It’s hard to blame Phil Maton if he’s feeling overlooked right now. At 32 years old, the Cardinals reliever is in the midst of a career-best season, boasting a 1.83 ERA across 34.1 innings while striking out 31.2% of opposing hitters. Yet, despite his stellar performance, he was snubbed from the All-Star Game — a frustrating reminder of how far the event has strayed from honoring true merit.
Since 1970, fan voting has played a major role in shaping the All-Star roster, often favoring household names over lesser-known players with stronger stats. While this has mostly impacted position players, pitchers have historically been selected by coaches, players, and managers — people more in tune with performance than popularity. That’s what made pitching selections feel more fair. Until now.
In a puzzling move, Maton was passed over in favor of Brewers rookie Jacob Misiorowski. While Misiorowski has been impressive with a 2.81 ERA and 33 strikeouts over 25.2 innings, he’s only made five starts. That kind of limited experience makes his selection feel like a publicity stunt rather than a reward for sustained excellence.
Major League Baseball has made a clear push in recent years to spotlight young phenoms. Misiorowski broke the record for the fewest MLB games before an All-Star selection — a mark previously set just last year by Paul Skenes, who made the cut after 11 appearances. These flame-throwing rookies certainly have electric stuff, but it’s evident MLB wants to capitalize on their hype while it lasts — before hitters adjust or injuries take a toll.
Maton doesn’t light up the radar gun, but he gets outs with precision, deception, and pitch sequencing — qualities that should be celebrated, not overlooked. His exclusion paints a troubling picture of where the game is heading.
Once considered the gold standard among pro sports All-Star showcases, MLB’s Midsummer Classic used to have real stakes — with home-field advantage in the World Series on the line. But when the league removed that incentive in 2017, the game shifted into a fan-service event, and its prestige has faded ever since.
Nowadays, players regularly skip the game to rest, spend time with family, or avoid risking injury — and even with so many dropouts, Maton still couldn’t get the call.
He’s like the dependable Toyota Corolla — consistent, underrated, and highly effective — while MLB seems enamored with the flashier, riskier sports car in Misiorowski. So when you tune in to this year’s All-Star Game, spare a thought for Maton, who’s quietly having an exceptional season that likely won’t come around again. But in today’s baseball, being flashy counts more than being great.