Alex Verdugo believes he was snubbed from All-Star team
BOSTON -- With Mike Trout and Aaron Judge both forced to miss next week's All-Star Game due to injury, a pair of outfield spots opened up for AL manager Dusty Baker to add to his squad. Alex Verdugo believes he deserved one of those spots.
Nevertheless, the spots were filled by Houston's Kyle Tucker and Seattle's Julio Rodriguez.
"Yeah," Verdugo told The Boston Globe's Julian McWilliams when asked if he felt snubbed. "I mean, but it's not even just in my regards. I just feel like it's a fan popularity contest. And, like, the person who went in shouldn't be there."
Verdugo declined to say which player in particular he was talking about, though it may be fair to assume the issue lies with Rodriguez.
Tucker ranks sixth among AL outfielders in OPS, and he ranks third with 55 RBIs. His spot is certainly not in question.
Rodriguez, though, isn't exactly having an All-Star season. He's hitting .251, which ranks 15th among AL outfielders, and he ranks 16th in OPS (.728).
Comparatively, Verdugo ranks fifth in batting average and 10th in OPS, while being tied for the AL lead in doubles and ranking second in triples among outfielders.
Alex Verdugo
.284/.355/.447
26 2B, 4 3B, 6 HR, 35 RBIs, 3 SB
Julio Rodriguez
.251/.312/.416
17 2B, 1 3B, 13 HR, 47 RBI, 20 SB
Verdugo's no slam dunk All-Star, and Rodriguez has him beat in power numbers and stolen bases. And with the All-Star Game being played in Seattle, Rodriguez is now the lone position player from the Mariners to be taking part. Still, Verdugo believes he belongs among the game's best.
"I just want to play ball," Verdugo told McWilliams. "I want to play ball and help the team win and some people are more active in certain things that get them more attention. But I want to play ball and be recognized for what I do on the field."
