Houston Astros fans furious after being snubbed at All-Star Game

All-Star snubs are inevitable. Every year, many top players are not selected for the annual Midsummer Classic.

It’s just part of the process.

That said, how come Ronel Blanco isn’t an All-Star?

The Houston Astros pitcher was omitted from the 2024 All-Star roster announcement (including pitchers) on Sunday. Now his only hope is to be a last-minute replacement for a pitcher who gets injured or withdraws because of his pitching schedule.

While it happens quite often with pitchers, Blanco shouldn’t have been a backup in the first place. He should already be on the American League roster alongside teammates Jose Altuve, Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker.

Astros fans and members of the media were quick to express their shock and outrage on social media, especially when subpar pitchers like Cole Ragans of the Kansas City Royals were selected instead.

Ronel Blanco was denied an All-Star selection. He has the American League’s 4th-best earned run average, the best batting average against, the 6th-lowest WHIP and he threw a no-hitter.

Horrible decision not to select him

— Michael Schwab (@michaelschwab13) July 7, 2024

I know everyone is dealing with Hurricane Beryl right now, but the fact that MLB selected Cole Ragans to the American League All-Star team over Ronel Blanco is a crime.

Ragans: 5-6 with a 3.28 ERA

Blanco: 8-3 with a 2.53 ERA#Tirelessly

— Brian LaLima (@BLima790) July 8, 2024

Whatever the reasons, whatever the rules, there is no doubt that Ronel Blanco should be an American League All-Star. He could still get there if a chosen pitcher retires from the game. It would be fair. Ronel is a fantastic story who has been essential to keeping the Astros in the race

— Mark Berman (@MarkBerman_) July 7, 2024

Blanco has been one of the best pitchers in baseball this season, starting with a no-hitter against the Toronto Blue Jays in his season debut on April 1. In the three months since, he has proven time and again that he wasn’t just a fluke or an early-season mirage.

Heading into Tuesday’s game, the 30-year-old right-hander is 8-3 with a 2.53 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 88 strikeouts in 96 innings while limiting opponents to a .174/.259/.329 batting average. Analytic fans will criticize his 4.35 FIP and other peripherals, but there’s no denying he’s been one of the most dominant pitchers in the sport through the first half of the season.

Among AL pitchers, Blanco ranks in the top 10 in WAR, ERA, wins, winning percentage, WHIP and strikeout percentage, to name a few.

If he keeps this up, he’ll probably get a few Cy Young votes after the season is over.

While Blanco’s numbers are exceptional in and of themselves, they don’t tell the whole story. His value goes beyond the stats, as he has been Houston’s best and most reliable starting pitcher all season. While most of his rotation mates have been injured or struggled at some point, Blanco has been a stabilizing force in the Astros’ rotation since the beginning.

If that’s not an All-Star, what is?