Buck Showalter really wants Luis Guillorme to be an All-Star

Nobody is a bigger fan than Buck Showalter. I’m not referring to Shakira, although that could be true, too. It’s New York Mets utility man who has Showalter waving the pompoms hardest for him.

Showalter has been adamant about important Guillorme is to the Mets. The team’s roving infielder in 2022 has been brilliant for them thus far, slashing .320/.404/.383. He has 18 walks and 18 strikeouts in a season now 148 plate appearances deep.

How much does Showalter love him? Apparently, he thinks he should be an All-Star.

This isn’t the first time the Mets manager has awarded Luis Guillorme with such high praise

Showalter has been riding the Guillorme train hard, shoveling coal into it 24/7 to make it run. As Deesha Thosar shared earlier this month, Showalter was already campaigning for his infielder that has saved the Mets from plenty of grief this year.

Showalter makes a great point but the problem is right there in his face. Most utility men do not hit as well as Guillorme has this season. Many years, if we were voting for a utility man, it would be a one or two-man race. It would end up like a mayoral campaign in a small village where the winner is also your dentist.

All-Star voting is flawed. So is every other election out there. The purpose of voting isn’t to get it right. It’s to let people’s opinions be heard. Those are often wrong.

The All-Star Game, however, is a chance to be a little different from the regular season. You can reward people you wouldn’t normally. An All-Star appearance for a part-time player like Guillorme isn’t outrageous. It’s a nice story and with so many players bowing out of the appearance each year for whatever reason they can come up with, it’s never a bad thing to invite guys who you never thought would have a chance.

If MLB was to ever add utility players to the ballot, we’re sure to get a year where some rotten players make the team. That’s how the internet works. You can gather people together for a ridiculous campaign. Guillorme’s best chance at becoming an All-Star would probably be as part of the “final vote” or whatever they’ll end up calling it. You better believe if he does become a candidate there, Showalter is going to figure out a way to hide his IP address and vote more times than allowed.