singer- Kansas City Royals
The Royals are having their best season since their 2015 world series win this season. Part of their revival has been thanks to their young starting pitching talent. Singer has been one of the most exciting young arms in baseball. This season he has finally taken the jump into stardom. He holds a career best 2.93 ERA and a 146 ERA+. Part of his improvement has been thanks to not giving up hard contact. He currently has the lowest average exit velocity of his career at 87.9 miles per hour. Although a two to three miles per hour difference may not seem that different it can be the difference between a baseball falling for a hit and being caught.
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