What Are We Doing Here, MLB?

This isn’t a feel-good story. This is a joke and not even the funny kind.

All-Star Nonsense

Let’s get one thing straight. Misiorowski might very well be a future superstar. 

He throws 100 mph, he’s electric, and yes, his early numbers are solid. However, to reward a guy who has barely played one month in the majors while leaving off established arms who have been dominating since March? That is disgraceful.

There are pitchers who have made 17, 18, even 20 starts, racking up quality innings, holding elite offenses at bay, and doing so week after week. Yet, they’re going to be sitting at home, watching a kid who still has his rookie haircut trot out to the All-Star mound?

Where is the integrity in that?

A Participation Trophy in Disguise

This selection sends the worst possible message to the league and its fans. It tells the baseball world that hype matters more than performance. That going viral is more important than going six strong every fifth day, for more than five starts.

We’re no longer rewarding season-long impact. We’re handing out participation trophies for being shiny and new.

The All-Star Game used to mean something. It used to be a celebration of the best players in the world, not a minor-league call-up with a couple of good outings. Five games should not earn anyone anything but a pat on the back and maybe a start against the Pirates' ace Paul Skenes.

Deserving Arms Got Robbed

Look around the National League. You’ll find dozens of arms with better resumes this season.

How about a workhorse who has taken the ball every turn and posted elite numbers? How about a veteran who’s carrying a rotation in a playoff push? How about a reliever who’s appeared in 40 games and shut down elite bats in the eighth inning with no margin for error?

Those players got passed over. They have every right to be livid.

A Gimmick for a National Stage

Let’s call this what it is. Misiorowski was chosen because he throws hard and gets clicks. He’s a highlight reel in cleats, and that’s apparently what the league values now.

MLB has been desperate to draw young fans and to capture the TikTok crowd. Now, are you sacrificing the credibility of your midsummer classic to do it? That’s a steep price. 

That’s how you alienate the players who have earned it at this stage.

You Cannot Be Serious

We’re living in a world where one month of baseball matters more than a half-season of dominance and hard work, where potential is rewarded more than production, and flash is worth more than fight.

This selection is a slap in the face to the pitchers who grinded all year for this honor. It’s an insult to what the All-Star Game is supposed to be and has represented in the past. It proves that the people making these decisions are out of touch with the very game they’re entrusted to protect.

Jacob Misiorowski might end up a great pitcher someday. But today? He’s an undeserving All-Star. And this decision is indefensible.

Let’s call it what it is.

A sham.