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3 hours ago
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One of the most intriguing stories during the 2025 MLB All-Star Game will be Milwaukee Brewers rookie pitcher Jacob Misiorowski being named to the National League squad.
However, it's a story that several Philadelphia Phillies players aren't interested in hearing.
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Several Phillies players criticized MLB and the All-Star selection process in putting Misiorowski on the team instead of Philadelphia pitchers Cristopher Sánchez or Ranger Suárez, or shortstop Trea Turner. The Phillies' only representative in Atlanta on Tuesday will be designated hitter Kyle Schwarber.
The chief objection among the Phillies' gripers is that Misiorowski was named to the team despite making only five starts in his fledgling major-league career. Compare that to Sánchez, who has made 18 starts while collecting a 2.59 ERA and 7-2 record with 116 strikeouts in 107 2/3 innings. Suárez has a 1.94 ERA, 7-3 record and 78 strikeouts in 83 2/3 innings.
Both pitchers were reportedly offered All-Star nods by MLB if they agreed to pitch on Tuesday, but each of them declined, opting to rest instead. In Sánchez's case, that decision cost him a $200,000 bonus in his contract.
“That’s just how MLB does it now,” Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto said, via The Athletic. “Nothing against the Misiorowski kid. But those two [Sánchez and Suárez] are deserving of being on the team in the first place. There’s no doubt.”
Nick Castellanos also presumably referred to MLB's selection process in choosing Misiorowski over Sánchez and Suárez, saying "It’s turning into the Savannah Bananas."
If Realmuto and Castellanos seemed to imply that MLB is letting popularity and social media buzz determine All-Star selections, rather than performance over the first half of the season, Turner came right out and said it explicitly.
“Yeah, 100 percent,” he said. “I mean, it’s not the All-Star Game in the sense that the best players go there, or people who have had the best season. It’s whoever sells the most tickets or has been put on social media the most. That’s essentially what it’s turned into.”
Turner is batting .292/.345/.437, leading the NL with 111 hits in addition to 18 doubles, 11 home runs, 40 RBI and 24 stolen bases.
In his five-game sample, Misiorowski has arguably been the best pitcher in baseball. With his strikeout stuff and electric slider, he indeed provides plenty of highlights on social media. And for current fans, that's what they might see, rather than watch an actual game.
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The 6-foot-7 right-hander has struck out 33 batters in 25 1/3 innings, compiling a 2.81 ERA and 4-1 record for Milwaukee. He averages 99.3 mph with his fastball and regularly hits 100 mph or higher on the radar gun. He also mixes in a slider that averages 94.4 mph with a changeup averaging 92.2 mph.
With his height — and length — Misiorowski has the advantage of releasing the ball closer to home plate than nearly all of his peers, reducing the time that batters can see the ball. Even if it's a matter of milliseconds.
The objections to Misiorowski's selection arguably raise the issue of what the All-Star Game's purpose should be. Is the midsummer showcase intended to promote Major League Baseball to a wider general audience that may not tune in for many regular season games? Or should the game reward players for playing well?
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Even that second question can be parsed further. Should the All-Star Game reward the players who put up the best numbers during the first half of the season? Or should the big names and star players receive priority because that's presumably who the fans want to see?
Misiorowski earning an All-Star nod for fan and media buzz isn't unprecedented either. Last season, Pittsburgh Pirates rookie sensation Paul Skenes was not only named to the NL squad, but was named the starting pitcher despite starting 11 games. Yet he was a player that fans wanted to see and MLB wanted to promote. Isn't that good for the sport?
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