Skip to content

Bauer: 'They didn't get it right' if I'm not an All-Star

Patrick McDermott / Getty Images Sport / Getty

After stymieing the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on Wednesday night, leading his Cleveland Indians to a 3-2 victory with a sixth straight quality start, Trevor Bauer said he deserves to represent his club at the 89th Midsummer Classic later this month in Washington, D.C.

"I should be an All-Star," Bauer told Zack Meisel of The Athletic. "I'd imagine I will be and if I'm not, they didn't get it right, whoever they is. I'm glad I'm pitching well. That's been the goal, I feel like I should be an All-Star every year. That's the standard I hold myself to."

Indeed, few pitchers have enjoyed a more impressive first half to the 2018 campaign than Bauer, whose ERA sits at 2.45 following Wednesday's outing in which he allowed just two runs on seven hits while fanning eight over 7 2/3 innings. In the American League, only Luis Severino of the New York Yankees has accrued more WAR than Bauer (4.2), who sits in the top five in the league in virtually every meaningful statistical category.

- WAR ERA FIP WHIP IP
Stat 4.2 2.45 2.16 1.09 121 1/3
AL rank 2nd 5th 1st 10th 1st

Lately, the 27-year-old right-hander has been particularly unhittable, managing a 1.87 ERA with a 6.56 strikeout-to-walk ratio over his last six starts. During that span, he has allowed more than two runs in an outing just once, and has notched double-digit strikeouts three times.

Whether his peers recognize his merit remains to be seen. Unlike with position players, most of whom are elected to the All-Star Game via fan voting, pitchers are sent to Midsummer Classic by their fellow players (who choose five starters and three relievers per league) and the commissioner's office (which chooses four additional pitchers per league).

Bauer, now in his seventh season in the big leagues, has never played in an All-Star Game before. Last year, Bauer's teammate, Andrew Miller, recorded the save for the victorious AL squad, which eked out a 2-1 victory over its NL counterparts at Marlins Park.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox