You have probably seen these players in MLB highlights, but one place you won’t be seeing them is next week’s All-Star game, which will be held in Phoenix. They are definitely well-deserving players, but sometimes you just don’t make the cut. Here is a look at the top five snubs for the All-Star Game. C.C. Sabathia, New York Yankees At this point, Sabathia doesn’t need more accolades, but that doesn’t mean that he shouldn’t have been an All-Star for the fifth time in his career. He is tied for the major-league lead in wins, comes in third in the American League in innings, and he’s seventh in strikeouts. Even though he has gotten some great run support, Sabathia is holding up his end of the bargain. Tommy Hanson, Atlanta The 24-year-old Hanson has nine wins and he’s ninth in the majors in ERA, and combined with Jair Jurrjens, the Braves could have a deadly one-two punch for years to come in their rotation. Hanson spent a couple of weeks on the disabled list, but it just goes to show how deep the National League is when it comes to pitching. Andrew McCutcheon, Pittsburgh Even CFL betting players have to be surprised at Pittsburgh staying in the race at the midway point of the season, and McCutcheon has been a major factor in their success, ranking fifth in the National League in walks, eighth in stolen bases and ninth in OPS. If the Pirates want to prove they are making progress in their perennial rebuild, they have to resign McCutheon, who is making $425,000 this year, but that’s going to go up for the 24-year-old. Paul Konerko, Chicago White Sox Those making NFL picks would compare Konerko to Baltimore’s Ray Lewis: he’s getting up there in age at 35, but he can still hit hard with the best of them. Konerko is third in the American League in RBIs, fourth in homers and fifth in average, and if it wasn’t for the veteran slugger, the White Sox would probably be out of the American League Central already. Dustin Pedroia, Boston Pedroia is showing what the Red Sox were missing last year when he battled injuries as they’re a much dangerous team when he can get on base. Pedroia is third in the American League in walks and ninth in stolen bases, and he sets the table for sluggers like Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz to drive him in. Boston has surged to the top of the American League because of their offense, and Pedroia has had a massive role in that. If he can continue to stay healthy throughout the rest of the season, expect Boston to stay atop the sports betting odds for the World Series.
