Seattle Mariners: 3 M’s who could make the All-Star Game

DH DANIEL VOGELBACH

2019 Stats (through 46 games): .246 AVG, .978 OPS, 14 HR, 30 RBI, 162 wRC+, 1.5 fWAR

Now, before we go into what’s made Daniel Vogelbach an All-Star candidate, let’s address the thoughts possibly going through your head right now: “Uh, Ty, you forgot Mitch Haniger and Domingo Santana.” No, I did not. Have you seen how insane the field of American League outfielders is this year? Trey Mancini has a better chance of getting in than Haniger and/or Santana. I’ll leave it at that.

With that out of the way, let’s talk about good ol’ Cornelius. We’ve come a long way since banging the table for Vogelbach to see significant playing time. The Mariners finally listened and Vogelbach has delivered in a big way.

It’s hard to imagine the man with the sixth-highest OPS in the American League getting snubbed from the All-Star Game, but the position in which he plays will severely hold him back. Not because of the lack of defensive value Vogelbach provides, but for the big names he will go against for one of the two spots the American League affords to the position.

The All-Star Game and its voting process, in essence, is a popularity contest. So while Vogelbach leads all designated hitters in fWAR, it’s hard to imagine him being selected over the likes of J.D. Martinez, Khris Davis, Luke Voit, Shin-Soo Choo, and even his teammate Edwin Encarnación.

Vogelbach feels destined to land in the final vote category, where the dedicated Mariners fans that #SentSegura last year and his overall meme status give him a great chance to make the roster. But to make it in straight up will be difficult, despite how well he’s played.