The 2019 MLB All-Stars have been announced. And while the New York Yankees have three representatives heading to Cleveland next week. There are some candidates that were notably snubbed. So for this piece, we will name four Yankees that were snubbed by All-Star voting.
Gleyber Torres
First, we have to begin in the infield with Gleyber Torres. This has been an incredible for the Yankees this season. In the beginning, Torres was slated to be the Yankee second basemen and occasional backup shortstop. The opening day shortstop Troy Tulowitzki went down (as expected, sadly) and Torres shifted to shortstop. And Torres would put up incredible numbers shifting between short and second (upon Didi’s return.)
Gleyber has been a staple of the Yankees lineup this season. And with all the injuries this season, penciling Gleyber’s name into the lineup has been a must. Torres is currently slashing .295/.363/.544 with 19 home runs and 48 RBIs. Gleyber should have been another Yankee representative in Cleveland.
Luke Voit
The Yankee first basemen has been having a remarkable season. When Voit burst onto the Yankee scene late in the 2018 season, everyone assumed he would be another flash in the pan. But the 2019 season has shown that all Luke needed was an opportunity. This season for the Yankees, as previously stated, has been plagued by injuries. And Voit has now been bitten as well. But regardless of that, Luke Voit has been arguably the best first basemen in Major League Baseball. Voit has definitely played better than Chicago White Sox, first baseman, Jose Abreu, is was selected instead of Voit. Luke Voit has a slashing line of .280/.393/.509 to go along with 17 homers and 50 RBIs.
Adam Ottavino
The Yankees bullpen has been very good this season for the most part. And that includes having two relievers struggling and sent down to Triple-A. However, one reliever that has mostly been getting the job done has been Adam Ottavino. Ottavino is in his first season in the real Pinstripes. (Rockies wear purple pinstripes, those are fake. Just like the Phillies red pinstripes.) And many star players from other teams struggle under the bright lights of the Bronx. But for Adam, the Yankees are home. The upstate New York native dreamed of pitching in Pinstripes since he was a little boy. And now as a grown man, Adam has been dealing for the Yankees this season.
Adam Ottavino has a pitching line of 1.91 ERA to go along with 53 strikeouts in just 37.2 innings of work this season. Ottavino would revamp his pitching mechanics before the 2018 season, and the work has paid off both Adam and the Yankees.
Gio Urshela
So I saved the Cinderella story for last, Gio Urshela deserves to be an All-Star. The third basemen was all but casted away by the Cleveland Indians and Toronto Blue Jays. Late in the 2018 season, the Yankees would acquire Urshela, and he would play in Triple-A. It would be on the Yankees Triple-A team where Urshela would receive some modifications to his swing and approach. And it would be those changes that would push Gio Urshela to this All-Star worthy campaign. This season, Urshela is slashing .301/.351/.455 and has tied his career high in home runs with 6. While Gio would also surpass his career-high mark in Runs Batted In with 38.
All four of these men deserved to be All-Stars playing in Cleveland. But nevertheless, they will be All-Stars in the minds of Yankee fans everywhere.
