LA Angels Tommy La Stella falls short in All-Star starting vote, but will get 2nd chance in player vote

Where would the LA Angels be without 2nd baseman Tommy La Stella this season. The 5’10 170 lb. lightning bolt had a tremendous 1st half that is All-Star worthy.

Unfortunately for Tommy La Stella and the LA Angels he did not win the popular vote. That distinction went to D.J. LeMahieu of the Yankees. It was not a bad choice as LeMahieu is having a great year as well, but it is not one that Angel fans or La Stella wanted.

So far this season La Stella is hitting .295 with 16 homers and driving in 44 runs.  He also has an OPS of .846 and is playing great defense at both 2nd and 3rd base for the Angels. What makes La Stella’s season even more amazing is that he had never hit more than five home runs in a season in his career and had only 10 career homers.

La Stella was acquired in a trade with the Chicago Cubs in November for future considerations.  Most Angel fans probably didn’t have a clue who he was and probably thought the move was unnecessary. However, when the Zack Cozart went on the IL and later Andrelton Simmons La Stella’s role increased greatly and he has never looked back.

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All hope is not lost though for La Stella as there is still a decent chance that he may get in via the player voting or even be a Commissioner’s Office pick.  The fact that he was in the final three starter vote gives him a chance to make it if someone cannot participate.  The reserves and pitchers selection will be announced on Sunday, June 30th at 5:30 EDT.

Tyler Skaggs and Shohei Ohtani campaigning for Tommy La Stella to be an All-Star before the starter vote ended Thursday afternoon.

So what does Tommy La Stella think about the All-Star opportunity?

“I truly appreciate all the love and support that people have given me.  This is such a great group of guys (the Angels). We all get along so well. It makes it more fun,” La Stella said. “It would be great (to get in), but it is all going to shake out the way it’s supposed to. The chance to be around the best players in the game would be great.”

When asked if there was anything he had changed that has led to this year’s success, La Stella said, “I wouldn’t say so, it’s just a function of getting regular at-bats. Being able to approach four or five at-bats, whereas in the past the couple of years I was pinch-hitting exclusive,” the former Cub said.

As for his expectations coming into the season La Stella said, “It wasn’t something I was necessarily thinking about (playing every day and being a potential All-Star). I just wanted a chance to contribute any way I could and hoping to get a chance to get on the field more. It has worked out that way which is nice.”

La Stella is dearly loved by the Angel fans his teammates and coaches and they weighed on his worthiness to be an All-Star.

“He’s got to be an All-Star. He deserves to be in there. We all believe in him as a team,” Mike Trout said of La Stella. “He comes in every day and puts in work and it’s showing. I’m happy for him, he really helps this ball club a lot. No one saw this coming. If they said they did, they’d be lying to you. He needs to be in.”

“Hopefully we can get Tommy (La Stella) in there he deserves it. We have a few other guys who should be in there as well. It would be nice for Trout to have some friends there at the All-Star game,” Kole Calhoun said.

“We have a good good squad with a lot of guys who could be on the All-Star roster.  Tommy should definitely be on there he deserves it,” Angels reliever Noe Ramirez said. “Shohei shoulde be in there as well. His numbers are quite as good because he has been hurt, but he deserves to be an All-Star., too.”

“He is an underdog, but he deserves to be in there,” said Angels manager Brad Ausmus of La Stella. “I was only a part of one All-star game, but it was a fun experience. I hope he gets that opportunity.”

So now Tommy La Stella will have to sit and wait again to see if he is chosen to be an All-Star reserve, but no matter what happens he is just happy to be an Angel and helping the team win games.

“The most important thing to me is to be able to contribute and that we win games.  The team’s success is the most important thing,” La Stella said.

Good Luck Tommy! We will be rooting for you.