Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Christian Walker has even more to a case as one of the most underrated players in baseball after his omission from the 2024 MLB All-Star Game.
In a day and age lacking many old school first baseman that hit for power and drive in runs, Walker is on pace for his third straight season with at least 30 homers and 90 RBIs. On top of that, he is the best defender at his position.
But because Walker is blocked in the National League by Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman and Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper, Walker was always going to have his work cut out for him to become an All-Star.
He is not. And his manager Torey Lovullo was not happy when he found out back in the first week of July.
“I was in the worst mood that morning,” Lovullo told Arizona Sports’ Bickley & Marotta on Tuesday. “About three or four players and staff members came up and asked me, ‘What’s the matter with you? You’re not acting normally.’ I was just pissed. I just had my look on my face. I didn’t want to talk to anybody.”
One of the players that came up and talked to Lovullo was actually Walker himself. Lovullo complimented Walker’s reaction at the end of the conversation, with the first baseman noting the respect of his teammates and the organization was more important to him.
Part of Walker’s snub has to do with the MLB’s insistence on giving an All-Star nod to every team, which leads to undeserving players taking spots from other players who have had far better seasons. The culprit in this instance was New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso.
Lovullo addressed that when speaking on Walker not being there with him for Tuesday’s All-Star Game.
“It’s kind of maybe a part of the flawed process,” he said. “But we have to respect it. It’s been a part of the game for a long time. I think he is one of the top two first baseman if not three first baseman here in Major League Baseball and deserves to be here.”