This one thing might keep Elly De La Cruz out of the All-Star Game

As the second wave of All-Star voting totals rolled in, one thing became painfully clear. Being one of the most electric and productive players at your position doesn’t guarantee you a fair shot when you're not wearing the uniform of a big-market franchise. Just ask Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz — the perfect example.

Despite putting together a season worthy of headlines, the Reds shortstop finds himself third in the National League shortstop voting — trailing behind Francisco Lindor (New York Mets) and Mookie Betts (Los Angeles Dodgers) by a significant margin. Here’s where things stand:

1. Francisco Lindor, Mets: 1,641,053
2. Mookie Betts, Dodgers: 1,211,461
3. Elly De La Cruz, Reds: 689,640
4. Trea Turner, Phillies: 661,489
5. Dansby Swanson, Cubs: 563,984

At first glance, you might think De La Cruz is getting his due. Third place isn’t bad, sure. But take a closer look — this isn’t a close race. It’s a landslide. Lindor has more than double the votes of De La Cruz. Betts isn’t far behind. The gap is enormous, and frankly, it has little to do with performance.

All-Star votes reveal harsh truth about small-market stars like Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz

Let’s talk about production. Betts, for all his star power and MVP pedigree, is having a pedestrian season by his standards:

.254/.338/.391 | 9 HR | 38 RBI | 6 SB

Now look at Elly De La Cruz:

.272/.348/.513 | 18 HR | 55 RBI | 21 SB

Not only is De La Cruz outperforming Betts across the board, he’s doing it with fewer career accolades. And that’s part of the problem.

You could make a legitimate case for Lindor, who’s also putting up a solid season (.273/.344/.474 | 16 HR | 42 RBI | 13 SB), but Betts’ inclusion is, at this point, more about name recognition and a larger fanbase than merit. And when you factor in the markets — Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Chicago — it becomes even more obvious why De La Cruz is the odd man out.

He’s the lone small-market representative in a sea of National League Goliaths. And despite being arguably the most exciting player among them, the lack of national spotlight may cost him a trip to Atlanta.

Reds' superstar Elly De La Cruz is far more deserving of an All-Star nod than Dodgers infielder Mookie Betts

The reality is, the All-Star Game isn’t always about who’s most deserving. It’s about who’s most visible. Betts has played on national TV more times this season than De La Cruz probably will all year. That matters to casual fans who vote on names, not numbers.

De La Cruz is doing things we don’t normally see. He’s a switch-hitting, base-stealing, home-run-launching phenom who has single handedly made Reds games must-watch TV — if only more people were actually watching.

So while De La Cruz may be building an All-Star résumé, he might not be given the chance to showcase them on the big stage. Not because he hasn’t earned it, but because the small-market spotlight can only shine so far. Unless there’s a massive surge in late voting, or the players and managers step in during reserve selections, De La Cruz might end up watching the All-Star Game from home. And that’s not just a snub — it’s a shame.

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