After getting snubbed not once, but twice, Gleyber Torres is finally heading to Cleveland as a 2019 American League All-Star.
When the All-Star reserves were chosen, it was pretty shocking to see someone who after Thursday night’s game was hitting .294 with 19 home runs 50 RBIs and a .896 OPS on the best team in the American League didn’t make the cut.
Giving credit where credit is due, the original reserve selected was Tommy La Stella who is hitting a very respectable .300 with 16 home runs and 44 RBIs but the proof is in the numbers that it hasn’t been a better season than Torres. Then to make matters worse, when La Stella fractured his leg and became ineligible for the All-Star game, you’d think Gleyber would have been the obvious choice to replace him. Instead of making said obvious choice, the league decided to select Brandon Lowe who is hitting .276 with 16 home runs and 49 RBIs. Am I taking crazy pills? How on Earth do you look at those two sets of numbers and choose Lowe?
Yankees fans weren’t the only ones outraged with the decision, Yankee’s skipper Aaron Boone said, “I think it is a joke he’s not on that team! Gleyber Torres not an All-Star? You can kick rocks on that one. That’s ridiculous!”
On Thursday, however, Brandon Lowe hit the 10-Day Injured List with a bruised shin and the league finally decided to wake up and select the 22-year-old Torres to his second straight All-Star game in as many seasons of his young career. “I am super excited, it’s a dream come true to play in the All-Star Game. I want to go to Cleveland and play for the first time,” said Torres, referencing the unfortunate injury that kept him sidelined when he was selected to last year’s All-Star game.