Best players to never make an MLB All-Star roster: 19. Dennis Leonard
Stats:
- 3.70 ERA
- 1,323 strikeouts
Making an All-Star appearance as a pitcher has always been incredibly difficult to pull off. But taking home that badge of honor in an era that included all-time greats such as Nolan Ryan and Tom Seaver was going to be nearly impossible.
Dennis Leonard was never on that level. He was a solid pitcher for a long time but for a short period, his name deserved to be mentioned amongst the All-Stars of his time.
Leonard spent the entirety of his career with the Kansas City Royals. In 1981, for the first and only time during his time in the majors, Leonard managed to drag his ERA below 3.00, settling in at 2.99. Although that may have represented the lowest ERA of his career, it wasn’t his most impressive season, that would come four years prior.
During the 1977 season, Leonard led all of Major League Baseball in wins with 20 against only 12 losses. His ERA wasn’t too shabby either, checking in at 3.04. To further crystallize his All-Star credentials that year, Leonard was a big-time contributor to a Royals team that finished number one in the AL West with 102 wins.
Of course, he was excluded from the big game by the likes of Mark Fidrych and Bill Travers to name a few.