San Diego Padres get yet another All-Star Game snub with Blake Snell overlook

SEATTLE — There's something about the San Diego Padres that All-Star Game voters simply don't like in 2023.

First it was the obvious look-away from what Fernando Tatis Jr. has been doing this season on the field. Next, it was questions about why Ha-Seong Kim wasn't named as an All-Star Game replacement when Chicago's Dansby Swanson had to bow out of the Midsummer Classic.

On Saturday, more questions arose when the National League replaced several injured pitchers and San Diego's Blake Snell was not on the list.

How good has Snell been this season? The numbers speak for themselves.

Blake Snell is 4th in NL in ERA (2.85), 2nd in strikeouts (132) & No.1 in BA against (.200).

There are 15 starting pitchers in MLB with an ERA of 3.09 or lower. Snell is the only one who has not been named to his league’s All-Star roster.
— Kevin Acee (@sdutKevinAcee) July 9, 2023

Snell showed once again on Saturday night why he belongs as a part of the All-Star Game festivities happening in Seattle (his hometown, by the way), allowing just one hit over 6.0 innings while striking out 11 in a masterful performance against the New York Mets. When the Padres once again needed a boost following an extra-inning loss to New York on Friday night, Snell stepped up and showed why he has become one of San Diego's most valuable weapons this season.

Why Snell isn't on his way to Seattle is indeed a head-scratcher. While Tatis would add the flair and personality to the event and Kim would add the rock-solid defense in the infield, Snell could absolutely represent the best of the best in the NL. The numbers show he belongs there, so Padres fans are once again wondering why as the clock ticks down to Tuesday's first All-Star Game pitch.

The best hope for the Padres is that the snubs provide even more inspiration for the team in the second half of the season. Sitting at 42-47 heading into Sunday's finale against New York, San Diego has a 28.1 percent chance to make the postseason (according to FanGraphs). There is plenty of work left to do in order to make the playoffs a reality for Tatis, Kim and Snell, and maybe, just maybe, when they do qualify for the postseason, Padres fans can look back to this stretch leading up to the All-Star Game as one of the sparks that lit a fire underneath the team.