(Phoenix) Christian Walker has won two Gold Gloves, led his team to the Finals last year, has hit at least 33 home runs each of the last two seasons and is hitting them at a rate that would give him about 40 this year.
Not insignificant: the Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman has been dominating the Dodgers almost at his home turf for the past few seasons.
But the 33-year-old power hitter has yet to be selected to play in the All-Star Game. A trend that continued Sunday, when Major League Baseball announced the American League and National League teams for the July 16 game.
“It hurts a little bit, but I can’t do anything about it,” Walker told reporters after his team’s win over the San Diego Padres on Sunday. “Those guys deserve it. I can only give them credit.”
“To be honest, I have the support and respect of my teammates, my peers, my coaches and nothing else matters,” he added later.
Walker — who was hitting .268/.340/.513 with 22 homers and 64 RBIs heading into Monday’s games — isn’t the only one left off the All-Star roster this season, but he’s among the best current players never to be invited. Other notable omissions for the 2024 classic include the Orioles’ Ryan Mountcastle, Jordan Westburg and Anthony Santander, the Phillies’ Aaron Nola, the Padres’ Manny Machado and Yankees pitcher Luis Gil.
A few of those players, including Walker, could still end up in Arlington: A handful of stars, like Mookie Betts and Fernando Tatis Jr., will likely miss the game with injuries, and MLB will have to find replacements.
The Cards take flight again
The St. Louis Cardinals’ lethargy may have been short-lived.
The Cards went 71-91 last season to finish last in the National Central, ending a 15-year streak above .500. A year later, the Cards appear to be back to their old ways and would be in the playoffs if they started today.
Missouri had a 47-42 record heading into Monday’s games. Since 1er June, they won 20 games against 14 losses.
The rise of shortstop Masyn Winn, second baseman Nolan Gorman and outfielders Brendan Donovan and Alec Burleson gives the team a young core that helps offset the underachieving seasons of veterans Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado.
On the mound, the Cardinals’ pitchers have been remarkably healthy. Miles Mikolas, Sonny Gray, Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn have all started at least 16 games so far, a consistency few other clubs can match.
There is a crowd !
Major League Baseball’s attendance surge continues, with average game attendance expected to reach 30,000 for the first time since 2016.
MLB is currently drawing 28,707 fans per game (through Saturday, according to baseball-reference.com). That’s about 400 more fans per game than last year, when baseball averaged 28,291 per game in early July.
The average is expected to rise again this season, with the big crowds of July and August still to come, when many American families are on vacation.
Arizona and Baltimore, two franchises with rising young stars, saw their attendances increase by an average of more than 6,000 fans per game this season compared to 2023. The biggest decline was noted by the New York Mets, also more than 6,000 fans per game.
The Los Angeles Dodgers lead with nearly 48,000 fans per game, while the Oakland Athletics, who will relocate to Sacramento before moving to Las Vegas, close with an average of about 7,500.