Former Reds slugger rips Jacob Misiorowski's All-Star nod as a mockery

Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jacob Misiorowski was added to the National League All-Star roster after just five starts. Though Misiorowski has performed quite well during his introduction to the major leagues, it's an absolute joke to include a rookie hurler on the All-Star roster after he's amassed a mere 25 innings of work this season.

Former Cincinnati Reds slugger and current Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Nick Castellanos did not hold back when asked about Misiorowski's inclusion on the NL roster. “It’s turning into the Savannah Bananas,” Castellanos said to Matt Gelb of The Athletic (subscription required).

In case you've been under a rock, the Bananas are baseball's version of the Harlem Globetrotters — emphasizing fan participation and theatrical presentation as part of their fast-paced, family-oriented product. While the All-Star Game is itself an exhibition — much like a Savanah Bananas game — including a player like Misiorowski simply based on hype and a 100-mph heater makes a mockery of the game and those who've played in years past.

Former Reds slugger Nick Castellanos rips Jacob Misiorowski's All-Star nod as a mockery

Castellanos and his Phillies' teammates are obviously irate that a player like Misiorowski was added to the NL's roster, while both Cristopher Sánchez and Ranger Suárez will not make the trip to Atlanta. Misiorowski is 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA in five starts while Sánchez is 7-2 in 18 games with a 2.59 ERA. Suárez owns a sparkling 1.94 ERA in 13 starts this season. Even New York Mets starter Kodai Senga, who missed time on the IL, has better numbers (7-3 1.39 ERA) over his 14 starts in 2025.

Some baseball pundits will argue that the All-Star Game is about the fans, and while player performance throughout the regular season matters, the event is designed to showcase the biggest names and brightest stars of the sport in order to help grow the game.

If that's truly the purpose of the All-Star Game, then it can no longer be used as a barometer for inclusion in the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Sometimes, the number of All-Star appearances is used to help elevate the résumé for an aspiring Hall of Famer. But if all the All-Star Game has become is little more than a popularity contest, then a player's Hall of Fame candidacy can no longer be tied to the number of times he's appeared in Midsummer Classic.

Thankfully, Andrew Abbott was added to the All-Star roster prior Misiorowski's addition. Though the trio of Sánchez, Suárez, and Senga can all make a case to be in over Abbott, at least the Reds' hurler has started 16 games this season. The Reds' lefty also has a complete game shutout on his All-Star résumé and an impressive 2.07 ERA. Abbott certainly belongs alongside the best in the NL, but Misiorowski does not.

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