Yankees fans must have been furious when Brock Holt's name — not Alex Rodriguez's — flashed across the screen as an All-Star reserve on Monday.
Rodriguez was kept off the American League All-Star team Monday despite batting .284/.390/.513 (149 wRC+) with 16 home runs and 47 RBIs. Holt, on the other hand, is hitting .295/.383/.424 with two home runs, 21 RBIs with five stolen bases for the struggling rival Red Sox.
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AL manager Ned Yost told ESPN he liked Holt's versatility; Holt has played everywhere but pitcher and catcher in his major league career. "Super utility guys should be celebrated,” Yost said (via The Boston Globe).
Rodriguez's teammate Mark Teixeira was the only Yankee position player selected to the team. Teixeira's .243 batting average and .356 on-base percentage are both inferior to A-Rod's. Teixeira does have more home runs (20) and RBIs (59).
Outfielder Brett Gardner, who's hitting .297/.373/.481 with nine home runs and 39 RBIs, is a Final Vote candidate — a list that also doesn't include Rodriguez.
Despite the slight, A-Rod released the following statement:
"As I've said all season, my number one goal is helping the Yankees win a championship," he said, via the New York Post. "I'm excited that we're in a good position to get there. Of course it would have been an honor to represent the American League next week, but I'll have fun cheering on the guys who were put on the team and watching them protect home field."
Rodriguez said all the right things, but he must be disappointed not to be honored for what's been a highly productive first half of the season.