This Reds player has legitimate gripe after All-Star snub

Every year the same conversation rages on; who was the biggest omission from the All-Star Gaame rosters?

Last year, among Reds fans, it was probably Brandon Drury. While Luis Castillo got the nod for the ole Redlegs, one could have easily made the case for Drury, the slugging infielder who was signed to a minor league deal before the start of the 2022 season.

This season, of course, there are a few names who are missing from the All-Star rosters. Most notably, on the American League side, is Wander Franco. Christian Yelich of the Milwaukee Brewers probably has a legitimate gripe as well. But which Cincinnati Reds player was the biggest snub?

Matt McLain was snubbed & should be part of the NL All-Star roster.

Now, over the next week, many of the wrongs will have the chance to be righted as injury replacements will be named, but Cincinnati Reds shortstop Matt McLain has one of the biggest arguments among All-Star snubs.

McLain's lack of game played is probably the biggest reason the 23-year-old rookie missed out on the All-Star roster. McLain was just called up to the big leagues in mid-May, but his impact has been phenomenal.

While all the headlines go to Elly De La Cruz, the trio of McLain, Andrew Abbott, and Spencer Steer have all had more productive rookie seasons to this point. McLain

Among qualified National League rookies, McLain leads the way in batting average (.313), on-base percentage (.375), and OPS (.924) and ranks among the Top 5 in hits, doubles, triples, and slugging percentage.

Reds SS Matt McLain should have made the All-Star team over Ozzie Albies & Dansby Swanson.

When you look at the NL reserves, Matt McLain has a legitimate case to made over the likes of Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies and Chicago Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson.

McLain has a higher batting average, slugging percentage, and OPS than both Albies and Swanson. Swanson's OPS+ is a measly 102, while McLain is sitting on a 141 OPS+. Albies' 20 round trippers are impressive, but McLain's slugging percentage is over 100 points higher.

Reds fans won't want to hear this, but name recognition matters. So does the city in which these high-profile stars play. Both Atlanta and Chicago are big markets, while Cincinnati is not.

But the biggest factor that led to Matt McLain missing out on the All-Star Game is his lack of games played. McLain has suited up for just 43 games while Swanson and Albies have each played over 80. That's a hard factor to ignore.

So, while Spencer Steer and even TJ Friedl have legitimate gripes, no one on the first-place Cincinnati Reds was a biggest All-Star snub than Matt McLain. Perhaps he'll join the NL squad as an injury replacement later this week.