MLB All-Star snubs: 8 players who deserve to be on roster

(Audacy) The rosters for the MLB All-Star Game were officially announced Sunday and as with every year, there were a few noticeable omissions.

With the All-Star Game still more than a week away, there's still a chance those who were snubbed could get in via injury replacement. In particular, pitchers who were selected may not be able to pitch for various reasons, which could open the door for more.

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But for now, let's take a look at which players we thought were snubbed from the Midsummer Classic. The official rosters can be found here.

Cease will probably get in as a replacement, but his omission is quite puzzling. He's second in the American League with 133 strikeouts in just 92 innings. He also ranks fourth with a 2.45 ERA, and opponents are hitting just .205 against him — sixth in the AL. Those numbers should automatically qualify for an All-Star berth, which will surely be rectified before next week.

France is having a career year at the plate, slashing .310/.384/.467 with 10 home runs, 45 RBIs and an .851 OPS entering Sunday, the latter the second-best OPS among AL first basemen, behind Twins super-utilityman Luis Arraez and one ahead of Anthony Rizzo (another snub). His average is actually sixth in the AL and he has played a fine defense, committing just two errors in 69 games at first base.

Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez went on the injured list Sunday, so one would figure France would be among the top considerations to replace him on the roster.

The Yankees are having a season for the ages, so naturally, there have been a lot of All-Star-caliber performances so far this year. Rizzo is just one of a few others who could easily make this list (Michael King, Gleyber Torres get honorable mentions). But where would the Yankees be without Rizzo?

His .850 OPS entering Sunday was the third-best among eligible first basemen in the AL. His .226 batting average is low, but he makes that up with 22 home runs (fifth in the AL) and 54 RBIs (tied for sixth in the AL). He plays Gold Glove defense and has come up with so many big hits for the Yankees that he certainly has played well enough to be on the All-Star team.

Again, pitchers always tend to get added onto the roster and Wheeler certainly has an argument to make the National League team. He ranks fifth in the NL with a 2.46 ERA and seventh with 104 strikeouts, which he has done over 95 innings this season. He also has an impressive 1.05 WHIP with an 8-4 record. It would be shocking if Wheeler ultimately doesn't get the All-Star nod.

Rodon is coming off his best start of the year — a complete-game three-hitter with 12 strikeouts against the San Diego Padres — but that was either not enough or too late to get him on the NL All-Star roster. Still, Rodon has a compelling case. He's second in the NL with 124 strikeouts in 100 innings and has a 2.70 ERA and 1.06 WHIP. Opponents are hitting just .204 against him — fifth-best in the NL. Those are certainly All-Star-worthy numbers.

The Braves are another one of those teams having a great season with many All-Star-worthy players, but the omission of Riley is perhaps most glaring. He has an astounding .908 OPS — fourth-best in the NL. His 23 home runs are tied with Pete Alonso for second and his 56 RBIs are seventh-best in the NL. While third base is stacked, there's no question Riley has played well enough to be on the team.

Drury is another victim of a stacked third base in the NL. His 18 home runs, 50 RBIs and .873 OPS are all career-highs (or on pace for career-highs) and that should've resulted in an All-Star nod.

First base is another one of those deep positions where seems like there are just too many good players, leaving Bell on the outside looking in. He has 12 home runs and 47 RBIs with an .877 OPS (ninth in the NL), but he's also hitting for average — batting .304 on the season, the second-best average among NL first basemen behind Paul Goldschmidt. Nationals teammate Juan Soto made it on a down year, and Bell should be right there with him.

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