It's not his fault.
It's not Julio Rodriguez's fault.
But the moment he was named an American League All Star on Sunday, the Mariners centerfielder ignited a social media firestorm.
He was the guy that other fans pointed to in anger: How did he get in and our guy didn't?
For a few players, there may be a point.
Rodriguez has an OPS of .695, well below one of the most popular players argued for, Toronto's George Springer.
But the player voting that helps pick the reserves clearly felt good about Rodriguez.
MORE: Pirates had another 'Paul Skenes Special'
He's an exciting centerfielder, dangerous on the basepaths and packs some power at the plate.
It's the third All-Star selection for Rodriguez in his first four MLB seasons, a pretty rare accomplishment.
His 11 homers, 15 steals and 103 OPS+ (above league average) at least make a decent case for him.
That won't make the fans of Springer and others happy, but life isn't fair, and in this case, Julio is the beneficiary.
MORE MLB NEWS:
- Mets-Cubs trade of PCA for Javier Baez has wildest All-Star Game twist
- Pirates break MLB record previously held by 1884 Cincinnati Outlaw Reds
- Angels' Jo Adell finally living up to top prospect hype
- Aaron Judge hit in the head by his own teammate
- Pete Alonso breaks separate records of Mike Piazza, David Wright
- Seiya Suzuki shockingly snubbed from the All-Star Game
Category: Baseball
