The Cincinnati Reds are hosting the 2015 MLB All-Star Game. The team is expected to be represented on their home field by third baseman, Todd Frazier.
However, he will likely not be among the National League starters, an absolute travesty considering his MVP-worthy numbers. Frazier is having a stellar 2015 campaign for the Reds. He is amongst the MLB leaders with 22 home runs, and is sitting in the top-10 of the RBI race. And while he isn’t going to be contending for a triple crown, the 29-year-old Frazier is still sporting a healthy .294 average.
With numbers such as those it’s hard to fathom him not being selected as a starter. However, the current voting for the N.L. All-Star starters have St. Louis Cardinals third baseman, Matt Carpenter, getting the nod over Frazier. Carpenter has 4,445,782 fan votes, while Frazier has only been able accumulate 1,939,573. The St. Louis faithful have certainly had a strong influence on the voting.
Frazier is clearly the better player at this point of the season. Carpenter has the same .294 average as Frazier, but has 14 less home runs. The Reds third baseman also sports a 3.8 WAR and .639 slugging percentage. Meanwhile, Carpenter is only 1.9 wins above his replacement and only musters a .494 slugging percentage.
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher, David Price, is one of those that believe Frazier should partake as a starter for the National League.
“He’s got to be starting, bro,” Price said. “He’s second in homers, leads all of Major League Baseball in extra base hits. He’s got to be playing in that game – not just playing, starting. Plus he’s from here, he plays for the Reds. You want to see guys doing that get rewarded, that’s what the All-Star Game is – it’s not about popularity contests or things like that. The most deserving players get to play. Hopefully that’s the case.”
Todd Frazier should be the starting third baseman for the National League. He is having the best season of his career, and is one of the game’s most prolific hitters. Although, it’s not likely Frazier catches up to Carpenter for the starting nod, and that’s an absolute shame.