Making the Case for Garrett Richards

Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

With the All-S tar game less than a week away, rosters for both leagues have been announced and, to the surprise of many Angels fans, they only have one representative, Mike Trout. However, two other Angels certainly deserve the All-Star nod.

One of them is Garrett Richards. He leads the team in almost every pitching category and has established himself as perhaps the true ace of the Angels.

Richards was totally snubbed from the 2014 MLB All-Star Game in Minneapolis. So far this season he has gone 10-2 with an ERA of 2.71. He ranks in the top six of every major pitching category in the league. He leads the league in batting average allowed at .196. He has also only allowed four home runs all season. This alone should be sufficient enough evidence to send him to the mid-summer classic.

Live Feed

Rox Pile

C.J. Wilson and Jered Weaver have certainly had their struggles throughout the season, but Richards has really helped to solidify the pitching staff into one of the best in baseball. He’s done virtually everything, gone deep into games, shut-out the opponent, and set a new career high in strikeouts.

Richards has accomplished all of this while also receiving some of the lowest run support in the league; just about four runs of support per game. However, making the All-Star Game is not just about statistics.

Almost all players who are selected to play in the All-Star Game has some sort of popularity to them. This comes through years of paying their dues and what-not. The fact that he plays on the west coast does not help Richards’ cause either. Unless your name is Mike Trout, the casual east coast baseball fan has no idea who any one is on the west coast.

Richards still has a chance to make the All-Star via injury or through the Final Vote. However it goes down, Richards deserves to be an All-Star.

Update:

Chris Sale has since won the final vote contest, though Richards can still make it via manager’s decision.