After sending seven players to the All-Star Game in 2016, including four starters, the Chicago Cubs will have a much smaller roster headed to the Midsummer Classic in 2017.
When the All-Star voting results were announced on Sunday night, Cubs fans did not see any of their 2016 World Champions named to the All-Star roster.
Only closer Wade Davis, who the Cubs traded for in the offseason, was named an All-Star for the game in Miami this July. Davis has been by far the most effective Cubs reliever this season, posting an ERA of 1.93 and converting 16 out of 16 save opportunities that he has been given this season. Davis is deserving of the spot on the All-Star roster, having never blown a save during his time as a Cub in 2017.
Besides Davis, Cubs fans probably expected to see several other Chicago Cubs on the roster. Both Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant have kept the team going, with Rizzo seemingly being the leader of the team. However, the two were left off the roster. With a competitive race at first base in the National League, most people were quite unsure who would be selected. Rizzo did not make the starting lineup or the reserves.
Since the Cubs competed in the 2016 World Series, Cubs manager Joe Maddon was given the opportunity to coach the national league All-Star team, facing the Indians’ Terry Francona. Maddon, however, will not manage many of his players this time around. Maddon said he understood why very few Cubs were selected, as most of the Cubs have not had their most productive and successful seasons so far at this halfway point in the season.
Although third baseman and reigning MVP Kris Bryant was not invited to play in the All-Star Game starting lineup, he is a part of the current “Final Vote” category of five players in each league who the MLB deems desirable. Fans are then allowed to vote on which of the five players in each league is most worthy of the final spot on the roster. While Kris Bryant did not draw enough votes to be selected for the infield, the Chicago fan base seems to come out in droves when they do vote.
Kris Bryant is featured in the National League final vote alongside Justin Turner, Anthony Rendon, Justin Bohr and Mark Reynolds. While some of these players have had a markedly better season than Kris Bryant thus far, Bryant has continued to carry his team when they are struggling.
The final voting closes on Thursday, July 2. Will Chicago fans come out and vote Bryant in, or will he be left to watch from home? Stay tuned to find out.
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