MLB All-Star Voting 2018: Predicting Biggest Snubs for Summer Showcase

The biggest snubs for the MLB All-Star Game sometimes get as much publicity as the players selected for the showcase of the game's best players.

While most of the stars like Mike Trout and Bryce Harper appear to be locks for the July 17 game at Nationals Park, there are a few deserving players who could be left off the American and National League squads. 

Some of the potential snubs for the 2018 MLB All-Star Game are going up against stiff competition at their respective positions and aren't gaining enough traction in the fan vote. 

The National League fan vote is dominated by the Atlanta Braves, while the American League fan vote is more spread out among 15 teams. 

Below is a look at a few players turning in tremendous seasons who could be left on the outside looking in when the All-Star Game rosters are announced July 8.

J.T. Realmuto 

There's a possibility one of baseball's top catchers doesn't finish in the top five in fan voting at his position, yet alone earn a start. 

Miami catcher J.T. Realmuto sits outside the top five in National League voting at a spot led by San Francisco's Buster Posey. 

Although it's understandable to see the 27-year-old nowhere close to the top spot in fan voting because of the lack of interest the Marlins strum up in south Florida, Realmuto still deserves to be high on the results list. 

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

The fifth-year catcher ranks first among NL catchers in runs scored and sits in the top three in hits, home runs and RBI. 

Even though he makes a strong case to be Miami's lone All-Star Game representative, Realmuto has to contend with Chicago's Willson Contreras, Yadier Molina of St. Louis and others for a reserve spot behind Posey on the NL roster. 

If Realmuto gets snubbed, which is possible given the competitiveness of his position, Miami could be represented by one of its relievers, like Kyle Barraclough or Drew Steckenrider.

Jesus Aguilar 

It's hard to imagine one of the top hitters in the NL being turned down for the All-Star Game and the festivities around it, but that could happen with Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Jesus Aguilar. 

Aguilar burst into the baseball spotlight with 10 home runs and 24 RBI in June after sending eight balls over the fence in May. 

Although he's put up tremendous numbers, just like Realmuto, Aguilar could be snubbed because of the depth at first base in the NL. 

Morry Gash/Associated Press

Freddie Freeman of the Atlanta Braves has an overwhelming lead at the moment, with Chicago's Anthony Rizzo following in second. 

It'll be hard to deny Rizzo a spot on the All-Star team if he isn't voted as a starter, which presumably leaves one more spot for a first baseman to fill, but that's dependent on how the roster is chosen. 

If Aguilar is left off the All-Star team, it would cause outrage since he leads NL first basemen in home runs, despite playing 10 fewer games than Freeman and Arizona's Paul Goldschmidt, among others. 

Jean Segura 

Seattle Mariners shortstop Jean Segura is in better shape than Realmuto and Aguilar in the All-Star voting, but he still faces an uphill climb.

Segura is fifth in American League All-Star voting at shortstop, which is traditionally one of the best positions in the AL. 

All of the players who sit above Segura in fan voting are deserving of spots on the All-Star team, which is why it might be hard for the 28-year-old to make the roster. 

Ted S. Warren/Associated Press

Segura makes a compelling case to beat out Houston's Carlos Correa, Cleveland's Francisco Lindor and Didi Gregorius of the New York Yankees as a reserve player behind Baltimore's Manny Machado, who leads Correa by just under 200,000 votes. 

Segura's already matched his RBI total from a year ago, and he is halfway to reaching his 2017 home run mark as well. 

The 28-year-old leads AL shortstops with 109 hits, which is 10 better than Lindor and Machado, but he lacks the power of the others, as he's 11th among players at his position in the AL. 

Selecting Segura to the All-Star roster wouldn't be met with a ton of backlash, but the same could be said if he doesn't make it based off the star power the AL contains at shortstop. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Statistics obtained from MLB.com