Snubbed: Suárez, Sánchez, Turner all All-Star Worthy

On Sunday night, the 2025 Major League Baseball All-Stars were announced.  We knew already that the Phillies had no one voted into the game.  After eight All-Stars in 2024, the Phillies were named just two.  And there are three very worthy players who did not make the cut.

Zack Wheeler was an obvious All-Star choice from the Phillies.  Tied with Paul Skenes for the MLB lead in pitcher WAR, Wheeler seemed to cement his case further with a complete game, one-hitter on Sunday against the Cincinnati Reds.   He was announced as a member of the team.

Kyle Schwarber continues to be an offensive juggernaught (despite a slow start to June).  Schwarber's 27 home runs is good enough for second in the National League behind Eugenio Suarez.  Schwarber has an .924 OPS and 2.8 WAR.  Schwarber will make his third All-Star appearacnce.

But three Phillies players were snubbed when rosters were announced: starting pitchers Ranger Suárez and Cristopher Sánchez, and shortstop Trea Turner.

Compare the two following stats:

Pitcher A: 11 starts, 1.90 ERA, 89 strikeouts and 13 walks in 66.1 innings.
Pitcher B: 12 starts, 1.99 ERA, 73 strikeouts and 19 walks in 77 innings

Pitcher A would be Skenes, who was the starting pitcher for the 2024 National League All-Star Team.

PItcher B would be Ranger Suárez , not on the National League All-Star team.

If the justification for leaving Suárez off was that he did not play enough, the Skenes start seems to suggest that he very much so did.  Suárez has a 1.99 ERA, which would place second if he met the current innings threshold.  (He is .05 behind Skenes right now).

Zooming out further, Suárez ranks 11th in all of Major League Baseball pitchers with a 3.3 WAR.  (Wheeler and Skenes are tied for first with 4.8 WAR).  Suárez ranks fourth in the National League in WAR, while there are 13 pitchers on the National League roster.

Speaking of pitcher WAR, the pitcher who came in third behind Wheeler and Skenes and ahead of Suárez is none other than his teammate Cristopher Sánchez.

Sánchez is 7-2 with a 2.68 ERA.  Unlike Suárez, Sánchez has been in the starting rotation all season long.

Last season, Sánchez was added to the All-Star team as an injury replacement.

That could happen again, as Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale was named to the team.  Sale, however, is on the Injured List with a broken ribcage bone.  Either Phillies starter could serve as a replacement.

On the offensive side, Trea Turner has had one of his career seasons.

Turner currently leads the National League in hits with 109.  His batting average is second in the league behind Freddie Freeman.

There are just two shortstops on the roster: top vote getter Francisco Lindor of the New York Mets and Elly De La Cruz of the Cincinnati Reds.  Turner is tied with Lindor for 3.1 WAR, while De La Cruz is just ahead of them at 3.2 WAR.

There is no clear position player that would need a replacement, but some players opt out to manage nagging injuries or other personal matters.

The Phillies could certainly benefit from rest next week, as could every team.  But the honor would be very well justified for all three Phillies players.  After having eight last season, the Phillies currently have just two, despite again being in first place in the National League East upon the announcement.

But these three players are snubs.