Elly De La Cruz could sneak into the All-Star Game while other Reds miss out

Elly De La Cruz is the Cincinnati Reds most recognizable player, and sometimes that's all it takes to be named to the MLB All-Star Game. De La Cruz, however, hasn't earned a spot on this year's NL All-Star roster, and the Reds have at least two other players who are more deserving.

De La Cruz is having a fine season, but by almost every metric, he's not an All-Star. Among shortstops, De La Cruz leads the NL in stolen bases and is second in the league in home runs and RBI. His .824 OPS, however, trails Francisco Lindor, CJ Abrams, and Trea Turner, and his 80 strikeouts are the most among his NL counterparts.

The best of the best at the shortstop position this season are in the American League. Jacob Wilson, Jeremy Peña, Bobby Witt Jr., Zach Neto, and even J.P Crawford are having better seasons than De La Cruz. Despite all that, De La Cruz may indeed sneak into the Midsummer Classic.

Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz could sneak into the All-Star Game for all the wrong reasons

The All-Star selection process is flawed. The fan-vote, while important, elects the starters for the game, and then a joint effort between the players and Commissioner's Office decide the reserves and pitchers. If De La Cruz receives enough of the fan-vote to be elected as the NL starter, there's a chance that both TJ Friedl and Andrew Abbott could be left out of the equation.

In terms of All-Star merit, Abbott is the most deserving player on this year's Reds team, though a strong case can be made for Friedl. But the rules require that at least one player from every team be represented, and that's where things get tricky.

Abbott, if he's chosen, will be added to the roster via player vote. But with players like Paul Skenes, MacKenzie Gore, Chris Sale, Zack Wheeler, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto also lobbying for a spot, adding Abbott might be a tough-sell. Though he has a lower ERA than Skenes', Abbott doesn't have that name recognition or a 100-mph fastball. Whether Reds fans like it or not, those things are what the All-Star selection process is built around — who can sell tickets and get eyeballs on the sport?

As for Friedl, he'll be buried behind some really good outfielders on the NL roster. Corbin Carroll, Kyle Tucker, Pete Crow-Armstrong, Juan Soto, and James Wood will be among the group who'll be fighting for an All-Star roster spot. Throw in Fernando Tatis Jr., Jung Hoo Lee, and Jackson Churio, and it'll be an uphill battle for Friedl to make the cut.

But neither Abbott nor Friedl stand a chance if De La Cruz nabs a spot in the starting lineup. Reds fans know all too well that big-market clubs dominate the All-Star selection process. While deserving, Abbott and Friedl will be left out in the cold if De La Cruz is named the NL's starting shortstop, and thus fulfills the requirement of at least one representative for the Reds.

Even De La Cruz's most ardent supporters knows that he's not playing at an All-Star level this season (though he's been heating up over the last couple of weeks). But the All-Star selection process is not always about what's fair, and De La Cruz — through no fault of his own — may earn a trip to the Midsummer Classic for all the wrong reasons. His biggest competition will come from Lindor, Abrams, and Dansby Swanson.

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