MLB All Star Surprises
By Jason Burke
Justin Turner and Travis Shaw
While Justin Turner is on the final ballot, there is no guarantee that he’ll make the club. There are a lot of people that aren’t Dodger fans out there, which could sway plenty of votes to the hometown player Justin Bour, the dreamy-eyed Kris Bryant, or Anthony Rendon of the Nationals, given that their fans have already voted in three of their players as starters.
Turner is batting .382 and has a .472 on-base percentage. His wRC+ (182) is second in the National League behind the injured Freddie Freeman (203), and 16 points higher than the next-best player. It’s 52 points higher than All Star reserve third baseman Jake Lamb.
In terms of WAR, Turner (3.7) ranks second in the NL, again to a first baseman, but this time it’s to Paul Goldschmidt (3.9). Turner has done all of this work while playing in only 58 games this season, which may be why he wasn’t added straight away, but he’s been so good that it deserves an All Star nod.
My argument for Travis Shaw isn’t going to be that he is more deserving than some of the other players that have been added to the roster. Third base is a deep position, and I get that. But Shaw is arguably the best hitter on what of the great surprises (biggest surprises?) of 2017 in Milwaukee. Finding him a spot would have been a nice touch, especially with the story that goes with his journey from Boston to Milwaukee as the Red Sox had seemingly given up on him. Now he’s playing All Star caliber baseball with his new club. Little stories like that help grow the game (which I hear is important to the league), not having a few clubs dominate entire rosters.