2013 MLB All-Star Game: The National League’s Biggest Roster Snubs

Shin-Soo Choo, Cincinnati Reds

Jun 29, 2013; Arlington, TX, USA; Cincinnati Reds center fielder Shin-Soo Choo (17) bats during the game against the Texas Rangers at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Cincinnati won 6-4. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

If we’re talking position players, Shin-Soo Choo has a case for the biggest snub award.

That may strike you as a surprise, because, for one, Choo’s never been an All-Star. He’s hovered around the .900 OPS mark for nine years, which is indeed solid. But there was something about 2013 that had All-Star written all of it for Choo.

Perhaps that’s a bit dramatic. Choo’s slash line of .273/.418/.455 hardly has that “wow” effect, mainly because it’s without that coveted .300 batting average. His .418 on-base percentage, however, has that effect. It ranks second in the NL and third in the Major Leagues.

You’re probably not entirely convinced of Choo…yet.

We already know that his slash line is decent–not great, decent. The advanced stats consider Choo to be a bit better than decent, though. He ranks in the Top 10 in wOBA (Weighted On-Base Percentage) and wRC+ (Weighted Runs Created Plus).

Now for some perspective: Choo’s the only outfielder that wasn’t selected to the All-Star Game that ranked in the Top 10 in those two categories, and Carlos Beltran and Bryce Harper, for instance, both trail Choo in the two stats I already alluded to.

The catch: Beltran and Harper are starting. I know, that part is in the fans’ hands. Still, you get the point.