Tarik Skubal makes emphatic Dillon Dingler All-Star statement to rally Tigers

Tarik Skubal didn't leave much room for interpretation. Asked about Dillon Dingler’s All-Star case, the Detroit Tigers ace went all in.

“Dillon Dingler should start the All-Star Game,” Skubal said via Woodward Sports Network. “I believe in that wholeheartedly. Look at all the numbers, defensively, offensively, how he manages the pitching staff. I think the fan voting’s been pretty disrespectful to him and that’s something that needs to get addressed.”

When phase one of All-Star Game voting ended Thursday, Dingler wasn't among the top two vote-getters at catcher in the American League. That means he's no longer eligible to be voted in as the starter. Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers and Toronto Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk advanced instead, with Kirk doing so despite missing two months because of injury.

Such is the nature of fan voting. Instead of being about who has had the best season, it's often about market size, name recognition, ballot campaigns and which teams have captured the most attention. Dingler’s problem is visibility, not performance.

Dillon Dingler snub showcases everything wrong with All-Star fan vote

Entering Friday's game against the Houston Astros, Dingler was hitting .268/.336/.543 with 19 home runs and 57 RBI. The 19 homers are already a career high, and he already matched his personal RBI record. The reigning AL Gold Glove winner at catcher, he has a .996 fielding percentage and just two errors. His bWAR of 2.9 is the best among catchers across baseball.

The frustrating part for the Tigers is that this is exactly the kind of player the All-Star Game should be designed to showcase: a two-way catcher having a breakout season while doing one of the hardest jobs on the field. Instead, Dingler will have to wait and hope he is selected as a reserve when full rosters are announced in July.

He probably will be. He should be. But Skubal's point, that Dingler shouldn't need a backup route into the game, is still sound. He shouldn't be treated like a consolation pick. He has been one of the best catchers in baseball this season, and the fan vote failed to reflect that.

The Tigers haven't had the same team-wide momentum they had a year ago, when Detroit sent multiple starters and reserves to the Midsummer Classic. Injuries to Skubal, Casey Mize, Gleyber Torres and Javier Báez have changed the energy around this season, and that likely hurt Dingler’s exposure. But the numbers are still the numbers.

Skubal just said what Tigers fans have been thinking for weeks: Dingler has played like an All-Star starter. The fact that he wasn't treated like one says more about the voting than it does about him.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow