ALL-STAR UPDATE: THREE UNDERRATED PITCHERS

MLB / Baseball

Written by Gus Cousins

With the All-Star game less than a month away and fan voting in full swing, it won’t be long until the internet is flooded with articles saying why YOUR favourite player was SNUBBED.

MLB’s Fan Voting allows fans to vote for their favourite players five times a day until June 30th, with a second phase of the voting process occurring between July 5th-8th to determine who starts the game. Fans have no say, thankfully, in which pitchers are sent - they are determined by players’ peers as well as the commissioner’s office. Of course, there are some limitations, one of which being the controversial ‘every team must have a representative’ ideology; see 2021 Mariners’ All-Star Yusei Kikuchi. Or 2011 Pirates’ All-Star Kevin Correia. Or 2009 Red Sox All-Star Tim Wakefield. Or…you get my point.

Source (Background photos): Getty Images

The past is the past though, and hopefully, there is some justice done in this year’s roster. Here are three pitchers who I believe are justified in deserving an All-Star spot:

1. Paul Blackburn - Oakland Athletics

Unfortunately stuck in Oakland, Blackburn has made the best out of a rather disastrous starting rotation. Prior to giving up a whopping seven runs to Seattle on June 22nd, Blackburn had allowed no more than four runs in any of his thirteen previous starts. His ERA currently sits at 2.97, recently up from 2.26 (before his tough start vs. Seattle). He doesn’t strike out too many, and has only thrown over 90 pitches five times - but when he’s in the game, he’s quite good.

The former first-round pick hasn’t had much to show during his five seasons prior, and his success is certainly leaning towards the A’s doing what the A’s do - ship him off to a contender before the trade deadline. For now, though, he’s been Oakland’s best starter and very much deserves to be, possibly, Oakland’s lone representative (unless by some mad luck Frankie Montas is picked, too). On top of everything else, he’s a good story. Blackburn has struggled to stay in the Majors since his rookie season in 2017 but has seemingly secured a role for himself every fifth day for the first time in his career.

2. Martin Perez - Texas Rangers

Martin Perez is going to be an All-Star, that much is set in stone. I mention him here though because I don’t believe he’s getting nearly enough attention for his stellar performance thus far in 2022. Perez has pitched to a 1.96 ERA through fourteen starts, including a complete-game shutout against Houston. Only once has he given up more than three runs in a start this year, and went no fewer than six innings in any start between April 23rd and June 5th. In those nine starts, his ERA is even lower - 0.88. After seven seasons with the Rangers to begin his career, Perez found mixed success and failure. One season in Minnesota and two with Boston proved no better, but his return to the Lone Star State has been a triumphant one. He’s striking out the second-most of his career (7.3/9 innings) while allowing the fewest walks (2.2/9 innings) and homers (0.2/9 innings) of any MLB season he’s pitched. Perez is Texas’ de facto Ace and the only consistent arm of their rotation. Originally a back-end signing to compliment Jon Gray, their roles have reversed - Gray has struggled mightily this year.

3. David Bednar - Pittsburgh Pirates

Unlike Blackburn and Perez, Bednar’s success isn’t new - the Pirates’ closer flourished in the bullpen last year after being traded from San Diego and is once again dominating in 2022. He showcases a fantastic 1.78 ERA and has allowed only seven earned runs over 35 ⅓ innings of work. Only twice in his twenty-eight games this season did he not strike someone out and has saved 11 out of their 29 meager victories.

Bednar was originally acquired in the massive three-team trade between Pittsburgh, San Diego, and the Mets, in which Joe Musgrove was sent to the Padres, Joey Lucchesi to New York, and Bednar plus a smattering of prospects to the Pirates. Last year, Bednar finished 8th in Rookie of the Year voting and compiled a 2.23 ERA over his first season in Pittsburgh. Hopefully, Bednar is one of the few relievers added to the NL All-Star team, as he is definitely worthy after a great first half.