All Star Snubs To Be Expected In 2010

With the 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star game less than a month away, the voting is picking up tremendously during World Cup betting , and the anticipation for baseball’s star display is beginning to build. Fans, as well as sports betting enthusiasts, are hoping that their favorite players make the teams for their respective leagues, and have the opportunity to showcase their skills on All-Star weekend. However, despite the extension in roster size over the past few seasons, several stars will not make the trip to Anaheim, California for this year’s edition at Angel Stadium, as fan voting and name recognition play big roles in determining who makes the respective sides. Here is a quick look at some of the players that likely will miss out on the 2010 All-Star game despite perhaps deserving to be there.

Phil Hughes—SP—New York Yankees

Just one win behind David Price of the Tampa Bay Rays for the American League lead in wins with 10, Hughes has been solid in 14 appearances, suffering just one loss while striking out 81 over 88 innings.

Billy Wagner—RP—Atlanta Braves

While his 15 saves rank a pedestrian 19^th in the league, the reason for Wagner not completing as many as his peers is simply due to the Braves not being in as many baseball betting situations where they need him to close out a tight game, rather than a lack of talent.

Miguel Olivo—C—Colorado Rockies

Olivo leads all National League catchers in RBI through the end of June with 34, while registering a .516 slug percentage through the first three months of the season, which is actually better than the likely baseball betting starter for the NL, Brian McCann of the Atlanta Braves. While starting pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez will get about all the attention the league will put on the Rockies heading in to the All Star break, fans in Denver know their best hitter should be part of the NL team.

Kevin Youkilis—1B—Boston Red Sox

Youkilis is hitting over .300 and already has 15 home runs this season, a large part of the Boston Red Sox being within striking distance of the defending World Series champions for the MLB betting AL East division lead, but will play third fiddle to Justin Morneau and Mark Teixera.

Jose Bautista—OF—Toronto Blue Jays

Only three players in the majors have hit over 20 home runs, all of them in the American League, with Jose Bautista the lesser known name to Paul Konerko of the Chicago White Sox and Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers.

Matt Holliday—OF—St. Louis Cardinals

While teammate Albert Pujols leads the league in voting, Holliday has actually been the better player this season in the outfield, and his .302 batting average isn’t far behind, either.

Josh Willingham—OF—Washington Nationals

With Nationals’ rookie phenom Stephen Strasburg stealing the spotlight in Washington, it is very likely that Willingham will be overlooked when the NL team is selected. His .402 on-base percentage is third best among NL outfielders, while also ranking fourth in home runs and third in walks. His .276 batting average is solid as well, however it will still be a stretch for this unheralded young star to get the nod this season.