Last Updated: October 1st, 2026 by Matthew Brown
The Midsummer Classic is one of baseball's great special events. Of all the All-Star games in sports, I think this is the one that still does it right.
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The one thing about the All-Star game is that it is in the middle of the season. Not at the end. Sometimes, there are players who are much better down the stretch than at the beginning of the year.
That is probably the case for most of the players on this list. No matter what, though, they all had the ability to be voted as an All-Star at least one time in their career.
Enough said; let's go through the nine players who never made an All-Star team that should have.
9. Tim Salmon: The Best Player Never to Make an All-Star Team
It's hard to quantify the impact that Tim Salmon had on baseball. For many Angels fans, he is their all-time icon. In the grander scope of baseball, it seems like he was an overlooked great player.
The 1993 Rookie of the Year burst onto the scene with what should've been an All-Star season. He finished with 5.3 WAR thanks to his 31 home runs and 35 doubles.
He earned a Silver Slugger a few years later, proving his offensive value. A 128 career OPS+ is right around the entry point for great hitters in the Hall of Fame, yet he never even got the chance to play in an All-Star Game.
8. Kirk Rueter: The Giants’ Reliable Left-Hander
The stats are a little less impressive for this entry. Kirk Rueter was just a steady arm in the rotation for 13 years. He just kept his team in ballgames during the steroid era and racked up 130 wins.
His 4.27 career ERA isn't anything to write home about, but it reminds me of another lefty, Jamie Moyer, who had a 4.25 career ERA. It took until Moyer was 40 years old to earn his first All-Star selection; maybe that's what Rueter needed to do too.
7. Tony Phillips: The Ultimate Utility Player
Utility players are such a unique breed. It takes a particular mind to be able to excel at one position one day and a totally different one the next. It's also hard to fathom doing that as an everyday starter for a playoff team.
That's what Tony Phillips had to do, and he did it well. There weren't many players in the league who could say they constantly switched between the infield and outfield and still led the league in multiple categories at times in their career.
6. Adam Lind: Powerful Left-Handed Bat
Adam Lind was a solid bat in the middle of the order of a rebuilding Toronto Blue Jays franchise. Normally, I'd say that he doesn't have enough to garner All-Star consideration, but his 2009 was too good to ignore.
He hit .305 with 35 home runs, 46 doubles, and 114 RBI. If that's not a season worthy of an All-Star selection, I don't know what is. There's no way his numbers weren't good when it came time to vote.
5. Jody Reed: Contact Hitting Specialist
If there's anything you know about me, you should know that I have a big respect for doubles. They are extra-base hits that are earned and, frankly, are what most hitters strive to do every at-bat. You know the saying "drive the ball into the gap"?
That's what every coach will want from a hitter every time at the plate.
Jody Reed was a doubles machine. He led all of baseball in 1990 with 45 doubles; he had to have been on a great pace by the All-Star break. As a second baseman, he had to have been one of the better hitters in the league and earn an All-Star selection.
Unfortunately, that never happened in his 11-year career.
4. David DeJesus: Reliable Outfield Presence
David DeJesus is one of those names that a group of guys would say "that's a great pull," when naming random players. He wasn't overly spectacular, but DeJesus was a consistent player who could be relied upon in an everyday role.
There are multiple seasons in his career where he hit over .300. He also had a full season where he made zero errors in the outfield. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to get recognition in the middle of the year.
3. Dwayne Murphy: Defensive Excellence in Center Field
Offense has always been the flashy preference for fans and writers alike. It's put good defensive players in a tough spot for All-Star consideration. Dwayne Murphy wasn't just good defensively; he was great.
In 10 seasons with the Oakland A's, Murphy earned six Gold Gloves. He even hit 33 home runs in a season. Apparently, he just didn't compare to the bigger bats who were getting the midseason honors instead.
2. Chad Bradford: Submarine Specialist
A pitcher who releases the ball at a funky angle is always memorable. There's also a good chance that they're effective. Chad Bradford was all of the above.
The submariner pitched during the tough early 2000s and kept a very good 3.26 career ERA for the time. That comes out to a 138 ERA+, which is pretty elite. Yet, he never got the recognition he deserved because he didn't have the marketable role of closer.
1. Kevin Millar: Clutch Performer and Fan Favorite
You may remember him for his playing career as a solid first baseman, notably with the Boston Red Sox team that broke the curse. You may also remember him as a great media personality after he retired.
Either way you remember him, I bet he put a smile on your face. That's what Kevin Millar has been for the baseball community, and his numbers were always solid enough to warrant All-Star consideration. Maybe it's the amount I've listened to him after he played, but I remember him as being a better player than his final numbers suggest.
