Indians: MLB needs to end fan voting if Jose Ramirez misses the All-Star Game

It’s a joke that Yoan Moncada is higher than Jose Ramirez in All-Star votes.

The Indians have arguably the best third basemen in the Major Leagues. His name is Jose Ramirez. He’s currently fourth in fan-voting for the All-Star game in July. The three men ahead of him are Rafael Devers, very good and young third basemen out of Boston. The other two are Houston’s Alex Bregman and Chicago’s Yoan Moncada. Neither man is having that good of a season and yet both are ahead of Ramirez, a three-time AL MVP finalist.

Talk about bad jokes.

Devers is having an All-Star year and should make the team. We’re not going to talk about Devers anymore. He’s good. Bregman and Moncada? They have no business being All-Stars on their own, let alone over Ramirez.

Both Bregman and Moncada have a higher batting average and slightly more walks. That’s it. They have fewer doubles, fewer triples, fewer home runs, fewer RBI’s, fewer total bases, fewer stolen bases, more strikeouts and those are just the cumulative numbers. Their averages are also not as good when looking at OPS. They aren’t even as decorated as, or seen in the same light as Ramirez. He’s an MVP candidate every year.

Bregman? He banged on a trashcan. Whatever Bregman was two years ago, he isn’t that currently.

Talk about succeeding off your reputation. Moncada doesn’t even have that, he’s had one good year in his entire career.

Not only that, but the All-Star votes aren’t factoring in the importance a player has to their team. Bregman and Moncada aren’t that important to their teams in 2021. Ramirez isn’t just going to be the Indians MVP this year, but he’ll likely finish in the top-two again for the AL MVP award.

How does one of the league’s best players get lapped by two guys with three good years combined between them?

The All-Star selection has to change.

The average fan has no right to decide who the All-Stars are. We wouldn’t let them vote for the Hall of Fame or the MVP Award, so why are we letting them vote for All-Stars? Considering All-Star Game appearances affect bonuses, rest time, and even eventual Hall of Fame consideration, why is the Major League so hell-bent on letting the fans have so much say over a players career when fans have shown time and time again to stick with their club of choice when it comes time to vote?

The bigger fanbases will always get their guys elected into the games, even if they don’t deserve to be, and guys like Bregman and Moncada have no business going to the mid-summer classic ahead of Ramirez.