On Wednesday, Mets ace Jacob deGrom announced he would be skipping the MLB All-Star Game in Denver, Colorado to spend time with his family and rest up for the second half of the season, On Thursday, Houston Astros star shortstop Carlos Correa made the same decision to pass on the invitation to Coors Field.
Carlos Correa won’t play in the All-Star Game. Prefers to rest for 2nd half and postseason.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 8, 2021
This could become more and more of a problem for MLB. There isn't much incentive for players to participate in the game itself but it's a platform for the sport to get the best of the best in the spotlight on national television.
Baseball is becoming more and more regional so the opportunity to see deGrom face Correa or Shohei Ohtani certainly appeals to even the average baseball fan who don't have the opportunity much throughout the year to watch deGrom mow down hitters or Correa flash the glove and the bat.
Correa can't be blamed for his decision and neither can deGrom. MLB needs to do a better job of showcasing their stars and the game and the all-star game is one of their main opportunities to do so. Having these superstars opt out could lead to a domino effect of others doing so, leaving the game in a real predicament.
Like college football stars who have started to opt out of fairly meaningless bowl games, the decisions of Jacob deGrom and Astros star Carlos Correa could start a trend that continues to take away from the allure of the game and the chance for MLB to soak up the spotlight.
Follow Us
Subscribe