MLB · 3 months ago

Where Did the Fans Get It Wrong on MLB All-Star Voting?

SportsGrid Contributor Just Baseball

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Andy Pages & Juan Soto — Consistent vs. Limited Action
Finally, Andy Pages and Juan Soto both have strong arguments over Ronald Acuña Jr.

Pages:
- 16 HR, 57 RBI, .294 AVG, .503 SLG, 130 wRC+, 3.0 fWAR
Soto:
- 20 HR, 47 RBI, .254 AVG, .394 OBP, .507 SLG, 153 wRC+, 2.4 fWAR
Acuña’s comeback has been stellar: 1.076 OPS and a 198 wRC+, but over just 35 games. Full-season contributors like Pages and Soto earned the nod more on volume alone.
James Wood — The NL’s Most Glaring Miss
The National League’s Phase 1 voting missed badly, leaving out James Wood. The Washington Nationals slugger sits top five in the NL for fWAR (3.5), wRC+ (156), and OPS (.938).

If the numbers weren’t enough, Wood literally terrified the Los Angeles Angels into giving him four free passes on June 29 — he’s just the sixth player ever to draw four intentional walks in one game. Teoscar Hernández making the cut over Wood? The stats don’t lie:
- Wood: 22 HR, 64 RBI, .283 AVG, .386 OBP, .552 SLG
- Hernández: 14 HR, 54 RBI, .263 AVG, .297 OBP, .481 SLG
Hernández and the Los Angeles Dodgers' larger fanbase helped, but performance-wise, it’s not even close.

Thanks to Just Baseball for the stats, analysis and insights for this slideshow article.
Byron Buxton — AL’s Overlooked Star
It’s a familiar story for Byron Buxton — elite production, minimal recognition. He ranks top five among AL hitters in fWAR (3.3), wRC+ (147), and OPS (.900).
- 19 HR (tied 3rd), 15 SB (tied 2nd), and on pace for his career-best season.
Yet he was passed over for Phase 2 in favor of Javier Báez and Mike Trout. Báez is having a solid bounce-back but trails Buxton in almost every offensive category:
- Buxton: 19 HR, 51 RBI, .277 AVG, .342 OBP, .558 SLG
- Báez: 9 HR, 36 RBI, .285 AVG, .323 OBP, .460 SLG
As for Trout, his limited playing time (58 games) and a .230 average can’t justify bumping Buxton — who’s been healthy and locked in all summer.

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Jonathan Aranda — Best First Baseman Left Off
At first base, the Tampa Bay Rays' Jonathan Aranda deserved far more respect. Since May 20, he’s been unstoppable: .359 AVG, .450 OBP, 1.033 OPS, 192 wRC+.

Season line:
- 10 HR, 45 RBI, .325 AVG, .406 OBP, .899 OPS
Paul Goldschmidt’s comeback with the New York Yankees is a nice storyline, but production says it all:
- Goldschmidt: 8 HR, 32 RBI, .284 AVG, .347 OBP, .771 OPS
Tampa’s small-market status vs. the Yankees’ massive fan base likely swung this snub, but Aranda earned that finalist slot fair and square.

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Brandon Lowe — Overlooked at Second Base
Few snubs sting more than Brandon Lowe’s at second base. Gleyber Torres was the rightful AL leader at second, but the Phase 2 finalist opposite him should have been Lowe, not Jackson Holliday.

Lowe’s power numbers make the case:
- 19 HR, 50 RBI, .274 AVG, .820 OPS, 130 wRC+
Holliday’s comeback has been solid — but not All-Star starter material:
- 10 HR, 33 RBI, .255 AVG, .712 OPS, 102 wRC+
Big-market hype and top prospect status carried Holliday — Lowe’s production says he deserved the slot.
Steven Kwan — The Quiet Spark
With the Cleveland Guardians, Steven Kwan continues to deliver elite table-setting skills:
- 6 HR, 25 RBI, .296 AVG (4th AL), .359 OBP, .777 OPS, 2.4 fWAR
Among AL outfielders, he ranks sixth in fWAR and ninth in wRC+. Báez and Trout took slots he arguably earned with more consistent performance. Kwan’s consistency deserves more eyes.
Andy Pages & Juan Soto — Consistent vs. Limited Action
Finally, Andy Pages and Juan Soto both have strong arguments over Ronald Acuña Jr.

Pages:
- 16 HR, 57 RBI, .294 AVG, .503 SLG, 130 wRC+, 3.0 fWAR
Soto:
- 20 HR, 47 RBI, .254 AVG, .394 OBP, .507 SLG, 153 wRC+, 2.4 fWAR
Acuña’s comeback has been stellar: 1.076 OPS and a 198 wRC+, but over just 35 games. Full-season contributors like Pages and Soto earned the nod more on volume alone.
James Wood — The NL’s Most Glaring Miss
The National League’s Phase 1 voting missed badly, leaving out James Wood. The Washington Nationals slugger sits top five in the NL for fWAR (3.5), wRC+ (156), and OPS (.938).

If the numbers weren’t enough, Wood literally terrified the Los Angeles Angels into giving him four free passes on June 29 — he’s just the sixth player ever to draw four intentional walks in one game. Teoscar Hernández making the cut over Wood? The stats don’t lie:
- Wood: 22 HR, 64 RBI, .283 AVG, .386 OBP, .552 SLG
- Hernández: 14 HR, 54 RBI, .263 AVG, .297 OBP, .481 SLG
Hernández and the Los Angeles Dodgers' larger fanbase helped, but performance-wise, it’s not even close.

Thanks to Just Baseball for the stats, analysis and insights for this slideshow article.

Where Did the Fans Get It Wrong on MLB All-Star Voting?

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