Fernando Tatis Jr.’s All-Star Snub is Blatant Oversight By MLB

Fernando Tatis Jr. has quickly become one of the game’s most exciting players, yet he isn’t a 2019 All-Star.

The All-Star Game, the Mid-Summer Classic, is, quite simply, an exhibition game. The definition of the word exhibition is “a public showing (as of works of art, objects of manufacture, or athletic skill).” Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. is a work of art, one that needs displaying on the biggest of stages baseball has to offer.

Apparently, Major League Baseball, the Commissioner’s Office and fellow players (how reserves are selected for the All-Star Game) do not see it that way as, when the rosters were revealed on Sunday, Tatis was not on the list but instead shortstops Paul DeJong and Trevor Story were selected in favor of the 20-year-old phenom.

This was not up to the fans. This was not a popularity contest dominated by ballot-stuffing big market fanbases, like how the starters are selected. The voting system to select reserves takes fans entirely out of the equation in an effort to select deserving players, without bias and regardless of market size.

Yet, no Tatis.

The All-Star Game is meant to exhibit the best and most exciting players in baseball. How can that list of players not include Tatis?

Tatis is the most exciting rookie the Padres have ever had and frankly, one of the most exciting rookies any team has ever had. He has made as big of an impact as anyone in baseball has had on their team.

The only possible, remotely reasonable explanation for leaving Tatis out of the All-Star Game is the fact that he missed a month’s worth of games. He has played 48 games through Sunday, with the National League roster consisting of players who have played at least 68 games.

There is no rule against a player being an All-Star after missing time with an injury. This was entirely the players’ and Commissioner’s Office’s oversight. If the league truly wants to reach a younger generation and grow the game, especially internationally, who would be better to put on that stage than the ever-smiling, colored-haired, thrill-seeking 20-year-old Dominican Tatis? Not even Mike Trout or Cody Bellinger are this marketable and flavorful. This goes beyond numbers.

.@tatis_jr is only the 2nd rookie SS EVER to have 10 HR and 10 SB in the first half (Nomar Garciaparra, 1997). pic.twitter.com/b6JZg38DVR

— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) June 29, 2019

You can no longer list the best players in baseball without mentioning the name Fernando Tatis Jr.

If you do want the numbers, it only proves this point. Tatis’ 1.018 OPS would be fifth-best on the National League All-Star roster, over 100 points better than either of the two shortstops who were selected ahead of him, DeJong and Story. More impressively, his 164 wRC+ would be third-highest among the NL All-Stars, only Christian Yelich and Bellinger have higher. His offensive WAR is fifth-best in all the National League.

Tatis is batting nearly .340, only Yelich and Bellinger have a better average.

Aside from home runs, which is a bit more at mercy to sample size and frankly becoming less valuable by the year, Tatis out-ranks both Story and DeJong in every other offensive category, with twice the flare they possess. Neither one of those shortstops can make plays with their feet, glove and arm the way Tatis does all while leading the offensive onslaught. He ranks towards the top of every offensive category among shortstops in all of baseball.

Tatis checks every single box.

Padres players and fans are used to being forgotten and disrespected. It’s the nature of playing in America’s Finest City, just south of the “big brother” market, Los Angeles. This oversight was certainly disappointing, but not overly shocking.

Major League Baseball will no longer be able to ignore the Padres with a player like Tatis on the roster. They also have guys named Manny Machado and Eric Hosmer, who carried clout with their names before even calling Petco Park their home park. Baseball is better for Tatis being a star in this league. It would behoove the league to put Tatis’ skills on display.

Tatis was snubbed, there are no two ways about it. However, just about every fan base has a gripe, some even legitimate, about one of their favorite players being snubbed. However, not every player is recognized as a snub by the national media, but based on the reactions of Tatis missing the All-Star team, the Padres and Tatis will go unrecognized no longer.

In the previous tweets, I am talking about ability of MLB to add All-Stars who were not elected by either the fans or players. Those two elections determine the vast majority of the rosters. After that, it’s difficult to adjust. And yes, I still think Tatis Jr. is an All-Star!

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 30, 2019

Time to bake the bagels here in London. I'd have Tatis Jr. on the All-Star team, if it were up to me.

— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) June 29, 2019

Padres' Tatis disappointed to miss cut on All-Star roster https://t.co/OAwHgO9xT2 pic.twitter.com/0KYuEQ2c3J

— theScore MLB (@theScoreMLB) July 1, 2019

https://twitter.com/Snuglas_/status/1145753479022927872

Coming up with new ways to say Fernando Tatis Jr. is good has become a full-time job.pic.twitter.com/AbV9gGjPpM

— Sporting News MLB (@sn_mlb) June 29, 2019

https://twitter.com/friarfaithful/status/1145448925890936832

Nick Lee

Native of Escondido, CA. Lived in San Diego area for 20 years. Padres fan since childhood (mid-90s). I have been writing since 2014. I currently live near Seattle, WA and am married to a Seattle sports girl. I wore #19 on my high school baseball team for Tony Gwynn. I am a stats and sports history nerd. I attended BYU on the Idaho campus. I also love Star Wars.