Three Cuts: Braves have three All-Stars … but were the any snubs?
2. So who was the Braves’ biggest snub?
Let’s break down the resumes of the other Braves to make the finalists cut but not hear their names called.
Dansby Swanson is the seventh-most valuable NL shortstop (1.6 fWAR, while the top three most valuable — the Cubs’ Javier Baez, Rockies’ Trevor Story and Cardinals’ Paul DeJong all got in — Josh Donaldson is seventh at third (1.9 fWAR) and the top three in terms of fWAR at that spot — the Rockies’ Nolan Arenado, Nationals’ Anthony Rendon and Cubs’ Bryant — made the cut.
Same with Brian McCann, who is tied for ninth among catchers (0.7 fWAR), while the top three — the Cubs’ Wilson Contreras, Brewers’ Yasmani Grandal and the Phillies’ J.T. Realmuto — are in and Nick Markakis (34th among outfielders at 0.1 fWAR), as the Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger (first in fWAR), Brewers’ Christian Yelich (second), Acuña (fifth), the Mets’ Jeff McNeil (sixth), the Rockies’ Charlie Blackmon (eighth) and Rockies’ David Dahl (13th) were selected.
Granted, Max Fried has had a better season than the Marlins’ Sandy Alcantara, a 1.0 fWAR pitcher, but you can make the same case for 12 other starters that didn’t make the NL team.
Ozzie Albies, though, may be the biggest point of frustration.
He led all NL second basemen with 2.2 million votes during the primary voting period and wound up losing to the Diamondbacks’ Ketel Marte, who had half as many votes. But Marte has been the most valuable player at the position in the NL at 3.7 fWAR.
Albies, meanwhile, is fifth among NL second basemen in wRC+ (107) and fWAR (1.7), and is hitting 27 percent lower than the Brewers’ Mike Moustakas, who also has 10 more homers and is a 2.6 fWAR player.
If you take into account what Albies has done since moving down in the order, there isn’t a 6-8 hitter that has been more productive than his hitting 27 percent above league average with a .313 average and .370 wOBA.
His not being an All-Star is tough, but it’s hard to argue him in over any of the players who made the cut at second after Sunday’s announcement.
Andy Marlin Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports
