Braves: Travis d’Arnaud is deserving of an All-Star spot

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In the most recent update from MLB’s All-Star voting, Travis d’Arnaud was the second ranked catcher, well behind Willson Contreras of the Cubs.

However, if he holds that spot, that would be enough for d’Arnaud to reach Phase 2 of the voting, which only allows fans to vote one time between the two finalists, and the votes from Phase 1 do not count. The winner of the second phase of the voting will be named an All-Star starter. The reserves will be determined via “Player Ballot.”

So if you haven’t voted yet, you can do so here. 

Taking the bias out of it, Willson Contreras is probably the most deserving candidate to start for the National League as things stand right now. However, Travis d’Arnaud is a much closer second option than many people might realize, and he’s gaining on Contreras quickly.

The Braves catcher has now accrued 2.1 fWAR, which ranks third in Major League Baseball among catchers and just behind Contreras’ 2.5 fWAR, but nobody has been better than d’Arnaud in June.

A big part of d’Arnaud’s offensive breakout has been his power. He already has 11 homers in 50 games. His current career-high for dingers is 16, which he should surpass with ease. On the season, d’Arnaud’s OPS is now up to .828, which–for a catcher–is elite.

Factor in d’Arnaud’s defense and the way he handles the Braves’ pitching staff, and he’s undoubtedly been one of the two best backstops in the National League. Is he deserving of being named a starter? Maybe not, but that shouldn’t stop Braves fans from doing everything in there power to make sure he’s an All-Star for the first time in his career.

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Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire

 

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