If Miami Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto were playing in a larger market, he may be a slam-dunk selection for the 2018 MLB All-Star Game. Instead, the Marlins best player must hope the baseball gods and the fans nationally recognize how great a season he is having to get him to Washington.
The Miami Marlins have never been a big-market team, but players such as Giancarlo Stanton and Christian Yelich were recognizable enough that the mainstream fan knew them and followed them daily, even if the team they played on hasn’t had a winning season since 2009.