25 players who should have been named 2016 MLB All-Stars

Beltre is often overlooked now that he's well past his prime approaching age 40, but his defense remains elite and he's hitting a very respectable .280-12-53. Josh Donaldson and Manny Machado make for tough competition at third base in the AL, but Beltre's performance was deserving of bench consideration.

Crawford continues to play elite defense for the Giants, and he's hitting .271-8-55. He gets brownie points for his offensive onslaught in 2015 and leads all NL shortstops in RBI this year.

Cruz is having another massive offensive season, second among AL outfielders in home runs with 22. Add the fact that he plays his home games in pitcher-friendly Safeco Field, and he's deserving of an invitation.

The early-season talk of deGrom's velocity loss and Noah Syndergaard's emergence has caused some to overlook him. His ERA now ranks seventh among qualifying NL starting pitchers, and he has nearly one strikeout per inning.

It's incredible how Davis was overlooked as an All-Star. He ranks first among AL first basemen in home runs, tied for first in RBI and first in runs scored. While his .235 batting average is an eye sore, Davis has a solid .343 on-base percentage.

What a year for rookie shortstops in the NL. Corey Seager and Trevor Story have received most of the headlines, but Diaz is right with them. He actually leads the position in OPS and batting average in NL, and is tied for first in doubles.

Devenski has been an underappreciated swingman for the Astros, throwing 57.2 innings over 22 appearances. The innings combined with a 2.34 ERA make him an especially valuable piece for Houston.

Most of Espinosa's big contributions are recent, but they still count. He's second among NL shortstops in home runs with 18 and third in RBI while holding off Trea Turner at the position.

An elite defensive WAR puts Eaton among the top outfielders in the AL, even as he's hitting only .274-4-27 with nine steals. Adding him to the AL squad would be controversial, but he ranks sixth in WAR among league outfielders.

There were major concerns about Freeman's wrist coming into the season, but he's answered them by hitting .286-14-32 for the lowly Braves. Playing in such an awful lineup, he deserved more All-Star consideration.

Kluber has a mediocre 3.79 ERA, but his WAR is second best among AL pitchers due to his 114 innings with one strikeout per inning and indicators that show some bad luck.

Oh has been a revelation for the Cardinals, finishing the first half as their closer. Among his gaudy numbers are a 12.1 K/9, 1.67 ERA and 0.88 WHIP.

McCann is hitting only .233, but he continues to deliver strong defense and leads all AL catchers in home runs with 13. It's just another year for the Yankees catcher.

One Marlins setup man was added to the All-Star roster, but it wasn't Phelps. Fernando Rodney, former Padres closer, was deserving, but Phelps also should have received a nod after posting a 2.60 ERA, 11.0 K/9 and 45 innings in the first half.

Quintana has struggled recently, but he's still among the elite AL pitchers with a 3.06 ERA in 111.2 innings in a hitter-friendly home ballpark.

Polanco was somehow overlooked in Pittsburgh's outfield despite his breakout season, hitting .291-12-50 with nine stolen bases and great defense. His WAR is just below Bryce Harper's.

Where would the Blue Jays be without Sanchez's breakout year? He's been terrific this season, going 9-1 with a 2.94 ERA and 57 percent ground ball rate in hitter-friendly Toronto.

Pomeranz was overlooked despite his breakout season in San Diego's rotation, posting a 2.65 ERA and 10.3 K/9. His ERA ranks eighth best among starting pitchers in the league.

Seager continues to be Mr. Consistency for the Mariners, hitting .277-17-56 through 84 games. He ranks four in WAR among AL third basemen, though he still wasn't named an All-Star.

Realmuto is making a strong defensive contribution behind the plate while also hitting .320 with an OPS near .800. Given his all-around numbers, it's surprising that he couldn't crack the NL roster.

In a league that includes Xander Bogaerts, Francisco Lindor and Carlos Correa, Semien has stood out with 18 home runs and much-improved defense for Oakland. His offense looks even more impressive coming at the Coliseum.

It's hard to overlook the Cubs closer, but somehow Rondon didn't make the NL team. He's been great this season, with a 1.59 ERA, 11.1 K/9 and sub-1.0 BB/9. Perhaps his lack of save opportunities is being held against him by Terry Collins.

Tanaka has been the Yankees' clear ace, with a 3.12 ERA in 112.1 innings. He only has six wins, which could explain why he failed to make the roster.

It's hard to believe the Washington ace failed to make the roster, but his 3.21 ERA doesn't grade among the elite. On the other hand, Scherzer is second in the league with an 11.6 K/9, showing his dominance.

Yelich is lacking big power numbers again, but he's been an on-base machine. He's hitting .313 with a .395 on-base percentage despite pitcher-friendly Marlins Park.