One rival team in particular is fuming after Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski was named to the National League All-Star team on the basis of just five starts.
Philadelphia Phillies players were angered by Misiorowski’s All-Star nod, as they felt that two of their pitchers were more deserving of the honor. Both Cristopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez were offered All-Star spots if they agreed to pitch in the game. Sanchez is scheduled to start Sunday, while Suarez declined to remain rested. Despite that, the league refused to name either as an All-Star and then allow them to be replaced.
“What a joke,” shortstop Trea Turner said of the situation, via Matt Gelb of The Athletic. “That’s f—ing terrible. I mean, that’s terrible, dude.”
Phillies outfielder Nick Castellanos had a more blunt take: “It’s turning into the Savannah Bananas.”
Fundamentally, MLB views the All-Star Game as a showcase for its top talent, while players recognize that All-Star selections are part of how they will be remembered. In the case of Sanchez, he has a bonus in his contract for being named an All-Star, so there is a financial incentive as well.
Misiorowski, meanwhile, has just five MLB starts to his name, and that alone has made his selection controversial. He does have a 2.81 ERA in those starts, but that is in just 25.2 innings pitched. Fans and players alike think that is just not a big enough body of work to receive an honor like this.
