"That's Fucking Terrible" - Cristopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez's Phillies Teammates Are Furious About Jacob Misiorowski's Surprise All Star Nod

Patrick McDermott. Getty Images.

The MLB All Star Game isn't sure what it is anymore. Everyone would still love to be an All Star because it's something that stays with you for your entire life and can be used as a bargaining chip during future contract negotiations. Guys also have escalators in their deals to give them added bonuses if they get the call to the game. There's also the simple notion that it's cool to be acknowledged for being awesome at your job. At the same time though, I bet a ton of guys would really love to have those 3-4 days off in the middle of the season so they can reset their mind and body for the upcoming stretch run to October. If you go to the All Star Game you're really not giving yourself any break for the entire season and that can take a toll in September and October. 

It's always been the case that if you line up to pitch on the Sunday before the game you skip out on playing and a reserve player is chosen to take your spot. You still get the recognition, but for the sake of the game they replace your spot and reward someone else. This year it seems like that's happened on steroids, with guys coming over the top saying they'd rather rest even if they're not scheduled to throw over the weekend. That's resulted in a bit of a Pro Bowl situation where Ravens QB Snoop Huntley found his way into the game a few seasons ago. Last night we found out that rookie phenom Jacob Misiorowski made the game with just five starts under his belt. That announcement last night ruffled some feathers, specifically players on the Philadelphia Phillies that The Athletic gathered quotes from. 

Trea Turner: “What a joke. That’s fucking terrible. I mean, that’s terrible, dude. If he's not an All Star then no one is…I mean, it’s not the All-Star Game in the sense that the best players go there, or people who have had the best season. It’s whoever sells the most tickets or has been put on social media the most. That’s essentially what it’s turned into.”

J.T. Realmuto: “That’s just how MLB does it now. Nothing against the Misiorowski kid. But those two (Sánchez and Suárez) are deserving of being on the team in the first place. There’s no doubt.”

Nick Castellanos: “It’s turning into the Savannah Bananas”

Now it turns out both Cristopher Sanchez and Ranger Suarez were offered spots on the team, but had to agree to pitch in the game ahead of time to secure their spot. Sanchez, who has a 2.59 ERA and 116 strikeouts in 107.2 IP, is starting on Sunday and was rightfully not going to risk any injury pitching on one day's rest. Because his schedule didn't sync up with the game he doesn't get the nod even though he'd probably be top 5 in Cy Young votes if the season ended today. Isn't it silly that a major part of being an MLB All Star in 2025 depends on your schedule? Shouldn't you just get the nod and THEN sort out whether you can play? I guess in theory everyone could turn it down to get their rest and you end up with 100 All Stars, but still this feels stupid. 

It just seems wrong that a guy with five starts gets to say he made the All Star team in 2025 while someone with Sanchez, Suarez, or Kodai Senga's numbers will have nothing to show for it. Don't get me wrong, Misiorowski is incredible and it will be fun to see him pitch in the game with his 103 mph fastball, but it's for sure bizarre he's in the game. I'm sorry, but that's not a deserving All Star in any way. It's gonna suck for him because he'll get heat for MLB's decision. He did nothing wrong. I don't expect him to turn down an opportunity like this. Just weird all around. 

Maybe we need to look at All Star nods differently moving forward and focus on the All-MLB team similar to how the NBA and NFL value the All-Pro squads. By giving Misiorowski that honor you're in a way telling everyone that being an All Star no longer means what it used to. I'm sure some will counter that we're caring about this too much, but tell that to Cristopher Sanchez who now misses out on a reported "lucrative bonus" that he would have gotten if he made the team. This event lost its importance when they took out the stakes of the winning team gets home field in the World Series, but now it doesn't even mean anything to make the squad. What happened to the game that I love. Thanks Rob.