The 2024 MLB All-Star game is almost upon us and while the Atlanta Braves dominated the NL All-Star team in 2023, they weren't as fortunate this season.
A down year for most of Atlanta's offense allowed the rest of the National League to take those roster spots. Fortunately, three Braves players have earned themselves the chance to appear in the 2024 ASG in Arlington, Texas.
Two of the three Atlanta players selected for this year's Summer Classic were key offseason acquisitions. The third player surprised everyone by being one of the team's best bats through the first few months. However, there were a few notable snubs for the Braves after the selections were announced.
3 Atlanta Braves selected for 2024 MLB All Star Game
Reynaldo Lopez, Chris Sale, and Marcell Ozuna were all selected to represent the Braves in Arlington. All three have been vital pieces for Atlanta and I don't think anyone expected that before the season began.
Our reps in Arlington!
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) July 7, 2024
Congrats to Reynaldo, Marcell, and Chris for their selections to the 2024 All-Star Game ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/NQJ5s5IhaN
Lopez might be the biggest surprise among the selections as there were little expectations for his performance in 2024. All he's done is pitch to a 7-2 record including an MLB-best 1.71 ERA through 89.2 innings. He has been so good for the Braves and they were right to bet on his ability to still be an effective big league starter. This is Reynaldo's first All-Star selection and it's incredibly well-deserved.
Marcell Ozuna had an argument to be the starting DH for the NL All-Stars. Unfortunately for the Atlanta slugger, he had to compete with arguably the best current hitter in Major League Baseball, Shohei Ohtani. Fortunately, Ozuna was selected as the reserve designated hitter and will have the chance to appear in his third All-Star selection. Ozuna is batting .298 with 23 home runs and an NL-best 72 RBI.
Chris Sale is no stranger to being selected for All-Star games and he added another notch to that belt on Sunday. When the Braves traded Vaughn Grissom for Chris Sale, no one knew what to expect but it's been one of the best decisions Atlanta could have made. Chris has an impressive 11-3 record including a 2.71 ERA through 99.2 innings with 19 walks and 127 strikeouts (sixth most in MLB). Sale earned his eighth All-Star selection and has a legitimate case to start the game for the NL squad on July 16.
"I love the way he pitches. I'm going to tell God, please give him a full healthy year so he can show people what he can do. I love him"
— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) July 7, 2024
Marcell Ozuna on what has impressed him most about Chris Sale this season🔊 pic.twitter.com/Tvs908IJGa
3 Braves snubs overshadow the team's 3 All-Star selections
There are always snubs for every All-Star game and unfortunately, the Braves have a few players who had strong cases to be on the 2024 squad. For whatever reason, they weren't selected but it still stings to know they missed their opportunities.
Three players come to mind when thinking of snubs from this year's ASG roster. Max Fried, Jesse Chavez, and Joe Jimenez all had cases to be selected. Fried has a 3.18 ERA through 102 innings and has been one of the team's best pitchers despite a rough start to the season. Fried's last start could be why he was overlooked since he allowed five runs on 11 hits to the Phillies at home. However, his body of work through the season justified him making the team as he's continually one of MLB's best starters every year.
Joe Jimenez is having one of his best seasons for the Braves but his 2.38 ERA through 34 innings wasn't enough to get him selected to the All-Star game. Jimenez also has 13 walks to 37 strikeouts on the season and his whiff percentage is in the 84th percentile across baseball. His xERA (2.06) and xBA (.169) also sit in the 99th percentile across the league.
Onto what is likely the biggest snub amongst the three players mentioned. The Atlanta Braves rallied around Jesse Chavez and hoped to get him to his first-ever All-Star game in what is expected to be Chavez's final season. Everyone in the clubhouse wore shirts proclaiming their respect and admiration for the baseball journeyman. Chavez has a 1.67 ERA through 37.2 innings with 10 walks and 33 strikeouts.
Everyone in the #Braves clubhouse is wearing the @RotoWear Jesse Chavez for All-Star shirt as styled by A.J. Minter. Talk about solidarity. pic.twitter.com/X5Xl2Gl0HP
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) July 2, 2024
The 40-year-old reliever seems to find magic whenever he wears a Braves uniform as some of his best work has come with the team. No matter where he begins the season, he has found his way back home to Atlanta between 2021 and 2024. It's a shame he won't get the opportunity to show off just how special he is to the masses in Arlington.
Atlanta is lucky to have such a talented team to the point where fans have the chance to argue that there are snubs for the All-Star game. One thing is certain, the Braves will always have some of the league's most talented players and an argument for multiple All-Star selections for many years to come.