Juan Soto Headlines 2025 MLB All-Star Game Top 10 Snubs

1. Juan Soto — Mets’ $765M Snub

No snub is bigger than Juan Soto. The Mets’ superstar started slow but has caught fire, slugging 12 homers in his last 33 games and trailing only James Wood among NL outfielders in wRC+.

As usual, Soto is an OBP king (.400+), walking more than striking out. He just won NL Player of the Month in June — and if his power holds, he could easily finish as the top NL outfielder by season’s end. If he isn’t named a replacement, one of baseball’s brightest will be watching from home.

Thanks to Just Baseball for the stats, analysis, and insights for this slideshow article.

9. Jhoan Duran — Twins’ Dominant Closer

Jhoan Duran may not top the saves leaderboard, but his dominance out of the pen is undeniable. The 27-year-old flamethrower owns a 1.56 ERA through 41 outings and still hasn’t given up a single homer.

When the AL only gets three relievers, it’s a tough crowd — Josh Hader (AL-best 25 saves), Andrés Muñoz (1.06 ERA), and Aroldis Chapman (1.25 ERA) all made the cut. But Duran’s unhittable stuff deserved a spot. Hard to believe there’s no room for one more.

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8. Joe Ryan — Minnesota’s Emerging Ace

The Minnesota Twins have had a frustrating year, but Joe Ryan has been a major bright spot. The right-hander has pitched to a 2.76 ERA over 104 1/3 innings with a stellar 0.89 WHIP (tied with Jacob deGrom for third-best).

His 28.6% K-rate paired with just 5.2% BB-rate shows elite command, while opponents are hitting a minuscule .192 off him. Ryan’s been rock-solid for years — this year, he’s pitching like an All-Star.

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7. Cristopher Sanchez — Phillies’ Stealth Ace

Last year, Cristopher Sanchez snuck in as an All-Star replacement. This year, he’s arguably an even bigger omission. Through 17 starts, the lefty owns a 2.68 ERA and 1.13 WHIP, with the Philadelphia Phillies going 13-4 when he pitches.

He ranks top 10 in the NL in ERA (7th), barrel rate (5.6%, 2nd), HR/9 (0.63, 5th), and has a healthy 2.7 fWAR — sixth among NL starters. If he doesn’t slide in as a late replacement again, it’ll be back-to-back snubs for Sanchez.

6. Seiya Suzuki — Cubs’ RBI Machine

Tough break for Seiya Suzuki. In an NL stacked at DH, Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Schwarber are the obvious picks — but Suzuki’s numbers hold up. The Chicago Cubs' full-time DH leads the majors with 77 RBIs and has swatted 25 HRs.

Unfortunately for Suzuki, Ohtani has 30 bombs, and Schwarber’s got 27. With the DH position deeper than ever, Suzuki’s career-best campaign as a run producer is still overshadowed.

5. Framber Valdez — Houston’s Trusted Lefty

After a rocky May start that spiked his ERA to 4.39, Framber Valdez has been untouchable. The Houston Astros haven’t lost a game started by Valdez since May 2 — a streak of 11 straight wins with him on the bump.

In that span, Valdez has carved to a 2.07 ERA, eating nearly seven innings per start. His full-season ERA sits at 2.90, while teammate Hunter Brown rightfully snagged the nod with a sparkling 1.82 ERA. Still, Houston’s one-two punch deserved a double spot in the Midsummer Classic.

4. Michael Busch — Cubs’ Slugging First Baseman

Matt Olson got the nod at first for the NL, but Michael Busch has a real gripe. The Chicago Cubs slugger leads all big-league first basemen in wRC+ (166) and is neck-and-neck with Pete Alonso for the title of best bat at the position.

Busch’s .297/.384/.566 slash line trumps Olson across the board — especially his slugging, which is nearly 70 points higher. Olson’s elite defense gives him a slight edge in fWAR, but Busch’s bat alone should’ve punched his ticket.

3. Trea Turner — Phillies’ Steady Star

Only one player in the Top 15 for fWAR this year was left off the All-Star roster: Trea Turner. The Philadelphia Phillies shortstop leads all NL shortstops with 3.8 fWAR, while adding the third-best wRC+ at 122.

Turner’s glove has been elite, too, ranking third in Outs Above Average (8). Elly De La Cruz might have the flashier bat (18 HRs, 60 RBIs), but his defense (-3 OAA) lags far behind. Francisco Lindor was the clear starter, but Turner deserved a backup slot.

2. George Springer — Toronto’s Ageless Spark

The Toronto Blue Jays are back atop the AL East, thanks in large part to George Springer. At 35, he’s put together his best season in years: .281/.374/.512 with 16 HR and 10 SB in 84 games, already logging his best fWAR (2.0) since 2022.

Springer ranks fourth in AL OPS (.886) and wRC+ (147) — ahead of Steven Kwan and Julio Rodríguez, who made the squad instead. With his bat roaring and the Jays rolling, Springer deserved a plane ticket to Atlanta.

1. Juan Soto — Mets’ $765M Snub

No snub is bigger than Juan Soto. The Mets’ superstar started slow but has caught fire, slugging 12 homers in his last 33 games and trailing only James Wood among NL outfielders in wRC+.

As usual, Soto is an OBP king (.400+), walking more than striking out. He just won NL Player of the Month in June — and if his power holds, he could easily finish as the top NL outfielder by season’s end. If he isn’t named a replacement, one of baseball’s brightest will be watching from home.

Thanks to Just Baseball for the stats, analysis, and insights for this slideshow article.