Yasiel Puig's Absence Would Make MLB All-Star Game Less Compelling

If the fans don't vote Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig into the 2013 All-Star Game it will be a great disservice to the July 16 exhibition. 

The 22-year-old dynamo wasn't named to the initial rosters for the game in New York. But he is included in the list of National League players that fans can vote in, per the MLB's Twitter. 

According to the MLB's latest reported results (July 9 at 9:31 a.m. ET) Puig is in second place for the final roster spot trailing only Atlanta Braves star Freddie Freeman. 

With all due respect to the Braves first baseman, who is having a great season with nine home runs, 56 RBI and a batting average of .307, he doesn't bring nearly as much intrigue to the game as the Dodgers outfielder. 

Even in comparing raw numbers, the Cuban-born slugger has just one less home run than Freeman despite playing in just 33 games compared to Freeman's 76. 

Beyond that, the All-Star game should be about getting the most entertaining players on the field at the same time. When it comes to entertainment, no one is more entertaining than Puig right now.

As SportsCenter tweeted out, Puig is hitting nearly .500 against pitches in the strike zone:

That isn't the only impressive feat that Puig has accomplished with his bat in the short time he's been in the majors. He's nearly a daily topic of conversation on ESPN Stats & Info's Twitter feed, including this recent tidbit about Puig's historic start to his career:

Besides the fact that Puig's electric abilities at the plate would be entertaining to watch against the elite pitchers on the American League squad, he would also be a big favorite at Citi field. 

Though Puig trails Freeman in the overall voting, the Dodgers star is getting the majority of the votes in New York, as Matthew Leach details in this video for MLB.com:

With one of the hottest bats in baseball and a contingent of fans that would love to see him, Puig is necessary for the All-Star game to reach its maximum potential from an entertainment standpoint.