Robinson Cano Snubbed: American League All-Star Team Leaves Off Mariners Star Second Baseman
Robinson Cano, snubbed by the American League All-Star team, could still be named as an injury replacement. The star second baseman of the Seattle Mariners has been putting up great numbers again this season and has been overlooked for the mid-summer classic. A report by ESPN breaks down the full AL roster, with Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros named the starting second baseman. Starlin Castro of the New York Yankees and Jonathan Schoop of the Baltimore Orioles are the two reserves at the position.
When it comes to WAR (wins above replacement) for second basemen in the American League, Altuve is way out in front with a 3.8 so far. Robinson Cano is at 2.1, while Jonathan Schoop is at 1.7 and Starlin Castro is at 1.6 to this point. Using those weighted numbers, Cano has out-performed the other two guys named as reserves to the All-Star team. The full stats of the four players are listed below, giving a comparison for how they have performed through the first half of the regular season.
Top Second Basemen Stats
Jose Altuve – 11 HR, 40 RBIs, 53 runs scored, 16 stolen bases, 0.326 AVG, 0.917 OPS
Robinson Cano – 17 HR, 60 RBIs, 42 runs scored, one steal, 0.284 AVG, 0.846 OPS
Jonathan Schoop – 16 HR, 51 RBIs, 45 runs scored, zero steals, 0.293 AVG, 0.886 OPS
Starlin Castro – 12 HR, 45 RBIs, 52 runs scored, one steal, 0.313 AVG, 0.835 OPS
It was The Canó Show in Anaheim tonight! @RobinsonCano wins your vote for #MarinersPOG. pic.twitter.com/KCHgyWlS6w
— Mariners (@Mariners) July 1, 2017
Earlier in the season, Robinson Cano had the 22nd multi-homer game of his career, moving him into third place all-time for second basemen. The only guys left ahead of him on that list are Ryne Sandberg (24) and Chase Utley (23), suggesting that Cano could set that record before he decides to hang up his spikes. He hasn’t been getting as much national attention since he signed a 10-year contract with the Seattle Mariners, though, and that was never more apparent than when it was just announced that he had been snubbed in regard to making the All-Star team.
“I feel like I’m at home now.”@RobinsonCano opens up on Seattle, the fans and his charitable work. https://t.co/GnNCqM9ZkE pic.twitter.com/0MkHUSbU5n
— Mariners (@Mariners) June 26, 2017
Cano was also left off the list of five players that fans will vote on to fill the final roster spot for the American League. Those five candidates are shortstop Elvis Andrus of the Texas Rangers, shortstop Xander Bogaerts of the Boston Red Sox, shortstop Didi Gregorius of the New York Yankees, first baseman Logan Morrison of the Tampa Bay Rays, and third baseman Mike Moustakas of the Kansas City Royals.
It looks like a tough road for Robinson Cano to get named as an injury replacement, but Seattle Mariners fans can hope he takes it personally and puts up huge numbers in the second half. Maybe the extra rest in two weeks will also help him lead the Mariners back to the MLB Playoffs for the first time since 2001.
[Featured Image by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images]
