{"id":59202,"date":"2023-07-02T20:46:40","date_gmt":"2023-07-03T00:46:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=59202"},"modified":"2023-07-02T21:17:41","modified_gmt":"2023-07-03T01:17:41","slug":"angels-all-stars-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2023\/07\/02\/angels-all-stars-2023\/","title":{"rendered":"The Two Angels Named to the All-Star Game, and One Snubbed"},"content":{"rendered":"

As of yesterday, the AL and NL All-Star rosters are all but done. Of course, players out due to injuries and pitchers being used right before the game on July 10th will be replaced, so other players could still be added. Nevertheless, here are the Los Angeles Angels<\/a> that will be in Seattle for the All-Star Game.<\/span><\/p>\n

Two Angels Named to the All-Star Game, One Snubbed<\/h2>\n

Starting DH Shohei Ohtani<\/b><\/h3>\n

It goes almost without saying how insane <\/span><\/b>Shohei Ohtani has been playing. His month of June alone was as good as some players’ season. He has been playing out of his mind over the last 30 days. <\/span>Ohtani is hitting .310\/.396\/.674 (188 OPS+) with 15 doubles, five triples, 30 home runs, 67 RBI, 60 runs, and 11 stolen bases in 82 games. He’s 7-3 on the mound with a 3.02 ERA, 1.038 WHIP, and 127 strikeouts in 95 1\/3 innings. He has the lowest hit rate (5.7 hits allowed per nine innings) in the majors and the highest strikeout rate (12.0 K\/9) in the AL.<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>For good measure, Ohtani also made the All-Star Game as a pitcher. His numbers listed above are also great. The thought that he also hits 400-foot homers on top of pitching at an ace level is ridiculous. It almost feels redundant to say how good Ohtani has been, but somehow he manages to exceed everyone\u2019s expectations. At every turn, he does something that hasn\u2019t been done yet. He is something special that sometimes goes underappreciated. Ohtani will be playing in his third straight All-Star Game. He might even start the game on the mound for the American League, something he did back in 2021. <\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>It\u2019s good for the sport of baseball that a guy like Ohtani makes people want to watch the All-Star Game. In every other sport, the All-Star Game is a half-effort event few people want to watch. The league does a good job of ensuring the top talent gets into the game. Ohtani was the top vote-getter in the American League. Intrigue for Ohtani is still there, and the voting proves that fans want to see him on the national stage more often.<\/span><\/p>\n

Center Fielder Mike Trout<\/b><\/h3>\n

Even in a down year by his standards, <\/span><\/b>Mike Trout is back in an All-Star Game. He will return to playing in one since he missed the last two due to injury and the 2020 game was canceled due to COVID. <\/span>Through 77 games, Trout is slashing .260\/.367\/.491. He ranks second on the Angels in home runs (17) and third in both hits (75) and RBI (42). Tro<\/span>ut now becomes the 14th player in MLB history to be elected by the fans 10 or more times. <\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Seeing Trout in the Midsummer Classic will be a welcome sight for fans. He battled injuries in both 2021 and 2022. In 2021, he missed most of the season due to a calf strain suffered in May. Then, in 2022, Trout was diagnosed with a rare back issue that some thought would end his career. That wasn\u2019t the case, however; Trout did return. In only 118 games last year, Trout hit 40 home runs. It’s wild to think the number he would have put up if he had stayed healthy all season. <\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Even though Trout is having some issues this season, at the end of the day, he is still Mike Trout. He is still a top player in baseball and plays alongside the premiere player in the game. They both want to win and lead this team to the postseason. Trout is still an all-time talent who gets to show his skills again on a stage with other big names.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Carlos Est\u00e9vez Gets Snubbed<\/b><\/h3>\n

The rest of the All-Star Game rosters were announced on Sunday afternoon, and one Angel who should have been named was left off the roster. This could change as the game gets closer, and players back out, get hurt, etc. <\/span><\/b>Carlos Est\u00e9vez deserved the nod over Red Sox closer <\/span><\/b>Kenley Jansen (Note: Jensen is the lone Red Sox representative, and every team sends at least one representative to the All-Star Game).<\/span>
\n<\/span>
\n<\/span>Looking at the numbers, Jansen, in 30 games, has an ERA of 3.45, a record of 2-4, a WHIP of 1.430, and 17 saves in 20 chances. Est\u00e9vez, in 34 games, is 2-1, with an ERA of 1.91 and WHIP of 1.273, and is perfect with 20 saves in 20 chances. Again, other factors go into these selections. Having every team involved is one of them. It says more about the Red Sox than anything. In any All-Star Game, there will always be guys left on the short end of the stick and not invited. It\u2019s unfortunate when those players are more than deserving of being there.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Carlos Est\u00e9vez on not making the ASG:<\/p>\n

“It’s crazy, but it is what it is. It sucks. But they picked their guys. I don’t know what else I have to do.”<\/p>\n

Said that he’ll gladly go if selected as a replacement, but feels like he should have been picked up front.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Sam Blum (@SamBlum3) July 2, 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n