The best MLB players to never make an All-Star Game

Bailey had plenty of chances to be an All-Star during his 17-year career, and it seems he was deserving in several seasons, including 1966, 1970, 1973, and 1974. His 1970 campaign stands out, finishing hitting .287-28-84 with a 1.004 OPS in only 405 plate appearances for the Expos, but he was a utility player who played only part-time until August. He also deserved more consideration in 1974, hitting .279-13-51 with a .400 on-base percentage in the first half while splitting time between third base and left field for the Expos.

Crisp was a solid offensive and defensive contributor throughout his 15-year career with a 28.9 career WAR, and several of his seasons stand out. He hit .300-16-69 with an .810 as Cleveland's left fielder in 2005, and then had his most powerful season eight years later in Oakland when he hit .261-22-66 with 21 steals and 93 runs in only 131 games. That campaign in Oakland earned him MVP votes, but much of the production was in the second half of the season.

The speedy DeShields was more gifted offensively than defensively, so it's a surprise he never got an All-Star invite. He swiped 40-plus bases six times and hit at least .290 five times while playing much of his career at second base. His 24.4 career WAR ranks 37th best among players who never made an All-Star appearance.

Chavez's inability to make an All-Star appearance seems unbelievable given his career accomplishments, with six straight Gold Gloves from 2001-2006 and seven consecutive seasons of at least 20 home runs. Playing in Oakland likely had something to do with his lack of attention, but Chavez was clearly one of the best players in the AL for the first half of the 2000s.

Doran had a strong run in Houston from 1982-1990, garnering MVP votes in three different seasons. His baseball card shows strong numbers from 1985-1987, including .287-14-59 with 23 steals in 1985 and .283-16-79 with 31 stolen bases two years later. Doran's career 32.8 WAR ranks 13th best among players who never got invited to the Mid-Summer Classic.

Ellis' career contribution was more impressive defensively, showing off elite range as Oakland's second baseman from 2002-2011. Still, the offensive numbers should have been enough to get him an All-Star nod, particularly in 2005 when he hit .316-13-52 with an .861 OPS, but nearly all of that damage was after the break. Ellis also hit 19 home runs in 2007, showing plus power for his position.

Gibson was both an MVP and World Series hero during his career. Yet, he never made an All-Star appearance in 17 seasons. Incredibly, Gibson was a 20/20 man in five consecutive seasons for two different teams from 1984-1988, but the outfielder never garnered enough attention from the fans or his peers.

Gonzalez had a fine 12-year career, gaining MVP votes in three different seasons while playing mostly with the Phillies. He hit above .300 three times and also launched 20 home runs for the Phils over only 118 games in 1962, but never got an All-Star honor.

Greer's prime was shortened by injuries, but the Texas outfield had a strong offensive prime with three 100-plus RBI seasons and four years hitting above .300. He also averaged 20 home runs from 1996-1999. Unfortunately, that era of power bats made Greer's offensive numbers a relative afterthought in All-Star consideration.

Hafner had a stretch as an elite offensive performer in Cleveland from 2004-2007, leading the AL in OPS+ in two of those campaigns. With the level of offensive talent at first base and DH, it was especially difficult to draw All-Star attention at those positions in the mid-2000s, as Hafner found out. Hafner ended his 12-year career with a great .874 OPS.

Headley was a solid player both offensively and defensively during his 12-year career, though his offensive numbers stood out only once in 2012 with San Diego. During that season, he won both the Silver Slugger and Gold Glove while finishing fifth in the NL MVP vote, hitting .286-31-115 with an .875 OPS. Most of his production came in the last two months of the season, so he was overlooked for the July All-Star Game.

Hebner had a long and productive career over 18 seasons but was overlooked as an All-Star on several occasions. He hit at least 15 home runs seven times and hit at least .290 five times, but was apparently never quite the star that could draw All-Star attention. 

Higginson played in an offensive era for several Tigers teams that weren't so good, resulting in little All-Star attention. Many of his early-career seasons still open eyes, including his 1996 breakout when he hit .320/.404/.577 with 26 home runs and his pair of 100 RBI seasons in 1997 and 2000. The outfielder played all 11 of his seasons in Detroit, accumulating a 23.1 career WAR.

Lezcano was an elite offensive performer in multiple seasons early in his career with Milwaukee and particularly in 1979. During that season, he hit .321-28-101 with a .987 OPS and also won a Gold Glove in the outfield. The outstanding hitter still was never an All-Star in 12 seasons.

Maddox was one of the truly elite defensive center fielders in baseball during his 15-year career with the Giants and Phillies. He earned eight Gold Gloves and also finished fifth in NL MVP voting in 1976 after hitting .330 with 29 stolen bases. Apparently, the numbers were never enough for Maddox to get an All-Star designation.

McReynolds' lack of All-Star consideration is puzzling as an excellent offensive performer who played in New York for much of his 12-year career. He had at least 20 home runs six times and over 90 RBI in three straight years from 1986-1988. McReynolds finished third in the NL MVP in 1988 with the Mets, but the outfielder never got an invite.

An excellent batting average hitter throughout his career, Mueller won the AL Batting Title with the Red Sox in 2003 and hit .291 for his 11-year career. The third baseman still never hit 20 home runs, limiting his attractiveness as an All-Star in a power-hitting era.

Murphy was not only an elite defensive center fielder, winning six straight Gold Gloves from 1980-1985, but he put up big offensive numbers in several of those seasons. He earned MVP votes in 1981, was a 20/20 man in 1982, and hit .256-33-88 in 1984. Despite all of his production, Murphy was never an All-Star in 12 seasons.

Phillips' career WAR of 50.9 is the highest of any player never to make an All-Star appearance. That says a lot for his longevity in an 18-year MLB career and his underappreciated skillset that includes a .374 on-base percentage and over 100 walks in five seasons. Even old-school baseball fans had a tough time overlooking some of Phillips' seasons in the mid-1990s, hitting .281-19-61 for Detroit in 1994 and .261-27-61 for the Angels in 1995.

Salmon is probably the first Angels player you think of from the 1990s, an accomplished slugger who played 14 seasons with the team. He won 1993 AL Rookie of the Year, one Silver Slugger, and finishing top 10 in the MVP voting twice. Unfortunately, those honors and five 30-plus home run seasons still weren't enough for Salmon to get his due in the Mid-Summer Classic.

Simmons was an elite defensive shortstop during the bulk of his 11-year career, and he also could hit. His offensive ability was on full display with the Angels in 2017 and 2018, two seasons that earned MVP votes but didn't get him to the All-Star Game. Simmons hit .278-14-69 with 19 steals in 2017, followed by .292-11-75 with 10 steals in 2018, also winning the Gold Glove on both of those campaigns.

Stewart could do it all offensively as an annual candidate for the Batting Title who also contributed pop and speed, but he apparently never did enough to earn an All-Star nod. Over 14 MLB seasons, Stewart hit above .300 six times, scoring over 100 runs four times, and swiped at least 20 bases four times. He was a 20/20 man for Toronto in 2000, and finished fourth in the AL MVP voting in 2003 playing for the Jays and Twins.

Tovar went on an impressive run with the Twins from 1967-1971, earning MVP votes in each season but never making an All-Star team. He hit at least .300 twice and led the AL in hits in 1971. His speed also shined in 1970, leading the AL in doubles and triples while also swiping 30 bases. Tovar primarily manned the outfield in both of those seasons, but also spent significant time at second, third, and shortstop during his 12-year career.

Valentin had a relatively short prime, but one that should have earned more All-Star consideration than he received playing the infield in Boston. He won the Silver Slugger and finished ninth in the AL MVP vote in 1995, hitting .298-27-102 with 20 steals and a .931 OPS while playing shortstop. Two years later, Valentin also performed like an elite player for Boston, hitting .306-18-77 with an AL-leading 47 doubles after moving to second base and the hot corner to make room for Nomar Garciaparra.

A big power bat on the infield over 16 MLB seasons, Valentin's mediocre batting average likely hurt his All-Star case. Still, he had plenty of opportunities, hit over 20 home runs six times, including a tremendous five-year run with the White Sox from 2000-2004. He slugged an impressive .448 for his career with 249 home runs, though Valentin hit only .243.