Reds: 3 players who should be All-Stars, but will fall short

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WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 26: Tyler Naquin #12 of the Cincinnati Reds looks on before playing. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

The Cincinnati Reds have a couple players who are virtual locks for the All-Star Game, but there are a few who are playing at a high level and may not make the cut. While Reds Country would love see three, four, or even five of their beloved Redlegs appear in the Midsummer Classic, it’s likely not in the cards.

Nick Castellanos’ early-season performance has all but assured he’ll not only be part of the National League All-Star team, but he should be the starting right fielder. Castellanos has been demolishing every ball that he sees and leads the league with a .368 batting average.

Jesse Winker will likely join his teammate in Colorado this July. Winker has enjoyed a breakout performance, and though his production has slowed just a bit over the last few days, the 27-year-old is still slashing .342/.403/.617 and has 10 doubles and a teem-leading 14 round trippers on the season.

But, while the outfield combo of Castellanos and Winker are likely to appear for the first time in the Midsummer Classic, a few of their teammates may fall just short of making an appearance in the All-Star Game. Who are they?

1. Tyler Naquin, Reds outfielder

Tyler Naquin was a shrewd pickup by Nick Krall during the offseason. After signing the former Cleveland Indians outfielder to a minor league deal, the left-handed hitting Naquin impressed the coaching staff enough to land a spot on the Opening Day roster.

An early-season injury to Nick Senzel opened the door for Naquin to display his power, and the 30-year-old hasn’t looked bat. Naquin is crushing balls this season, especially those low in the zone. Naquin is hitting .253/.330/.500. Naquin’s slugging percentage is his highest since his rookie campaign in 2016 (.512).

The knock on Naquin throughout his entire MLB career has been his inability to stay on the field. This season, however, with injuries to Shogo Akiyama and Nick Senzel, Tyler Naquin has been thrust into action and responded with what may end up being a career year.

It would be quite the feat for the Cincinnati Reds to send their entire starting outfield to Coors Field this July, but that’s incredibly unlikely. While Naquin’s numbers are impressive, he’s not going to supplant the likes of Ronald Acūna Jr., Juan Soto, and Mookie Betts. That said, Naquin’s OPS (.830) is better than Betts (.817), and nearly identical to Soto (.837).

CINCINNATI, OHIO – MAY 02: Tucker Barnhart #16 of the Cincinnati Reds walks across the field. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

2. Tucker Barnhart, Reds catcher

It’s not that Tucker Barnhart is undeserving of an All-Star appearance. In fact, his offensive production, for the first time since 2017, is matching his stellar defense behind the plate. But, there are just too many outstanding catchers in the National League, it seems like a stretch for the Cincinnati Reds backstop to make his first All-Star Game.

Barnhart, a two-time Gold Glove winner, is well on his way to snagging his third piece of hardware. Cincinnati’s catcher is second, behind only Pittsburgh’s Jacob Stallings, in defensive runs saved (DRS) among NL backstops. Barnhart has 4 DRS in 2021 according to FanGraphs.

Unfortunately for Tucker Barnhart, while he’s having a solid 2021 season, so are many other catchers throughout the NL. Former MVP Buster Posey is slashing .321/.403/.571. He, along with Omar Narvaez, J.T. Realmuto, and Carson Kelly all have an OPS of .855 or better.

Add to that list Will Smith, the Los Angeles Dodgers catcher who’s hitting .275/.373/.456, and it’ll take a lot for Barnhart to take one of the spots on the NL’s All-Star roster. Let’s also not forget every Reds’ fans most-hated player, Yadier Molina.

Though he’s only played in 41 games, Molina has an OPS of .808 and is likely in his final season with the Cardinals. Don’t think for one second that part of the intrigue surrounding the Midsummer Classic is storytelling, and what better way to send Molina off into the sunset than by being voted to his 10th All-Star Game.

Apr 9, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher Tejay Antone. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Tejay Antone, Reds relief pitcher

While Tyler Naquin and Tucker Barnhart are having good, but not good enough seasons to beat out their competition for a spot on the National League All-Star roster, Cincinnati Reds pitcher Tejay Antone deserves to hear his name called on July 13th during player introductions at Coors Field. Sadly, I think the right-hander will fall just short of making the All-Star Game.

Antone has been one of the best relievers in all of baseball, and the Reds unquestioned ace in their bullpen. While that’s not saying a lot considering the state of the Cincinnati relief brigade, check these numbers out.

Antone has 2.1 WAR in 19 games this season. The Texas native has a 1.45 ERA, which is seventh best among all NL relievers with at least 20 innings pitched. However, Antone has done that in 31 innings of work, while the next best pitcher in that group is Alex Reyes who’s thrown in 29 innings this season. Antone has pitched more than Josh Hader and Craig Kimbrel.

Tejay Antone’s K/9 is 11.61 and a very impressive 0.58 HR/9. There are few pitcher in the National League doing what Antone is doing. When David Bell’s team has the lead and there’s no margin for error, the Reds skipper summons Captain Hook, and 27-year-old usually gets the job done.

While Antone is a reliever, he’s not a closer, despite the fact he’s earned three saves on the season. Fellow right-hander Lucas Sims actually leads the Reds with five saves. And while that’s not an overly important statistic, it is in the eyes of the voters. Mark Melancon currently leads the NL with 19 saves; quite the disparity.

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Tejay Antone’s 40 strikeouts trails only Josh Hader (41) for the league lead, so there’s an outside chance that the former fifth-round pick sneaks onto the All-Star roster, but I doubt it. While all three players on this list are deserving of a spot on the 2021 National League All-Star roster, it seems as though all three will be watching the festivities from the comfort of their homes.

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