Tonight on Sunday Surmising we continue some analysis of the 2025 MLB All-Star Game roster, which we started briefly last week. We realize the rule exists where every team needs at least one representative in the game, but this creates situations where guys who have no business being named to the team get in through a loophole. We have never liked this rule, as it feels very condescending and Little League-ish in style.

Remember now, the positional starters are selected by fans, pitchers are selected by the managers, and reserves are selected by players and the managers. Thus, there is always plenty of blame to go around for asinine picks. We don’t make these judgments out of malice or spite; we just look at the data and recognize which players really aren’t All Stars in reality, regardless of the paper certificate they will now receive.

So, without further adieu, here are our comments on the “worst” 2025 All Stars:

  • Shane Smith, P, Chicago (AL): Well, someone had to make it from the White Sox, right? His 3.86 ERA and 1.311 WHIP would not earn him any Cy Young votes, so he really shouldn’t be in this game, especially with a 3-6 record across 16 starts so far this year. Again, it’s the rules, but it’s pretty goofy.
  • Randy Rodríguez, P, San Francisco: The Giants have two starting pitchers already on the roster, so why pick a middle reliever who has one save in 38 appearances? He had a 4.30 ERA last year as a rookie, and while his improvement at age 25 is nice, there are a lot more deserving pitchers out there.
  • Alejandro Kirk, C, Toronto: A .771 OPS is not impressive enough for an All-Star nod. The issue isn’t Kirk so much as there is literally no other American League catcher who has played enough games to earn this spot. He’s an All Star by default, as no other regular AL backstop has even a .700 OPS today.
  • Brendan Donovan, INF, St. Louis: Generally, few players with an OPS under .800 should be in the ASG, and his .798 mark through July 5 doesn’t cut it. He also has been a negative defender over the last two seasons (2023-2024), so he’s not here for his dazzling glovework, either. Just a head scratcher.
  • Steven Kwan, OF, Cleveland: Okay, we want to start by saying we love this guy, as we interviewed him many times when he was playing college ball at Oregon State. But … his .766 OPS doesn’t belong here at all. He’s 14th among qualifying AL outfielders right now. Hard pass on this nod; just being honest.
  • Fernando Tatis, Jr., OF, San Diego: He hasn’t been the same player since his PED suspension in 2022, and his .789 OPS isn’t worthy of this honor, at all. That’s 11th best in the National League among outfielders, and even the reality he was suspended for PEDs once means he shouldn’t sniff this game.

Who else could have been chosen from the White Sox? Well, two of his rotation mates have higher WAR marks this season, so there’s that. Rodríguez is having a fine year, but he’s a middle reliever and not really anything special at this point in his career. Kirk was a default pick, as noted, and Donovan could have been replaced by a livelier bat, for sure. The same applies to Kwan and Tatis, regardless of other attributes.

Oh well; it is what it is, as no one really cares about the Midsummer Classic too much anymore, anyway.