The MLB All-Star Game voting has been completed, and there were some surprising names on the final roster. But it's the name not on the NL All-Star roster that is causing a stir, especially among Milwaukee Brewers fans.
By most metrics, Brewers second baseman Brice Turang has been one of the best players in baseball this season. He leads all second basemen in WAR this year, including both of the starting second basemen in the All-Star Game, Ernie Clement and Ozzie Albies. NL back-up Luis Arraez is also having a resurgent season for the San Francisco Giants, but isn't the elite defender that Turang is.
The former Gold Glove Award winner is following up on last year's breakout season with a more patient approach at the plate. This has allowed Turang to transform from a speedster to an all-around offensive weapon, increasing his power output. Turang is on pace to break his career-best numbers for home runs, RBIs, and walks. His stolen base numbers have declined over the past two years, and he may never top his career-high of 50 from 2024.
When asked about the All-Star snub, Turang was unbothered, recognizing that fan voting was beyond his control as a player.
“It’s not in my control,” Turang said to reporters following Saturday's game. “All I can do is play baseball. If it happens, it happens. Those guys who made it are deserving of it. There’s guys who didn’t make it who are deserving of it."
The nail in the coffin for Turang may have been the cold streak he had in June, the climax of fan voting. Turang had a 15-game skid where he posted a .494 OPS and struck out 26 times. Still, for the season, Turang has a slash line of .269/.364/.460 with 20 doubles, 12 home runs, 51 RBI and 13 stolen bases.
There is still a chance that Turang makes the All-Star Game as a replacement if another player gets injured or chooses not to play.
