Best players to never make an MLB All-Star roster: 4. Kirk Gibson
Stats:
- 1,553 hits
- 255 home runs
- .268 batting percentage
In some cases, the reasoning behind an MLB player not making the All-Star game is somewhat understandable but when it comes to Kirk Gibson, things simply don’t add up.
While he never put up truly gaudy numbers, Gibson was always consistent and reliable. For five straight seasons, the long-time Detroit Tigers outfielder knocked at least 25 balls out of the park. Of all his stellar seasons, Gibson’s best came in 1988. He registered 25 homers, stole a ridiculous 31 bases and batted a career-best .290. Those numbers not only landed him the AL MVP award but it also helped lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a World Series after they racked up 97 wins on the year.
Gibson was also a part of a Detroit team that also won it all four years prior in 1984. The San Diego Padres hated seeing Gibson make his way to the plate. During their five-game series, he batted .333, stole four bases, drove in seven runs and crushed the ball out of the park twice.
Gibson’s chances of making the All-Star team were essentially in the mid to late 1980s. Once the beginning of the 90s came rolling around, injuries turned him into a shelf of his former self for the rest of his career.