Cincinnati Reds closer Alexis Díaz is in Seattle repping the team in the 2023 Major League Baseball All Star Game, as well he should be. He’s MLB’s saves leader, the owner of a minuscule 2.03 ERA and 2.36 FIP, and has made more folks look silly with games on the line than anyone else in baseball so far this season.
It’s just a bit of a bummer that he’s the lone representative from the first place Reds, a team that has dazzled and dizzied their opponents with a furor rarely seen anywhere, let alone in these parts. The stars and skillsets the Reds have put on display so far in this surprising season warrant more than just one relief pitcher, but we’re just going to have to settle for watching a bunch of Braves and Dodgers duke it out against the ballot-box stuffing Rangers and Shohei Ohtani.