Latest
Notable MLB All-Star Omissions
All-Star rosters dropped over the weekend, and as always, several fanbases were quick to express frustration. Some of the complaints are overblown, but a handful of players had strong cases to be in Atlanta and can reasonably feel snubbed.
Here are 10 players who were unlucky to miss out on a roster spot for the 2025 MLB All-Star Game:
Michael Busch
With a 1.396 OPS over the last two weeks, Busch’s hot streak likely came too late to earn him an All-Star nod. Still, it is rare to see a player with a .950 OPS and 18 home runs left off the roster.
Freddie Freeman, Matt Olson, and Pete Alonso are strong competition for Busch at first base in the National League. The Cubs slugger leads all four in OPS, which makes his omission hard to justify.
Framber Valdez
A 2.90 ERA is usually enough to warrant All-Star consideration. Valdez is only 11th in the American League in that category, though, and was unlikely to make the roster with Hunter Brown a lock and Jeremy Peña selected as a backup infielder.
Valdez had a borderline case on performance alone, but his odds dropped further due to Yusei Kikuchi and Shane Smith taking the required spots for the Angels and White Sox. The one-player-per-team rule continues to block deserving players every year.
Junior Caminero
Caminero might not have been a clear-cut choice, but he absolutely deserved serious consideration. His raw tools are among the best in the league, including elite bat speed and hard-hit metrics, and he has helped keep Tampa Bay competitive despite being just 20 years old. His OPS sits above .800, and he has been especially productive against lefties.
While there are more deserving Rays this year and his defense has been a work in progress, Caminero is the kind of rising star fans would love to see in a showcase like the All-Star Game. He may not have gotten the nod this time, but it feels inevitable that he will be a regular fixture in future Midsummer Classics.
Juan Soto
The All-Star Game was made for players like Soto. Even in what some consider a down year, he owns a .904 OPS and has posted a 1.137 OPS over the last 28 days. That stretch alone should have been enough to earn him a roster spot.
Ronald Acuña Jr. winning the fan vote left little room for Soto, especially with Kyle Stowers filling the Marlins’ one mandatory slot. Still, Soto had a better case than Fernando Tatis Jr. and should be heading to Atlanta.
George Springer
Alejandro Kirk and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will represent Toronto, and both are deserving. But the Blue Jays probably should have had a third All-Star. Springer ranks fourth among all AL hitters in wRC+, which reflects elite offensive value.
Splitting time between right field and designated hitter likely hurt his case. So did the fact that his hottest stretch came just before rosters were finalized. Even so, his numbers clearly outpace Julio Rodríguez, who made the cut instead.
Nick Pivetta
On the surface, Pivetta’s numbers do not scream All-Star. He is outside the top 12 National League starters in ERA and FIP. But his strikeout-to-walk rate ranks sixth, ahead of names like Paul Skenes and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
Pivetta’s raw stuff is slightly down this year, but better command has produced real results. A few rough outings in June dented his candidacy, but his overall performance deserved stronger consideration.
Hoby Milner
Milner ranks sixth in FIP and third in fWAR among American League relievers. That should be enough to make a case, but setup men rarely get selected unless they rack up saves or play for a host team.
With 11 holds and zero saves, Milner lacks the flash of Aroldis Chapman, Josh Hader, or Andrés Muñoz. Still, he has been among the league’s most effective arms and arguably one of the three best AL relievers this season.
Joe Ryan
Ryan is eighth in fWAR, seventh in ERA, and seventh in FIP among AL starting pitchers. He was firmly in the mix for an All-Star spot, but Byron Buxton filled the mandatory Twins selection.
With elite strikeout and walk rates plus a strong expected ERA, Ryan might be the top alternate should any AL pitcher drop out. He is one of the more underappreciated pitchers in baseball and continues to put up All-Star caliber numbers.
CJ Abrams
The Nationals landed two All-Stars from the Juan Soto trade, but they should have had three. Abrams is putting up better offensive numbers than either of the two NL shortstops who made the roster, Elly De La Cruz and Francisco Lindor.
He already has 12 home runs and 19 steals, and a 20-30 season seems likely. With 3.3 wins above replacement already, Abrams was a real snub. Either De La Cruz or Lindor should have been left off to make room.
Sonny Gray
Gray’s numbers are nearly identical to Ryan’s, with a slightly higher ERA but similar FIP and strikeout rates. He had a strong case for the National League team but was passed over due to a crowded field and limited Cardinals representation.
Brendan Donovan’s selection blocked Gray, and while Donovan is a worthy All-Star, Gray would have been the pick in many other years.
Parting Shot
Every year, deserving players miss out due to roster limits, team quotas, or bad timing. This year is no different. Several of these players could still be named as injury replacements, but as it stands, they are among the most unfortunate snubs from the 2025 All-Star Game in Atlanta.
Want more like this? Come hang with us here:
Join our newsletter for weekly updates, banter, and more.
