5 Overrated MLB Players Who Will Make 2013 MLB All-Star Game
5 Overrated MLB Players Who Shouldn't Make All-Star Game
Every season, certain players make the All-Star Game due to their name instead of their quality play. The 2013 MLB season is full of players who may just make the big game because of their strong following, forgetting the fact that there are players more deserving of a selection.
There are some young players that are garnering a boatload of attention lately that could get the All-Star nod. Some guys, if given more time in the majors, would surely be starters in the mid-summer classic. Yes, I think you know I'm talking about Yasiel Puig, the rookie sensation from the Los Angeles Dodgers that had quite possibly the best month of play from a rookie -- ever.
Besides Puig, other players have missed a large chunk of time this season yet will likely make the All-Star Game -- as starters. One such guy appears on my list of five overrated MLB players who shouldn't make the 2013 All-Star Game but will.
Some are the subject of ballot-stuffing, and some are just big names with struggling games still heading to New York.
When you think of overrated players in the past couple of seasons, you think of guys like Josh Hamilton, Alfonso Soriano and R.A. Dickey.
These guys were once solid stars in this league but have turned into overpaid money machines that are struggling to stay afloat in this league. Hamilton and Soriano, in my opinion, have accomplished far more and I would have called them superstars a few years ago, but aging and underachieving have put them in the doghouse.
Besides those guys, who won't make the game regardless, here are five overrated players who haven't proved enough to earn an All-Star selection but likely will get one.
Connor Muldowney is a columnist for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Connormuldowney, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
Brandon Phillips
Brandon Phillips is on pace to have his worst season since 2008, yet he's one of the top vote-getters at second base in the National League. The solid second basemen has had a tough season for the Cincinnati Reds, hitting just .272 with 11 homers, but his 61 RBI are keeping him in the running. In my opinion, he is just a tad overrated for an All-Star.
J.J. Hardy
As one of the top shortstops in the American League this season, J.J. Hardy has tailed off a bit lately. He's hitting just .266, but his 15 homers and 46 RBI are some of the best power numbers of any shortstops in the league. He is a solid shortstop and has had one of his best starts to the season as a pro. However, they are not really All-Star worthy numbers.
Lance Berkman
Besides being an aging veteran seemingly on his way down while his outspokenness remains high, Lance Berkman is having an average season for the Texas Rangers. I wouldn't necessarily call him overrated because he's had a very successful career, but the fact that he's among top vote-getters shows that he may just get in because of his name. His .263 average and six home runs are surely not getting him on the team alone.
Nick Markakis
Nick Markakis is the biggest head-scratcher of the bunch. I mean, I see that he's a solid outfielder with a .280 average and eight homers to go along with 42 RBI, but his name isn't exactly the biggest. He's had an average season, at best, yet he's in line to possibly start in this year's All-Star Game. Uh, why?
Bryce Harper
One of the biggest young names in baseball these days, Bryce Harper, is on the fast-track to stardom. While the All-Star Game may be argued to be a game that is played by who the fans want to see, it should be played by the game's top performers. He just came off the DL and isn't having what I would consider an impressive season in 2013, hitting just .282 with 13 homers and 24 RBI. He's a great, young player, but he's not putting up the numbers of an All-Star -- yet.
