The 2018 MLB All-Star Game is one week away, taking place in our Nation’s capital, showcasing the best players on the globe — at least that’s supposed to be the case.

By Neil Harrington

Once again, MLB fans (and now players) voting for the MLB All-Star Game hindered some of the best players from a 2018 MLB All-Star game selection, while undeserving players snagged their spots instead.

For starters, how in the world did three Cincinnati Reds players earn MLB All-Star honors? I love me some Joey Votto more than anyone, but he’s not worthy of an MLB All-Star Game selection this season.

JT Realmuto should be starting at catcher for the National League squad. Period — .317/.368/.551. .919 OPS. 12 home runs and 44 RBIs.

Starters for the 2018 MLB All-Star Game. pic.twitter.com/anssenrVAA

— Capital Sports Forecast (@NatsWx) July 8, 2018

As a kid, I remember attending live MLB games, snagging my paper MLB All-Star Game ballot. It meant something back then, and I took pride in who I selected.

Not once did I select one of my own team’s players, if they were undeserving. For example, Matt Carpenter is one for the finalist in the NL final vote, and I’m not selecting him as my choice — he doesn’t deserve it.

The MLB All-Star selection process has a view variables on how players are selected. The starters for each league are determined by votes of the fans, while the substitutions are chosen primarily by MLB players voting for their own peers — both watering down the quality of each respective team.

There are more MLB All-Star Game snubs than usual because there are fewer spots than in times past — with the MLB All-Star Game rosters 32-players deep instead of carrying 34.

All snub 2018 MLB All-Star team

• Catcher — Yadier Molina Update: Molina is now added to the roster due to Buster Posey’s injury. 
• 1B: Brandon Belt — San Francisco Giants
• 1B:  Jesus Aguilar — Milwaukee Brewers
• 2B:  Jed Lowrie — Oakland Athletics
• 3B/Utility: Max Muncy — Los Angeles Dodgers
• SS: Jean Segura — Seattle Mariners
• SS: Andrelton Simmons — Los Angeles Angels 
• OF: Eddie Rosario — Minnesota Twins
• OF: Andrew Benintendi — Boston Red Sox
• OF: David Peralta — Arizona Diamondbacks
• P: Blake Snell — Tampa Bay Rays
• P: Adam Ottavino — Colorado Rockies
• P: Kyle Freeland — Colorado Rockies

The most undeserving players who made the 2018 MLB All-Star Game roster.

• Catcher: Buster Posey — San Francisco Giants
• OF: Charlie Blackmon — Colorado Rockies
• OF: George Springer — Houston Astros
• OF: Bryce Harper — Washington Nationals

Max Scherzer (.237) has a higher batting average than Bryce Harper. (.211)

— BaseballFact (@BaseballFact) July 7, 2018

One discrepancy that I’ll let slide is Bryce Harper is starting in front of the home-crowd of Nationals Park. The MLB All-Star game is an exhibition is supposed to be fun, and Bryce Harper provides that in spades.

However, the omission of the more deserving players is an eye-sore for MLB — almost as glaring as the pace of play of America’s past-time.