Three Braves snubbed eclipse Atlanta’s three selections at MLB All-Star Game

The 2024 MLB All-Star Game is fast approaching and while the Atlanta Braves dominated the 2023 National League All-Star team, they haven’t been so lucky this season.

A tough year for most of Atlanta’s offensive players allowed the rest of the National League to take those roster spots. Fortunately, three Braves players got a chance to play in the 2024 ASG Tournament in Arlington, Texas.

Two of the three players Atlanta selected for this year’s Summer Classic were key offseason acquisitions. The third player surprised everyone by being one of the team’s best hitters over the first few months. However, there were some notable snubs for the Braves after the selections were announced.

Reynaldo Lopez, Chris Sale and Marcell Ozuna were all selected to represent the Braves in Arlington. All three have been vital pieces for Atlanta and I don’t think anyone expected that before the season started.

Lopez might be the biggest surprise of the draft, as little was expected of him in 2024. All he did was pitch to a 7-2 record, including an MLB-best 1.71 ERA in 89.2 innings. He was so good for the Braves, and they were right to bet on his ability to remain an effective starter in the major leagues. This is Reynaldo’s first All-Star selection, and it’s incredibly deserved.

Marcell Ozuna had a strong case to be the starting designated hitter for the National League All-Star Game. Unfortunately for the Atlanta slugger, he had to compete with the best hitter in Major League Baseball right now, Shohei Ohtani. Fortunately, Ozuna was chosen as the backup designated hitter and will have a chance to appear in his third All-Star game. Ozuna is hitting .298 with 23 home runs and 72 RBIs, the best total in the National League.

Chris Sale is no stranger to All-Star selections and he added another notch to that belt on Sunday. When the Braves traded Vaughn Grissom for Chris Sale, no one knew what to expect, but it was one of the best moves Atlanta could have made. Chris has an impressive 11-3 record, including a 2.71 ERA in 99.2 innings with 19 walks and 127 strikeouts (sixth in MLB). Sale earned his eighth All-Star selection and has a good case to start for the National League team on July 16.

There are always snubs at every All-Star Game and unfortunately, the Braves have a few players who had a good case to make the 2024 team. For one reason or another, they weren’t selected, but it still hurts to know they missed out on their opportunities.

Three players come to mind when thinking about players who were snubbed from the ASG roster this year. Max Fried, Jesse Chavez and Joe Jimenez all had cases to be selected. Fried has a 3.18 ERA after 102 innings and has been one of the team’s best pitchers despite a rough start to the season. Fried’s last start could be the reason he was overlooked as he allowed five runs on 11 hits to the Phillies at home. However, his overall work throughout the season justified his inclusion on the team as he has consistently been one of the best starting pitchers in MLB each year.

Joe Jimenez is having one of his best seasons with the Braves, but his 2.38 ERA through 34 innings hasn’t been enough to earn him an All-Star spot. Jimenez also has 13 walks and 37 strikeouts this season and his strikeout percentage is in the 84th percentile in the league. His xERA (2.06) and xBA (.169) are also in the 99th percentile in the league.

Now for what is probably the biggest oversight of the three players mentioned. The Atlanta Braves rallied around Jesse Chavez and were hoping to bring him to his first-ever All-Star Game in what would be Chavez’s final season. Everyone in the locker room wore jerseys proclaiming their respect and admiration for the baseball player. Chavez has a 1.67 ERA in 37.2 innings with 10 walks and 33 strikeouts.

The 40-year-old reliever seems to find magic every time he suits up for the Braves, as he’s had his best showings with the team. No matter where he starts the season, he’s managed to find his way back to Atlanta one way or another between 2021 and 2024. It’s too bad he won’t get a chance to show just how special he is to the masses in Arlington.

Atlanta is fortunate to have a team as talented as this one, to the point where fans have the ability to argue that there are All-Star snubs. One thing is for sure, the Braves will still have some of the most talented players in the league and an argument for multiple All-Star selections for many years to come.

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