5 Superstars Who Won’t Be Playing in 2013 MLB All-Star Game
5 Elite MLB Players Who Won't Be All-Stars
The 2013 MLB season has been quite the entertaining one thus far. Whether it's been walk-off homers or surprising teams, this season has yet to disappoint -- in some aspects.
Every year, however, there are superstars who experience a bit of a slump and rumors start circulating about that athlete. Is he past his prime? Were the prior seasons flukes? Will they recover from their poor seasons? Should they be traded? All of these question will, or have already, arisen when speaking of struggling stars.
We have seen guys like Yasiel Puig of the Los Angeles Dodgers emerge from nowhere and take center stage of the baseball world. Guys like Manny Machado have broken out to prove that they are the future of this league. Guys like Chris Davis emerge from the shadows to become instant superstars and team leaders.
At the same time, we have seen veterans like Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter miss out on most of the 2013 season, seeing their careers slowly wind down. Guys like Miguel Cabrera, however, have watched their careers take off in the past couple of seasons, and the 2013 campaign has been his best so far.
While it has been an interesting season, there have been many superstars that have underperformed and therefore will be left off their respective league's All-Star roster in the next couple of weeks.
There are many elite players that have seen their performance in 2013 affect their teams, and they will be in unfamiliar territory when the All-Star Game begins in a couple weeks: at home.
Here are five elite players who will be sitting at home during the 2013 MLB All-Star Game.
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.
Matt Kemp
Struggling to stay healthy and missing 23 games this season, Matt Kemp has been a struggling star all season long for the Dodgers. He's hitting just .254 with two homers and 19 RBI, slowly being replaced -- at least lately -- as the fan favorite by Yasiel Puig.
David Price
After being out for nearly two months, David Price has been quite the disappointment this season. He has started in just half the games of the rest of the starting pitchers, and in those games he's struggled. With a 1-4 record and a 5.24 ERA, Price has been anything but Cy Young-worthy. Being activated from the disabled list on July 2, he will look to make a comeback.
Albert Pujols
Albert Pujols is the epitome of an aging superstar. The 33-year-old designated hitter has had a tough transition from the National League to the American League, hitting below .299 for the first time in 2012 with the Angels. As a career .321 hitter, Pujols was expected to hit just that with the Angels. In 2012, he suffered a career-low in homers and his third-lowest mark in RBI, worrying Angels execs and fans alike. So far in 2013, Pujols is on pace to have his worst season as a pro.
Justin Verlander
Justin Verlander is a former MVP and Cy Young winner, but what is going on with the 30-year-old ace in 2013? He has not been able to put it all together since April, when he had an ERA in the 1.80-range. He looked as if he would be on his way to yet another Cy Young Award. However, poor months of May and June have elevated his ERA to 3.77, and he hasn't gotten a win in nearly a month. He needs to work on his mechanics because it looks like players are having an easy time figuring him out in 2013.
Josh Hamilton
Josh Hamilton was one of those offseason signings that you sat there and thought, 'I hope this guy doesn't waste the Angels' money'. Well, he's done just that. The 32-year-old aging superstar is hitting just a measly .223 this season with 10 homers and just 29 RBI. He has been the bust of the year and definitely played himself into a record contract with an MVP-type 2012 season.
