Minnesota Twins SP Jake Odorizzi named to All-Star Game as a reserve

The Minnesota Twins may have deserved more representatives at this year’s MLB All-Star Game, but the Twins pitcher will join Jorge in Cleveland.

The Minnesota Twins have had the best record in baseball for a majority of the first half of the season and have been toward the top of the American League standings. Even though they entered Sunday one game back of the New York Yankees for the best record in the AL, the Twins still haven’t gotten the national recognition that they deserve.

On Sunday, the Twins got another snub when the reserves and pitchers were named for the MLB All-Star Game, Although they have been one of the best teams in the AL for most of the first half, the peers and managers who vote decided that Jake Odorizzi was the lone Twin deserving of an All-Star spot.

Odorizzi was one of several Twins that deserved a spot thanks to a career-year that has been sparked with the arrival of pitching coach Wes Johnson. After spending most of 2018 out of sync after coming over in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, Odorizzi has become one of the best pitchers in the AL, going 10-3 with a 2.73 ERA. His 10 wins are also tied for first in the AL while his ERA ranks fourth.

While Odorizzi deserves the nod, the bigger story was about who wasn’t invited to the All-Star Game after the Twins had four representatives in last week’s MLB All-Star Starters Election. Jorge Polanco would win that election to start at shortstop for the AL, but names like Eddie Rosario, Max Kepler and Jose Berrios deserved better fates and a spot at the Midsummer Classic.

If there is a silver lining to this, it’s that the banged-up Twins will have plenty of time to rest up for the second half of the season while enjoying a four-day break. While the snubbed Twins would rather be in Cleveland, it could light a fire and make Minnesota an even more potent team in the second half.